Sweet Torment(34)

"It's Saturday night. My sister is supposed to be at her friend's house, but her car is here and all of your lights are off."

I just look at him, saying nothing. I'm neither prepared to lie nor tell him the truth.

"Is Claudia here? Are you covering for her so she can sneak around with some guy?"

Nothing can be gained by lying at this point. We're planning to tell everyone tomorrow anyway. "This isn't the way we wanted you to find out."

"Find out what?"

I've had this conversation with Owen over and over in my head, but I swear I can't remember any of the words I've rehearsed. I'm blank. "Claudia and I are together."

"You mean you're together because she's here right now?"

"No. We're in a relationship together."

"The hell you are." His face contorts. "The. Hell. You. Are. Motherfucker."

I've been best friends with Owen our entire lives, and he's never once looked at me like this, like he wanted to kill me. "Calm down, Owen."

"I will not calm the fuck down." He scans my living room. "Where is she?"

I can't do it. I can't tell him she's in my bed.

His eyes grow large. "Fuck. That. I'm getting my sister out of here." 

He turns and stalks toward my bedroom with me close on his heels. I clutch the back of his shirt and it sounds like dozens of stitches pop when I yank him backward. "Don't open that door, Owen."

He turns on me and shoves my chest. The power behind his push is unexpected. It causes me to stumble backward, losing my balance as well as the grip I have on him.

He flings the door open and stills when he sees Claudia in my bed with the sheet pulled up to her chin. "Owen … "

"You son of a bitch." Owen turns and charges me in the hallway, both of us going down to the floor. One punch and then a second and third and fourth. "She's my baby sister. I trusted you with her."

I have zero desire to defend myself against Owen's attack. He adores Claudia and feels the need to protect her. Kicking my ass is the only outlet he has for the fury he feels toward me right now. I get it. And he has every right to hand me my ass.

"Stop, Owen. Now." Claudia rushes out of the bedroom and tries to pull Owen off me. "Bram didn't do anything wrong."

"The hell he didn't." Owen turns and pushes Claudia, causing her to lose her balance and collide with the wall before falling to the floor.

And all I see is red.

I wrap my hand around his throat and overpower him. I flip our bodies and his back hits the floor with a thunk. "You can hit me all you like, but you never get to lay a finger on her. I will kill you."

"Please just stop. Both of you," she shouts.

I release Owen, rush to Claudia and gather her in my arms. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

I sigh with relief and lean against the wall, holding her in my arms. At some point, she put on my T-shirt and now she stretches it over her knees to cover her legs. She burrows into my embrace with the side of her face pressed against my chest. I kiss the top of her head and stroke her hair just the way I used to anytime Owen and River did something to upset her.

"Claud. Look at me." She's completely still for a moment before looking over at Owen. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I would never intentionally hurt you."

"Same with me, Owen. I'd never hurt her either."

He sits up and leans against the wall across from us, his hand fisting the top of his hair. "You think you can use her up and then walk away, and that won't hurt her?"

I tighten my hold around Claud. "I'm not using her-not even a little bit-and I'm definitely not walking away. Ever. I love her."

He looks at me as though he's disgusted. "She's my baby sister. Seventeen years old. You can't love her."

"She's eighteen. I can and I do love her." Has he never seen what's between us? "Don't you see, Owen? It's never mattered how old she was. I've always loved her."

"You've always loved her. What does that even mean?"

"We have a special bond. Always have."

I see realization developing on his face. "How long have you been messing around with her?"

"There's always been something there, but we never acted on it. Not until two months ago. Not until I started tutoring her. But even then, I didn't touch her. Tonight was …  the first time." Well, all of that isn't exactly the whole truth, but he's her brother. He doesn't need to hear the specifics of what we have and haven't done as long as he understands that I didn't fuck her one minute before she turned eighteen.

Owen shakes his head. "Do you forget that we've been best friends our entire lives? I know you inside and out. And there's no way I would trust you with her. You'll break her heart."