and me,” I reminded her. “We’re allowed to date. This is not something she gets to dictate.”
At her slow nod, I kissed her. Long, deep, and with every ounce of emotion I felt for Jane so she’d know that I’d put up with anyone’s shit, including Lorna’s, as long as I got to keep her.
After we’d dressed, I held Jane’s hand tight in mine as we made the descent into hell.
As soon as we stepped off the last stair, Lorna launched off the couch, eyes on Jane as she charged toward us.
I pushed Jane behind me, and Lorna stumbled to a halt.
“What did you think I would do?” She blinked, paling, as if I’d hit her.
“I wasn’t sure.”
“I’d never hurt Jane.”
Jane stepped out from behind me. “Lorna, we were going to tell you.”
“I’d never hurt Jane,” Lorna repeated, glaring at me, before turning to her best friend. “Unlike my brother.”
Anger churned in my gut. “Lorna.”
“No. This is ridiculous.” She gestured between the two of us. “You two don’t make sense at all, and Jane is not ruining our friendship over a fling with you, Jamie McKenna.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared defiantly at Jane. “It’s him or me.”
Jane’s expression was as shocked as mine. “What?”
“I said, it’s Jamie or me. If you date him, our friendship is officially over.”
The color disappeared from Jane’s face.
That was it. I lost it. “Are you serious?” I yelled. “You can’t make her choose between us. You’re fucking nuts, do you know that?”
“No.” Lorna’s eyes filled with tears. Crocodile tears. Manipulative brat. “What I know is that no one ever picked me. Until Jane. She’s my best friend and I need her. If you two split up, what happens then, huh? What happens to me and Jane?”
“We won’t split up.”
“Oh please, Jamie, you’re a man-whore. As soon as you get bored, you’ll dump her.”
“You don’t know shit!”
Jane flinched at my side with the impact of my roar.
It didn’t even touch Lorna. Not even an earthquake could intimidate her. “I know she’s my best friend and I love her. You don’t!” She turned toward Jane, her eyes beseeching. “I’m the only one in the world who loves you.”
I remembered overhearing her say something similar to Jane years ago. I should’ve done something about it then. I pushed between Jane and Lorna, and my sister stumbled back. “Do you even hear yourself?” I asked, my voice calm but hoarse with the fury I was trying to check. “Do you hear the sick, manipulative bullshit you’re trying to fill her head with? And how long, huh? How long have you been filling her head with this shit?” I spun away from her to take Jane by the hands, putting her palms on my chest.
She stared up at me, wide-eyed. “Jamie?”
“I don’t want you to ever believe her bullshit, okay? She’s only saying it to get you to do what she wants, the same way she has done your entire friendship.”
A weariness entered Jane’s eyes that I didn’t like. “I know that.”
I relaxed, slipping my arms around her shoulders as I turned to my sister. She wasn’t getting into Jane’s head with that toxic crap. That’s all I cared about.
Lorna’s face crumbled. “You’re supposed to be my big brother. It’s my feelings you’re supposed to protect. And you never have. I don’t want you to do this. Why won’t you choose me?”
I squeezed my eyes closed, hearing the real pain in her voice. The problem was twofold. For reasons I didn’t care to think on too long, our dad hadn’t been kind to my little sister. In fact, he only ever had time for me, but he was at least sweet enough to Skye. Lorna, he treated like shit. I knew this had affected my little sister.
And then Lorna was just like our mom. Unlike when I was a kid, pandering to my mom, I wouldn’t sacrifice my happiness for someone who would never be happy, no matter the choices I made. “I love you, Lor. You’re my kid sister and I will always love you. But this isn’t about you.”
“Jane’s my best friend.”
“Yeah. And you just told her no one would love her like you do. Do you not understand how fucked up that is? That’s shit sociopaths say to people.”
She glared at me. “That’s not fair.”
“Yeah? You say you love Jane, but you haven’t asked her how she feels about me, if being with me makes her happy. Because you don’t care. You