Rocking Kin (Lucy & Harris, #3) - Terri Anne Browning Page 0,76

I don’t have to wait much longer. Once I’m eighteen I’ll leave.”

Caleb blew out a frustrated breath and turned his blue eyes on me. “Promise me you’ll take care of her.”

I didn’t even hesitate. “I promise.”

“I mean it. Really take care of her this time, Jace. I need you to do that for me.”

“Caleb, I swear I will take care of your sister. You don’t have anything to worry about, man. Anything she needs, I’ll handle it.” Our eyes locked for nearly a full minute while I tried to make him see how sincere I was about Kin now.

Whatever Caleb saw must have convinced him because he straightened and held out his hand to me. “Thanks, man.”

I shook his hand, relieved that he would trust me with something so important. He had to know what Kin meant to me. Had to understand that I loved her and only wanted her happiness.

Later that evening I went home to give Kin a night alone with her family before they left the next morning. I arrived back at the hotel to pick her up and drive her home just as the twins climbed into the rented sports car Caleb had been using since they had arrived.

As I parked my car and walked toward Kin, I could tell she was upset. By the time I reached her, she was losing the battle to not let her tears fall. As the first one spilled over her lashes and onto her cheek, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her head onto my chest. “Baby,” I breathed at her ear, “it’s going to be okay. I promise.”

Her shoulders shook with the sob she was trying to hold back. “I m-miss them already,” she whispered brokenly.

“I know, baby. I know.” I rocked her against me while she gave up on the fight to stay strong and sobbed so hard I worried she would damage something internally. The sounds that left her gutted me, but I only tightened my hold on her. “I got you, Kin.”

It was a long while before the gut-wrenching sounds finally stopped. She was limp in my hold and I lifted my head to look down at her with concern. “Feel better?”

She shook her head as she wiped her checks with her fingertips. “Not even a little.”

I traced the path of one errant tear as it fell down her cheek and pooled at the corner of her mouth, then stroked my thumb over her full bottom lip. “I’m sorry, babe. What can I do to make this better?”

She sucked in a shuddery breath. “You can’t, but thanks for being here with me.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, Kin.”

She didn’t respond and lowered her eyes so I couldn’t see what she was thinking. After a few seconds she wrapped her arms around herself and glanced at my car. “Can you take me back to Scott’s house now?”

I didn’t want her to go back there any more than Carter or the twins did, but I nodded my agreement and took her hand. Entwining our fingers, I led her to my car and opened the passenger door for her. Once she was settled and had her seatbelt on, I closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side.

She was quiet on the drive back to Malibu, and with each mile that took us closer to her father’s house I wanted to demand she come back to my apartment and stay there. If she didn’t want to sleep in my bed with me, there was a spare bedroom that I would give her. She could live with me and Gray until she graduated and then…

Then who knew. Maybe she would want to stay. Maybe she could go to college close by and I wouldn’t have to tell her goodbye again. Maybe…

Fuck. My fist hit the steering wheel as I neared her house, forcing her to finally lift her head and look at me. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice sounding hoarse from all the crying she’d done earlier.

“It’s nothing,” I lied. “Just hate that you’re hurting, babe.” That wasn’t a lie. It was torture to see the pain in her eyes. To see how pale she was and how much paler she got with every turn of the car’s tires. This wasn’t right. I shouldn’t be taking her back to a house where she didn’t feel welcome, to a family who didn’t love her.

“I’m going to change my clothes and then walk over to Lucy’s