You Are My Girl…

Knox.

The bass of the music thumped loud against the floorboards of our estate, matching the irritation in my temple. It was the return of the King, or so my mother acted.

Reid was back. My golden-boy older brother was home for the summer after three years of “finding himself” or whatever useless endeavour he’d been up to in Europe.

Everyone was fawning over him. The neighbors, the extended family, even the girls I used to toy with now orbited around him like he was the freaking sun.

When he was done saying his pleasantries and cracking useless jokes, his eyes found mine and he started to head toward me.

He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “You look tense, little brother.” He looked tan, fit, and annoyingly relaxed. He held a drink in one hand and offered me a grin that used to make me look up at him.

Now, it just made me want to punch his perfect teeth in.

“Just thrilled you’re home,” I lied, swirling the drink in my glass.

His grin faded slightly and his eyes scanned the crowd. “Is she coming?”

“She’s coming.”

“Good,” he sighed, a look of genuine longing softened his features. It made my stomach churn with acid. “I still don’t understand why she never wrote me back, Knox. I sent three letters. Damn, I poured my heart out in those things.”

I took a sip of my drink to hide the smirk threatening to break through. “Maybe she moved on, Reid. It’s been years.”

“I made you swear to give them to her. You said you did,” he pressed, his brows furrowing.

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “I put them in her locker. Or maybe I gave them to her friend. I don’t remember, man. It was years ago. The mail goes missing all the time. I’m not the mailman and it’s not in my jurisdiction to ensure your crappy love notes got delivered.”

He looked at me disappointed while I met his gaze with bored indifference.

“I just…I really liked her, Knox. I thought she felt the same.”

She did, I thought bitterly. She wrote you letters too but I burned every single one of them. Not on my watch would their neighborhood romance come to life.

“Well, you’re about to find out,” I said, looking toward the grand entrance.

And then, she walked in.

My breath hitched, catching painfully in my throat. I had sent her the dress, a slinky emerald green silk number that clung to her curves like oil, with a slit that went dangerously high up her thigh.

I wanted her to look good enough to show off. I never calculated the cost of it.

She looked devastating. In a breath-taking way. Her hair was cascaded in waves over one shoulder and her makeup highlighted those big, innocent eyes that made me remember her looking up from those thick lashes while her mouth— Fuck.

I leaned my weight onto one leg to hide the bulge that was starting to build and distract myself with weird thoughts.

But then, reality hit me like a physical punch. She did not dress like this for me. I had let it slip in the phone call this morning that this party was for Reid.

She dressed to kill. For him.

Toxic jealousy flooded my veins in waves. She had never looked this good for anyone. Not once.

I watched as Reid spotted her, and the poor man literally stopped breathing. He set his drink down and started walking toward her, drawn like a moth to a flame.

I moved faster. I wasn’t about to let them have their rom-com reunion.

I intercepted them just as they stood face-to-face in the center of the room.

“June,” Reid breathed, his voice exposing his emotions. “You look…incredible.”

Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, and her eyes sparkled in a way they never did when she looked at me. “Hi, Reid. Welcome home, it’s been a long time.”

He took a step closer. The chemistry was palpable it was disgusting. “Too long. I missed you. I wrote to you, you know. I never knew if you—”

That was my moment to interrupt the nonsense.

“Okay break it up. Don’t bore her with the past, Reid. It’s a party for goodness sakes.”

I slid my arm around her waist and pulled her close to my side. She stiffened, but I did not let her go.

Reid frowned at my hand on her waist and the confusion that clouded his face was satisfying. “Knox, give her some space.”

“She’s fine,” I sneered, enjoying the way June looked trapped.

Before Reid could argue, our mother materialized from the crowd. She was quite a sight in diamonds and abuzz with alcohol or excitement. Couldn’t really tell.

“Knox! There you are, I was looking for–” she stopped when her eyes landed on June. Her face lit up. “Oh, my goodness. June? Is that you?”

June managed a polite smile, though she tried to subtly pry my fingers off her hip.

“Hello, Mrs. Ashford.”

“You are absolutely ravishing, dear! Look at you all grown up. You steal the spotlight from everyone.” Mom gushed, reaching out to touch June’s arm. Then she cast a conspiratorial glance at me. “I actually have something for her. A little trinket I picked up in Paris that would match that dress perfectly. But not yet…the party is still in full swing. Find me later, alright?”

Mom giving gifts to June? That was highly suspicious. Usually, she ignored my friends. Whatever. There was no time to dwell on it. Reid was back to staring at June like she was the only water in a desert.

And June was staring back with that pathetic longing.

I had to end this. Now.

“Actually, Mom, Reid,” I said loudly. “Since everyone is here, I think it’s time for a toast.”

I grabbed a champagne flute from a passing waiter and signaled for the DJ to cut the music. The room went quiet and all eyes turned to us.

“Knox, what are you doing?” June hissed as her nails dug into my side.

I ignored her and looked straight at Reid, locking eyes with him as I pulled June flush against my chest.

“I just wanted to welcome my big brother home,” I announced with a charming smile. “And, since the whole family is here, I thought it was the perfect time to share some news.”

I paused for effect, loving the way tension made June tremble against me.

“I wanted to introduce you all properly,” I said, my voice dripping with possession. “To my girlfriend, June.”

*_*_*_*

JUNE

The word girlfriend sent an arrow straight to my heart. I felt the blood drain from my face. My heart which had been fluttering moments ago at the sight of Reid, now stopped dead in my chest.

Girlfriend?

I looked up at Knox as horror washed over me. As if he’d been waiting, he flashed me that cruel smirk that haunted my nightmares. His arm tightened around my waist, trapping me.

I looked at Reid.

The hope and warmth that was there a while ago shattered instantly, replaced by a confusion so deep it resembled physical pain. He took a step back, looking from me to Knox as if waiting for the truth from me.

“What?” I whispered to Knox. “what are you talking about?”

I tried to step out of his hold and tell everyone he was lying and that he was my bully and tormentor, a monster who made me kneel on a dirty classroom floor to suck his dick.

I wanted to scream that I had dressed up for Reid whom I loved since I was fourteen.

“Knox,” Reid finally found his voice. “You…and June?”

“That’s right,” the fucker lied smoothly. “Crazy right? We kept it quiet for a while, didn’t we, babe?”

“No,” I gasped, shaking my head. “Reid, no, I’m not—”

Knox leaned down. To the crowd, it looked like an intimate loving whisper between a couple.

“Look at the projector screen, June,” he whispered.

I froze. My eyes darted to the massive white screen set up at the far end of the room currently displaying a slideshow of Reid’s childhood photos. Standing next to the laptop and controlling it was Caid.

He was looking right at us with his finger hovering over a remote. He gave me a small nasty wave.

“Caid has a video loaded up. It’s a lovely little film and very high definition with your face clear in 8k. You on your knees, choking on my cock in that classroom. Your slurps and my moans are excellent. I’m sure Reid would love to hear the noises you made while you swallowed me.”

Nausea rolled in my stomach as my world tilted on its axis. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t. Could he? Was he willing to go that far?

“You’re bluffing,” I whimpered.

“Try me,” he challenged, his hand sliding lower to rest possessively on my hip. “Deny me right now. Tell Reid I’m lying and in five seconds, every person in this room, including my mother and the love of your life over there will watch you suck me.”

I looked at Reid who was still waiting for me to tell him the truth. He looked so hopeful that I would deny it.

But if that video played, he would never look at me with respect again. My parents would be humiliated and my life at school would be over. Knox held the detonator to my entire existence right now.

Tears pricked my eyes, blurring the sight of Reid’s handsome face. I had lost.

“June?” Reid called again softly. “Is it true?”

I felt Knox’s fingers dig into my hip, each poke a silent countdown.

I swallowed the bile in my throat and forced my lips to curve into something that might pass for a smile if you looked away from the deadness in my eyes.

“Yes.” There it was. The lie. “Yes, Reid. We’re…we’re together.”

Reid flinched suddenly and the light in his eyes went out completely. He nodded slowly and a mask of indifference slid over his beautiful features. I’d lost him forever.

He lifted his glass in a toast to Knox. “Well, congratulations, little brother. You always did get everything you wanted.”

Then he turned and walked away without looking back. The devil beside me laughed and kissed my cheek.

“That’s my good girl. Now smile. You are the life of the party.”