Irresistible

TWENTY TWO

I stepped outside through the glass sliding door into the backyard for some privacy. It's my first time out here, and I'm not surprised by how nice it is. The fenced-in space surrounds a beautiful pool with a mini waterfall.

I take a deep breath and dial my brother's number, hoping he's not too busy to answer.

"Hey, dumbass! I haven't heard from you in so long!" His cheerful voice greets the phone.

I can't help but smile. "Hey, Jacey Poo, how are you?"

"I'm decent. I'm sorry I didn't get to call on Thanksgiving, Lils. Things were hectic," he apologizes, and I feel a pang of guilt knowing what I'm about to tell him.

I also can't ignore the glitch in his voice every time he talks due to the connection; I have to make this quick.

"Don't apologize, I figured. I did have something to tell you though," I say as I take a seat on one of the pool chairs, feeling the warmth of the sun against my skin.

"Did something happen with mom and dad?" Jace asks, knowing me all too well.

Jace always knows when something is wrong.

"Um, yeah, actually. How did you know?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper, feeling a lump form in my throat as I struggle to find the right words to explain the situation at home.

I heard Jace sigh loudly on the phone, a sound heavy with concern. "Just had a feeling. What happened?"

Taking a deep breath, I explained everything that happened at Thanksgiving and the fight with our parents.

Jace was kind of silent once I finished the story, and I felt a pang of worry. "Are you there?"

"Yeah, I am," Jace clears his throat, his voice soft with regret. "I just... I'm really sorry that happened, Lils. I feel bad, I mean, if I just kept in contact with mom-"

I cut him off shaking my head, even though I knew he couldn't see me. "No, don't feel bad. My actions aren't your fault. Don't feel guilty for something you didn't do."

"I know. I know. It's just my choices make your life harder. That's the last thing I want to do. Maybe I should just call them and apologize for everything."

"If that's what you want to do, then do it. But don't do it because you think you're burdening me. This is why I didn't want to tell you, but Sage insisted. I just didn't want to add more stress to your plate," I said, picking at my fingernails while holding the phone between my shoulder and ear.

"Wait... did you say Sage? Like your friend's sister who you have a big ass crush on Sage?"

I froze, realizing I slipped up by mentioning that. "Um, yeah," I replied, trying to downplay the significance. I didn't really know how to update him since Sage and I hadn't discussed labels yet. "I'm at her house right now, actually. I came here after everything went down with our parents."

"Does she treat you well?" Jace asks, his protective older brother side coming out. "I'd never hit a girl, but I have connections."

"Jace," I laughed at that, feeling a warmth in my chest. "She treats me amazing. Better than anyone else."

"Good, but let her know I'm keeping an eye on her, even from overseas," Jace quipped.

We talked for a little bit more, and eventually Jace had to go, which made me a little sad, but I said goodbye anyway.

Once the call ended, I sighed and really looked around the backyard. The grass was pristine, and there were all kinds of flowers and trees back there. It was really pretty.