The worst part: just minutes ago Ryke told me that nothing was going on. I don’t get it. I don’t fucking understand why he has to lie to me. I ask him if he has feelings for her. He says no. I ask him if they’re fucking. He says no. I ask him anything and he gives me responses he thinks I want to hear. He’s walking on egg shells for me, and I just need the fucking truth.
Every day, I feel like I’m going out of my goddamn mind.
Anger drives into me. From so many places. I can’t stop it. Ryke climbs off the bike, acting guiltless about the whole ordeal. Daisy follows suit, and when they’re both standing on the concrete, I go off.
“Did I interrupt something?” I ask my brother.
“No,” Ryke says. “We were just talking.”
I nod repeatedly. There are fears so deep that I can barely touch them. He could fuck over Daisy. Break her heart. He could betray me. And break mine. I just need him to give me something. Tell me that he loves her. Tell me that this is more than what I think it is. Anything that can put these doubts to bed.
I ask, “If you were just talking, then why were her legs wrapped around your waist?”
“Lo,” Daisy cuts in. Ryke raises his hand, silently telling her to stay out of it.
“We’re friends,” Ryke says to me.
That’s all he gives me: We’re friends. I shake my head. “Friends don’t do shit like that.” I point at the Ducati that they were just on together.
Ryke pinches the bridge of his nose, his jaw hardening. “What do you fucking want me to say?”
Anything. “That what I just saw was a mistake!” I shout.
His lips tighten. He just stares at me. I want to punch him right now. Maybe then he’ll tell me the truth.
“It was a mistake,” Daisy says. “I wanted to see what it would be like to ride on a motorcycle backwards. I needed his help.”
I look between them. Is she serious? “That’s the best lie you can come up with?”
She smiles. “It’s actually the truth.”
“This isn’t a fucking joke, Daisy. He’s seven years older than you. He’s been with more girls than you probably even realize.” I don’t want to bring a person in her life that’ll just screw her and leave her. I can’t handle that.
“No,” she says, “I realize that he’s slept with a lot of women, but his number is probably one that I would have easily reached at twenty-five too.”
I grimace. Sometimes I think she puts on this act like “I’m so old and experienced” just for my brother. “I’m in an alternate universe right now.”
“Really?” Daisy says with a lopsided smile, one that brightens her whole face. It reminds me that she’s still young and may be able to escape all of this. I want something better for her than my brother. She has the opportunity to leave Philly behind, date a guy without so much baggage. She can be so fucking free. “Cool,” she nods. “Is it more fun here? I think it is.” She turns to Ryke. “What do you think?”
His eyes never leave me. “Tone it down.” And then he says, “Lo—”
“You’re not good enough for her,” I interject. “You realize that, right?”
Ryke’s muscles flex, as tense as me. “I care about Daisy just as much as you, if not more, so you don’t need to pull this overprotective bullshit on me.”
I want to believe that. So badly. The side of me that I hate most never will. “It’s not bullshit if you’re fucking her,” I say.
“We’re not fucking!” he shouts.
The door opens, and Connor, Rose and Lily slip into the garage.
Lily stands next to me with a heavy frown. “What’s going on?” she whispers.
“I caught them fucking on her motorcycle.” I literally say it to be mean.
Ryke groans. “Come on! We were both on the bike, fully fucking clothed. We’ve never had sex!” He shakes his head. “How many times do I have to say it?” I don’t know. I don’t know how to give you a fucking break when I rarely get one. It’s the cruelest part of my soul. “You know what,” he says, “we might as well fuck if you all think we’ve done it a thousand times already.”
“Whoa, whoa.” I cringe and raise my hands. “I can’t stomach you guys doing it once. So please spare me the goddamn picture of it happening a thousand times.”
“Both of you,” Connor chimes in, stepping off the short stairs that lead down into the garage, “stop for a second.” He stands between us. “You’re overreacting.”