“Aubrie could never love someone like you,” he said softly.
“You dumb asshole. You don’t know me and you sure as hell don’t know your daughter.”
He met my gaze. “I divorce your mom and back off the documentary, and you destroy the video?”
“That’s the deal.”
“Fine.”
“Oh, also, go back to L.A. tonight. Mom likes this house and isn’t going to want you skulking around.”
“I’ll leave. But you shouldn’t press your luck, Lincoln.”
I smiled. “No hard feelings, Cliff. It’s just business.”
“You dumb asshole. Maybe you got away with this one, but I’m not going anywhere.”
“Sure you are. You’re going back to L.A. to be with whatever B-list slut you’re currently fucking behind my mom’s back.”
He made a face. “Fuck off now. I’m busy.”
I stood there a second longer, basking in my victory, and then I gathered my stuff and left.
I practically ran upstairs. I threw open the door, startling Brie, and crossed the room, dropping the laptop on the ground.
I gathered her up in my arms and hugged her tight.
She laughed. “What happened?”
“You and me? We’re not going to be stepsiblings for too much longer.”
There was a pause. “For real?”
“For real. It’s done.”
“Holy shit!” She kissed me hard.
“Exactly what I was thinking,” I said once she pulled away.
She moved out of my arms and lay back on the bed. “Poor Jules though.”
“Despite her idiot, supermodel exterior, she’s pretty tough. She’ll be fine.”
“Still. She doesn’t know yet, does she?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. Cliff will handle that, I’m sure.”
“I still can’t believe him.”
“I know. But it’s over now.”
“What about your parole?”
“I’ll finish it out here. I don’t have too much longer.”
“How long?”
“Four months, give or take.”
She blinked. “School starts back up in a few weeks.”
“I know.”
“I can’t stay. I have to go back,” she said softly.
“I wouldn’t let you stay.”
“But, what about—”
I pressed myself up against her, cutting her off. “It’s just one semester. We can do one semester apart.”
“We’ve had years apart already,” she said.
“Exactly. We have a lot of practice.”
She laughed and I kissed her softly, biting her lower lip gently.
“Fine. One semester.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll send you dick pics every day. I wouldn’t want you to forget about it.”
She giggled. “I don’t think I could forget about it if I tried.”
“Good. And we’ll set you up with a nice video camera.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yep. We’ll Skype every day.”
“No way I’m getting naked over the Internet, Lincoln.”
I laughed. “We’ll see about that.”
“Seriously. No way.”
“Give it two weeks without this dick and you’ll be begging to strip down for me.”
She gasped as I kissed her neck. “You asshole.”
“What can I say? I’m very persuasive.”
She looked me in the eye. “It’s really over? We don’t have to worry about my dad sending you to jail?”
“It’s really over. You’re mine now.”
She nodded and then kissed me.
I kissed her back, full and deep.
She had to leave soon. Only a few weeks to explore every inch of her body, taste every part of her skin. I wasn’t going to waste any time. I’d been away from her for far too long.
As I lifted her shirt off, I knew that was it.
I didn’t need anything else, ever again.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Aubrie
Charity Event #3
Months later
To:
[email protected]
From:
[email protected]
Date: 12/15/2015
Subject: long distance fuckin
Brie baby,
How you doin’? You know I hate that show, but I still have that stupid line stuck in my head. I mean, seriously, it’s like the basis for a failed spinoff and we’re supposed to still think it’s funny? But I guess it is if we’re talking about it.
I don’t need to say this, but I’ll get it out up front: I miss your sweet ass. Yeah, I know, we Skype and text and talk on the phone all the time, so these emails are pretty pointless, but I like it anyway. Feels old school. Like I’m a soldier writing home from the front. My sore as hell legs sure make it feel like I’m in some shitty war.