A Date to Play Fore - Heidi McLaughlin Page 0,23

brother-in-law into my room, I send Leah another text: Your brother is here. Should I be worried?

Of course, I’m worried, but not in the sense he’s here to maim me or anything. He has too much to lose if he does anything stupid. I inhale deeply, close my eyes to center myself and exhale as slowly as possible.

There’s another knock. This time I can tell it’s with his fist.

Fuck.

My hand pushes the handle down and I pull the door open, making sure my body is between the door and the wall, and my foot is blocking the door from going any farther. “Hey.” I’m as nonchalant as possible.

“Can I come in?”

I don’t know, can you?

I step back and hold the door for him, while biting my tongue on his improperly formed question. “What can I do for you, brother?” That’s a jab I never thought I’d get to take, but here I am, throwing it out there.

Bryan turns, his face is stone and he glares at me with burning, reproachful eyes. “I am not, nor will I ever be, your brother.”

“Eh,” I say, shrugging him off. “Semantics.”

Bryan steps toward me with his finger poised in my direction. “The joke is over, Jennings. Leah confessed that the marriage is a fake, which thank fuck it is, otherwise I’d have her at the courthouse getting an annulment.”

Now, I laugh. “Under what pretenses?”

“Stupidity.”

“Whatever. You’re just pissed because she went on a date with me, behind your back. Your issue with me, is with me. Leave your sister out of it.”

Bryan throws his hands up in the air and lets out a guttural groan. “Your head is so far up your ass you can only see your own shit.”

Nice analogy.

“Look, you had your night of fun, you screwed my sister. Yay, Jennings, you win. But enough is enough. The game is over.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong, Nelson. This isn’t a game to me. I’m in love with your sister.”

“No, you’re obsessed with me. You need professional help.”

I scoff. “You’re full of yourself. For years you’ve seen nothing but my backside in every competition. Stop being jealous and stop controlling who your sister sees. She’s an adult and capable of making her own decisions.” I walk toward the door, determined to boot his ass out of my room.

“I told her,” he says, stopping me in my tracks.

“Told her what?”

“The women, the party, and the threat.”

My forehead rests against my door while a slew of swear words run through my mind. My hand clenches into a fist and as much as I’d love to punch Bryan’s lights out, I can’t. I turn and go back into the room. He stands there, looking fucking smug, like he won a match against me or something.

“This may have started as a game, but it was over the second I spoke to her.”

“She’ll never believe you.”

“Then tell her the truth, asshole.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t believe you. You’re the one who told me you were going to sleep with my sister to get back at me. Look at that, you succeeded . . . in hurting her. Not me.”

Bryan walks out of my room and makes sure to slam the door for the full effect. I jump but continue to stand where I am. His words repeat in my mind, over and over. I hurt her. Grabbing my phone off my bed, I dial her number as I walk to my door. My call goes to voicemail.

“Leah, we need to talk. I don’t know what’s going through your mind, but your brother isn’t exactly a fan of mine and will do anything to keep us apart.”

As soon as I walk out of my room, I head to the steps, taking them two at a time until I’m down to her floor. When I get to her room, I pound on the door, calling out her name.

Nothing.

I do it again, over, and over, until my hand becomes tired and my voice hoarse. I call her, text her, and try to video chat, again nothing. Defeated, I slide down the wall until my ass hits the carpeted floor. She’s not coming out of her room or getting in, without passing by me.

Leah just needs to hear my side and then I’ll let her make whatever decision about us, she needs to.

8

Leah

With all the text messages, voicemails, and missed calls, my phone is literally dead. There were times I wanted to answer, but in the end, I couldn’t do it.

“As much as