Nova started to open the door to the bar just as it was slammed open with such force that both Nova and Samara stumbled back. Garret didn’t even notice them as he stomped toward his mother’s SUV, his face blood red. I knew that look well. His face turned that shade whenever someone had to bitch him out for whatever stupid shit he’d done. There hadn’t been as many incidents recently that called for that, but when he’d first started working for my family, it was something that had happened almost daily.

“Hey!” Lyric yelled just as Garret jumped into the driver’s seat. “Watch where the fuck you’re going. You could have hurt someone, dumbass. My kids and wife are walking around out here.”

Garret shot him the middle finger before starting the vehicle, and seconds later, he left skid marks on the asphalt as he peeled out.

“That boy is pushing his luck this weekend,” Mom muttered.

“How much do you want to bet he’s why Nova is acting off?” Pop said to her.

“Maybe.” I heard her sigh heavily, my gaze still on where Nova was just now entering the bar. “But I don’t think that’s the only reason.”

As the door closed behind my sister, I turned to my parents. “What do you know?” I rasped out through a clogged throat.

“I don’t know anything for sure,” Mom said with sincerity after a brief pause. “But I think you should talk to her, l’venok. Get everything straightened out now, before it’s too late.”

“Too late for what?” I yelled, unable to control the volume of my voice.

“She’s telling you to go tell the girl you love her, dumbass,” Lyric said casually as he walked past me. “Before you lose her.”

“I can’t,” I gritted out. “It’s not time yet. We still have another year before—”

He jerked around, his face set in hard lines. “Time doesn’t wait for anyone. Your girl is hurting now. Fix it before there’s nothing left to fix.” He inhaled slowly, appearing to find patience. “Look, I’ve watched soul mates rip each other apart because of one stupid misunderstanding. It ruined their lives for years. Do not let whatever happened that is eating at her continue. Because if you hurt her, I don’t give a damn who you are. I’ll help these fuckers cut off your balls without hesitation.”

18

Nova

Whatever Aunt Raven did to Garret hadn’t left a mess in the bar, so that was a relief. I wasn’t confident I could have helped clean up my brother’s blood off the floor. Even when he was cruel to me, as he had been earlier, I still only wanted the best for him. No matter how enraged he could make me, I loved the dumb fuck. The way he’d stormed out of there had been childish, but I could only hope he didn’t kill himself or someone else while behind the wheel, as pissed off as he was.

Part of me hoped Ben would catch him speeding and lock his ass up, but that would only mean he would have to stick around Creswell Springs longer, and I was more than ready for him to get back to the East Coast. Less than twenty-four full hours in the same town with him, and I wanted him to be the length of the country away. I loved him, but I knew that, together, we were toxic to each other.