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Red was the only colour I could see. The fucking punk sitting on the couch had riled me the moment I’d set eyes on him; kissing Ayden. I didn’t like it one little bit, and the more I looked at him, the more sweat trickled down my back, the harder I clenched my fists.

He was just my sister’s type, too.

I knew I was staring at the fucker who’d put Sophie in the position she currently was. Pleasantries were over, I wanted some fucking answers before my anger tipped over the edge and I had to hurt someone.

“Well...” I drawled. “You’re gay,” I pointed a finger at Ayden. “Clearly.” He tensed and stepped in front of...who was it? Jake? Yeah, he stood in front of Jake as I peered around to the prick on the couch. “You knock up my sister, dude?”

Sophie’s gasp rang loud in the room and I felt her tug at the back of my jacket. Shrugging her off, I stepped closer to the couch, my stance threatening. I wanted to kick fuck out of the guy. Never mind the fact that the thought of someone having sex with my baby sister enraged me, he hadn’t even used a condom. The only thing stopping me from beating ten shades of shit out of him was the look of disapproval on Ayden’s face.

He didn’t answer, but openly glared at me. Brave fucking man had no idea the damage I could inflict before he even chanced a blink. “You fuck blokes too, huh?”

“Hey, that’s enough.” Ayden’s voice rose. “You don’t get to come into my house and carry on like that. Be respectful or get the fuck out.”

“He fucking you, too, Ayden?” My anger reached boiling point and everything around me blurred and dissolved until it was just me and him, until he was all I could see. “You like his cock better than mine?” He flinched at my remark, coiling away. I’d given him the perfect ammo to flip my lid.

“Shut the fuck up!”

“You embarrassed? Ashamed you crawled all over trash like me and sucked me like you couldn’t get enough?” His hand whipped out and he shoved me back, making me stumble a step or two. Holding myself steady, I drew up taller. “You get one...” I warned.

“This isn’t about what happened. It was a mistake; you and I both know it.”

“Pretty fucking tasty mistake if you ask me.” I licked my lips and ogled the fit body which had reduced me to my knees, salivating. Then, I remembered where I was and red flamed across my face. Shrinking back, I screwed my eyes shut tight. When I opened them again, Sophie was between us, unimpressed with the oversharing I’d done.

“Sit down,” she growled.

Sitting in a recliner over by the window, needing some distance between myself and Ayden, I moved the conversation along. “Someone start talking before I really lose my temper.” I rested my elbows on my knees, overly exhausted with life.

“I’m not a child anymore, Shaun. There’s no need for all this anger. You can’t dictate my life, you need to let me make my own mistakes.”

“This isn’t something that just goes away. It’s a life decision. You’re in no position to have a baby. This is not what I wanted for you.”

She knelt in front of me and I calmed when her hand found its way inside mine, cold, delicate fingers a balm to the fiery anger within. “I know. But it’s happening. Yes, Jake is the father. I haven’t had the chance to discuss it with him. Between your threats and Ayden throwing punches, and Ayden throwing threats and punches, there hasn’t been time.”

I laughed and squinted my eyes at Ayden, who was now sitting on the couch alongside his friend. “You hit him?” He nodded, clapping his hand on the bloke’s knee. These two were close, closer than friends, they were too familiar with one another. “What’s going on here? You two fucking each other or what? ‘Cos if you are, that’s pretty messed up seeing as you knocked my sister up, you know?”

“No.” Jake cleared his throat. “No, we’re not.”

“But you were?”

“Yeah. You were.” Boomer chimed in. He hadn’t sat, was propped against the door frame, looming over the room. “You bi? The pair of you?”

“No. I’m gay.” Ayden answered, flicking a look my way. “It’s irrelevant and none of your fucking business. Sophie’s okay, that’s all that matters. Jake will step up to the plate. That’s what’s important, not our sexuality. Get a bloody grip.”

“I wouldn’t say she was all right, mate, would you?” Boomer snarked with aggravation. “Look at the situation your bro has put her in.”

“Boomer...” I cautioned as his irritation tipped.

“What the fuck ever. I’m out. I’ve had enough of this fucking circus with you, Sophie.” With his parting shot, Boomer stomped from the flat, slamming the door as he left. Jesus Christ. I rubbed at my temple.

“You don’t need to be here either.” Sophie stood and peered down at me. “Thank you for coming. Your visit has been extremely enlightening for everyone,” she muttered sarcastically.

She was right, I didn’t need to be here. Sophie followed through the door Boomer had just stormed from and Jake jumped to chase after her. I let them go, they could wait, him and my sister had things to talk about. That left me and Ayden sitting in awkward silence for far too long.

“You were bang out of order,” he said suddenly.

Yeah. I sure had been, but I wasn’t fucking caring one iota. “Sorry, did I spill your sordid little secret?” I asked sourly.

“Christ. It’s not the end of the world, Gripp. She’s having a baby, she has support. Get the fuck over it, all right?”

Jumping to my feet, his words rubbed at me the wrong way. “Get the fuck over it? She’s twenty-one, you prick, with more dreams than I know what to do with, dreams she has a shot at. How does getting pregnant help her achieve those?”

“It sets her back is all.”

Maybe I was afraid she was her mother all over and that frightened the shit out of me, there was no one to step up to the plate if Sophie walked away. I knew I had to give her more credit than I was, but the fear was inherent. Everyone had failed her, I had failed her at the most basic level despite trying my best. Perhaps telling Ayden, Sophie wasn’t to come home, had been a bad idea. This was what I did though, made spur of the moment decisions and fucked everything up. I could never get it right, someone always suffered.

“What’s your friend’s problem?” Ah, he’d seen it too.

“He has a soft spot for my sister. A crush maybe. They’ve known each other a long time.”

“He gonna be a problem for them?” He slung his thumb toward the door.

“I’ll make sure he isn’t. Your mate better be on the up and up, Ayden. I don’t play around. Any harm comes to my sister or he treats her wrong, in the slightest, he’ll be the sorriest motherfucker breathing when I’m finished with him.”

“Jake will step up.” He sat picking at his fingers when he said it, seemingly uninterested in any further conversation. But I wasn’t finished with him, not by a long shot.

“You didn’t answer my texts.”

Ayden snorted. “If you were looking for a dick pic back, you’ve got the wrong guy.”

“You didn’t like it?” My smirk was a mile-wide reminiscing about the serious wank I’d given myself that night and the filthy thoughts running through my mind after I’d sent that little bit of pornography his way.

“It’s not my style.”

“And what is your style? ‘Cos you suck dick like a pro, never had better. You’re more than worth making a sacrifice for.”

His laugh was short, unamusing. “Yeah, not gonna happen. Look, it’s time you left. You saw your sister, she’s fine.”

Standing up he adjusted himself, the impression his semi hard dick made against his trousers, hard to miss. I flicked my tongue stud, contemplating. The attraction was there, he’d proven it on his end and I was wanting more. I wanted it fucking all if I was being honest. I’d never had anything so delicious in all my life. Me and him were a bad, bad idea. I wasn’t stupid, knew it would never work, but I wanted it all the same. I crossed the room, getting in his space, realising I had to come at him from a different angle.

He cocked his head to the side. “You a man who doesn’t take no for an answer?”

“I don’t think you want to say no.” Extending my hand out, I ran a finger down his throat as he gulped, the rasp of his stubble seemingly loud among our mingled breaths. “Return my texts.” I lurched away from him, my composure splintering, the urge to suck his bottom lip between my teeth too tempting. It would do neither of us any good for now.

“Please, answer my texts.”