as gonna kill him. I was only like sixteen, I think? It was nasty.”
“Jeez, that’s crazy.”
“No, what’s crazy is that Angie has to go see that douche every other weekend. He doesn’t love her. He just likes fucking with Lucy. I hate him.”
“Me too, and I don’t even know him.”
“Believe me, you’re better off without knowing that asswipe,” he says, pure loathing dripping from his voice. “Lucy may be the oldest, but we all treat her like she’s the youngest. We’re really overprotective.”
I smile. “That’s sweet.”
“Yeah, I bet you know all about that. Is that why you don’t get along with your brothers? Too overprotective?”
I grimace. “Hardly.”
“Really?”
“Jace, they ignored me all the time. Used me as a stick carrier. They didn’t care one bit about me. Still don’t. I’ve been here over a month. I’ve spoken to Matty twice maybe, and Laurence and Seth not even once.”
His face scrunches up. “Really?”
I laugh. “Yes, not everyone has Brady-family relationships like you do with your siblings.”
His smile is full of apology. “Sorry.”
I wave him off. “Please don’t be. I love that you love your family and talk to them daily. I’m jealous, but I’m happy for you.”
He nods as I move my fingers in and out of his. Silence falls between us, but it’s comfortable as he drives, the music playing softly. Soon, my thoughts float to my shitty family. I wish I had the relationship with my brothers like he does with his brothers and his sister. I wish I had a niece to spoil and love. But I don’t. I have me.
And Jace.
I have Jace.
“You were good with Angie. I didn’t know you liked kids.”
I smile wistfully. “I love kids. I wanted a baby sister when I was younger.”
“Angie is the best,” he says happily, and then he shoots me a grin. “So I guess you want kids?”
“One day.” Grinning over at him, I ask, “Making sure I’m long-term worthy?”
He scoffs. “I knew that the moment I met you.”
He sends me a wink, and I let out a long breath as I shake my head. He is so confident about everything in his life. I wish I had half the confidence he does. Hell, a quarter of it. “Well, then.”
“Just sayin’.”
Leaning my head onto his shoulder, I remember the conversation between him and his sister, and suddenly, I want to know all about it. I want to know everything. Especially things that bother him. I could tell he was troubled.
Threading my fingers through his, I ask, “What were you and Lucy talking about?”
Glancing at me, he shrugs before looking back at the road. “I told her my dad is coming to my game Friday, and she wasn’t too happy about it. I knew it wasn’t good, so she told my mom and is gonna tell my brothers.”
“Oh.”
He looks at me expectantly. “Just, oh?”
I shrug. “Well, why don’t you tell them?”