Just a Pucking Kiss [COMPLETED]

Chapter 31 - Still sick

JD

It's Sunday morning when I knock on Kat's door. I take a deep breath. This is something I should have done a long time ago. But maybe it's only now I'm in the right headspace.

Neither Kat nor Morgan showed up to the game last night. I mentioned it to Brick, and he said Kat was still feeling sick, so she was sleeping and Morgan was looking after her.

As the door opens, I realize I should probably wait until she's well, but I need to do this now.

"JD?" Morgan says and takes my breath away.

"I came to check up on Kat."

"Oh." She steps aside. Kat is sitting on her bed with a book, looking tired and sick. "Maybe you can tell her it's ok to sleep when you're sick."

Kat sniffles. "I'm not that sick."

"I need to talk to you," I say and walk over to her. "Alone."

Morgan frowns at me, but I give her a pleading look. Then she turns to Kat, and I love and hate that she clearly puts Kat's wishes over mine.

"Do you mind?" Kat asks and coughs a little.

"I'll be right outside," Morgan says and leaves us alone.

I sit down opposite Kat. On Morgan's bed. And I force myself to not think about what we did there.

"I need to know if you want out."

"Out of what?" She seems confused.

"Out of the relationship with Brick. If he at any point mistreats you, I will take care of it. However you want."

"JD." She sounds exhausted.

"I know I haven't listened to you before, but that doesn't mean I don't care. I love you. You're my baby sister."

"I've told you so many times..." She leans her head back against the wall and closes her eyes.

"I know. But I didn't listen before. I see that now. So if you tell me everything is good, then I won't ask again."

"JD," she sighs, coughs, and takes a sip from a water bottle. "He has never done anything to me that I wasn't on board with. Not a single thing. I love him and he loves me."

"There's no shame in asking for help or admitting you're in over your head." I need to make absolutely sure.

"JD." She leans over to her nightstand and pulls out a book. She hands it to me. "I've been reading books like this for years. With or without Brick, this is what I want."

I swallow as I study the cover. There are no faces. The woman's arms are wrapped in a chain and a male hand is holding on to the chain, making it appear as if she's kneeling in front of him.

My mouth falls open. "You can't be serious."

"Before I even came to UNI, I suspected I was far from vanilla in bed. And every day I thank god I found Brick who listens to me and lets me explore who I am in a safe space. We talk to each other. He knows what I want and I know what he wants. I'm at peace with him, JD. Can you accept that?"

Her words swim around me as I try to reconnect with reality.

"And our relationship is so much more than what happens in the bedroom. We read the same books and talk about them. He cooks for me and takes care of me. He listens when I talk about my future and he tells me what he wants. Never, ever, has he told me I need to fit some arbitrary mold to be good enough. He's nothing like mom and dad. He loves me for who I am and wants me to be fulfilled and happy. And when things get hard, he supports me."