His dark gray eyes twinkled with amusement. "Whatever do you mean, little sis?"
"Don't call me that," I responded instantly.
"Why wouldn't I? Parker does."
"Parker's different."
"Of course he is." His words were bitter, stinging me.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, Junebug. Come on, we're leaving."
"Not yet." I crossed my legs on the floor, staring Kade down resolutely. "I want to stay here a while longer. We'll probably never get the chance again."
"What's so special about this place, anyway?" I didn't answer. What was I supposed to tell him? Definitely not the truth. Kade realized I wouldn't give him an answer and groaned. A cool breeze blew through the treehouse, and I shivered. "You cold?"
"A little." I wrapped my arms around my body for warmth, but Kade was faster than me, stripping off his gray hoodie and offering it to me. Reluctantly, I took it from him, telling myself I was only doing this because I was freezing. But as his scent enveloped me, I realized I couldn't lie to myself. Kade's hoodie was like a hug from my older stepbrother—warm, inviting, and a rare comfort. "Thanks for that."
He nodded, and we sat in silence for a few moments before I finally spoke again, if only to make things less awkward.
"You sad about leaving this place?"
"It's just a house, Junebug."
"It has so many memories, though."
"Well, you can always make new memories." He laughed at my crestfallen expression. "You're too sentimental, June."
"Or maybe you just can't deal with feelings," I muttered under my breath, feeling a blush creep into my cheeks.
"Feelings are for the weak."
My expression darkened. "So you think I'm weak?" His amused smile told me everything I needed to know, and it pissed me off.
"You're a woman." Kade shrugged, making me even angrier.
"So?"
"So, you let emotion overshadow everything you do." His eyes sparkled as they met mine. I knew he was just teasing me, but I couldn't help it—I always got so defensive.
"That's sexist," I hissed. "And misogynistic. And probably a whole bunch of other things I can't even—"
"Big words for such a little girl," he interrupted.
"I'm not a little girl," I hissed, picking myself up and bumping my head on the ceiling of the treehouse. "Ow!"
"Junebug." He spoke up quietly, but with enough resolve to finally shut me up. "I'm not saying it's all bad."
"Oh, thanks." I laughed sarcastically. "That's just great, then. Just mostly bad, or what?"
He stared back at me with twinkling eyes. This was why Kade and I never got along. Either he was teasing me, or he was pretending I didn't exist. He didn't answer, which only drove me crazier. Instead, he stood too, but he was mindful of the low ceiling and didn't hit his head. But his presence was overpowering in the tiny space, and I felt his closeness like an oppressive hug. The aroma of his cologne surrounded me—such a thick cloud of fragrance. Despite everything, I wrapped Kade's hoodie tighter around my body.
"Maybe you should stop treating every word out of my mouth like an insult," Kade suggested.
"Maybe I would if you didn't try to offend me with everything you say."
"I'm not trying to do that, I just—"
"Whatever." I shook my head resolutely. "Just forget it, Kade. Let's get back to the house before the movers get here."
"Junebug." I tried to move away, but his arms caught me before I could descend the stepladder leading into the backyard. "Stop being so fucking stubborn."
I stared up at him defiantly. Something passed between us then, a strange moment that made my heart skip a beat as I stared deep into my stepbrother's gray eyes.
"June," he muttered again. His fingers somehow found their way to my cheek, gently caressing my skin. "You're so pretty when you're mad."
"W-What?"
"Sorry." His hand dropped, but I caught it in mine and brought it back to my face. He looked for confirmation in my eyes, and I nodded, a barely perceptible tilt of my head. But it was all Kade needed.
His fingers wandered over my skin again, touching my reddened cheeks before slowly, tentatively moving to my lips. As he touched them, they parted. My heart was beating so fast I thought it would rip through my rib cage, and I was nervous as hell as I faced him. We'd never been intimate like this before. Even Kade giving me his hoodie was unusual.
"What are you doing?" I whispered, half-hoping he wouldn't reply.
"Just shut up," he grunted. "For once, keep that pretty little mouth shut."
I obeyed this time, my lips glued together around the tip of his pointer finger. He explored them with his soft fingertips, coaxing me gently to open them more. His finger grazed my tongue, and I flushed.
"Why are you so scared?" he asked, his voice surprisingly soft.
I couldn't bring myself to answer. All those feelings I'd kept bottled up for years were threatening to come out. The feelings I had for Kade were on the tip of my tongue. I was reaching my breaking point. The moment when I confessed every desire, every forbidden thought I'd had about my stepbrother for years.