When You Became Mine

by AS Teague

  “Nah, she was just lookin’ out for us.”

  I opened my eyes and looked at him again. “Kinda like you’ve been looking out for me lately?”

  His jaw flexed, but he didn’t open his eyes. “Maybe.”

  I shifted, turning my entire body to him, and slowly, let my fingers creep across the comforter to his forearm. “Law.” I flexed my fingers, letting my nails scrape over his skin lightly. His arms pebbled in goose bumps, but he didn’t look at me. “Mom said you stayed by my side the entire time I was out.”

  He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”

  “But you didn’t come back once I was awake. Well, you did. But you didn’t come in. Why?”

  The question had been burning in my head for days, but I’d been too much of a coward to ask.

  “I made sure you were okay. Once I knew you were, I left you with the people you wanted to be with.” His voice was thick with emotion.

  “The people I wanted to be with? What do you mean?” I was confused. “Why wouldn’t I have wanted you to stay with me?”

  Finally, he turned to face me, his eyes open. “Because you asked for Hampton.” The flash of hurt that crossed his face made my heart squeeze and suddenly it made sense why he hadn’t come back

  “Oh,” I said softly. “I was out of it. I didn’t mean to…” I trailed off, not really sure what to say to make it better.

  “Choose him over me?” he finished.

  “I didn’t choose him over you. I just…” Again, I couldn’t find the right words. I couldn’t believe he felt this way, that he felt any way when it came to me.

  He let out a bitter laugh. “It’s okay. I’m used to it by now.”

  There it was again.

  Not anger.

  Hurt.

  Lawson was hurt. By me. And even though it didn’t make sense, his hurt made me mad. I couldn’t believe he thought I was making a conscious decision to pick his brother over him. That implied there was ever a choice, which there wasn’t.

  “Used to what? Hampton’s my best friend. You keep saying I chose him over you, but there was never a choice. Up until I moved in with you last month, I felt like I barely knew you. Sure, we grew up together, but you were always so…distant. And mean to me.”

  His eyes widened. “Mean?”

  I nodded emphatically. “You were an ass. You were always giving me a hard time, riding me about every little thing. You were worse than my mom most of the time!”

  His lips were pressed in a tight line as his eyes roamed my face. He was struggling with what to say, but finally, his voice barely audible said, “Do you want to know when you became mine?”

  I blinked. And then blinked again. I didn’t even know what that meant, and I couldn’t understand the seemingly sudden change of subject. “Yours?”

  His eyes burned into my own and his voice was full of conviction as he whispered, “Mine.”

  I laughed weakly, trying to ease the sudden tension. “What are you, a caveman now?” I made a point of looking around the room. “Where’s your club to knock me over the head with?”

  His face was still serious as he said, “You became mine when I pulled you out of that swimming pool.”

  My brows furrowed, and I shook my head. “No, you didn’t—”

  “It wasn’t Hampton who saved you that day.” He paused when my mouth fell open, silencing my protest with another jerk of his head. When he was satisfied that I wasn’t going to interrupt him, he continued dropping his bombshell. “It was me. He stood on the side of the pool, screaming your name while I was the one who dove in and dragged you from the bottom.”

  I couldn’t speak as my mind scrambled to remember the events of that day so long ago. I just sat there staring at him, my mouth agape. “But, but…” I sputtered. “I came to in his arms.”

  He grimaced. “Yeah, because you were water logged and I had to put you on the ground. The moment I had you out of the pool, Hampton snapped back to life and was all over you.”

  “So, you saved my life twice now?” I still couldn’t wrap my mind around any of this. “And that’s when I became…yours? What does that mean exactly?”

  He leaned his head back against my headboard and shut his eyes again. “Nothing. It means nothing.”

  I grabbed his arm and shook it hard. “You wouldn’t have said anything at all if it meant nothing.” His revelation had my stomach in knots, and I was determined not to let him get away with not explaining everything to me.

  His eyes popped open and he glanced at me before pushing off the bed.

  “I can’t do this right now. I’ve got to get some work done.” He strode to the door, skidding to a stop when I slung the covers from my body and bolted to my feet.

  “Lawson! Talk to me,” I said, gasping for air. The sudden motion had caused my head to spin. At least that’s what I thought it was. It could have been the sudden rush of feelings that had invaded my body. I stumbled slightly, catching myself on the nightstand only a fraction of a second before Lawson’s arms were around me, holding me up.

  I leaned my head back, gazing into those soft warm eyes I’d looked at a thousand times before, but had never really seen. They were full of concern, roving over my face, checking for any signs that I’d hurt myself.

  I forced a smile and attempted to joke, “I guess I shouldn’t have jumped up so fast.” But it came out lamely and I knew it.

  Lawson’s arms, stronger than I could have imagined, guided me back toward the bed. And despite wanting to get to the bottom of what he had just revealed, I let him.

  When I was settled back against my pillows, I held tight to his hand and refused to let go. “Talk to me.”

  22

  Lawson

  “Talk to me,” she pleaded, her sky-blue eyes begging me to tell her what I’d meant.

  I hadn’t planned on telling her that I’d always considered her mine today. Or tomorrow. And probably not for another ten years honestly. But, when she’d said that I’d been mean to her, a jerk, and she looked at me with conviction in her eyes, it had tumbled out. She wasn’t just accusing me of being an asshole, she’d meant it, felt it. And I couldn’t stand it.

  Over the years, I’d always considered her mine. Not in the caveman way like she’d joked. But when we were kids, she was just so innocent. She was always chasing after Hampton, getting into trouble, and I couldn’t stop the protective instinct when it came to her. And then as we grew older, that brotherly love changed. She’d become more than just the sweet girl who got herself into situations she shouldn’t have. She’d become the woman I wanted to take care of.

  And so, I had.

  She just didn’t know it.

  I pulled the covers back up over her and then turned away.

  “Are you really just going to walk away from me?” she snapped.

  I smiled to myself. She was so damn feisty. “I was going to grab a chair. Unless you’d rather I just stand over you?” I pulled the chair from her desk to the side of the bed and settled on to the edge of it.

  I’d barely gotten comfortable before she asked almost timidly, “So, when you pulled me out of the pool, I became yours?” The way she was looking at me, as though I’d just given her the gift she’d always wanted, made my mouth go dry. It was all I could do to nod in response.

  “And…” she trailed off.

  “Listen, it doesn’t mean anything anymore. Maybe it did at one time. But I’m over you now. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  Her eyes widened. “Over me?”

  “Jesus, this is awkward,” I mumbled, pushing a hand through my hair. I had lots of fantasies over the years of telling her how I felt. But in all of them, she’d stared up at me with doe eyes, and I’d said something so damn romantic she’d throw herself at me and confess she felt the same.

  But this. This rushed, ridiculous announcement that she was mine was not one of the scenarios that had played out in my head. And not once, in all of those make-believe situations, had I ever tol
d her I was no longer interested in her. Probably because, it wasn’t true. I wasn’t over her. Not in the least. It felt wrong to lie to her, but I pressed my lips together anyway and confirmed. “Yes, over you.”

  She sat upright in the bed and swung her legs around to let them dangle off the side. “I didn’t ever know I was under you!” she shouted.

  In that moment, I wished she were under me, and maybe over me too. But I shook my head to clear my thoughts. “When we were kids, I just wanted to protect you. But as we got older…”

  “As we got older what?” she prodded.

  I didn’t want to confess to her that I’d been head over heels for her nearly my entire life. Not now. Not when it was obvious she wasn’t interested in me. I didn’t want to open myself up to her that way, but now, I’d said too much, and it was too damn late to backtrack. “As we got older, my feelings changed.”

  It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was all I was willing to give.

  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned forward, her face mere inches from mine and grabbed my hand. “Changed how?” she breathed, her words ghosting across my lips.

  My tongue darted out to wet my lips and Piper’s eyes followed the movement. “You became more than just an annoying kid sister.” I shrugged, hoping it would hide the fact that my heart was in my throat as I confessed. “I still felt the need to take care of you, when you got yourself into shit you shouldn’t have. I just also wanted to kiss you at the same time that I wanted to strangle you.”

  The confession burned on its way out, but the moment the truth was out there, a weight lifted from my shoulders. Carrying around the desire for years, keeping it hidden from her had weighed heavier than even I realized until the moment it was out in the open. It didn’t even matter what she did with the information at this point, the relief was worth it.

  The hand that had been resting on mine fell away and her lips parted. “You wanted to kiss me? When?”

  For someone so smart, she could be so dense at times. “When did I not?” I laughed. “I would have probably sold my soul to the devil for one kiss back in the day.”

  If I was honest, I may still be willing to make that deal. Only now, I probably wouldn’t want to stop with just her lips on mine.

  She stared at me for a beat, long enough for me to blink, and then leaned in, closing the gap between us. My eyes widened as hers fluttered shut and my breath froze in my throat as her lips whispered against mine. They were soft, the contact light and barely more than a graze. But it was still more than I had ever imagined, and it electrified me, my nerves buzzing at the contact.

  She pulled away a fraction of an inch, her eyes opening slowly. When they met mine, her lips tipped up, her smile brilliant. “Lawson.” She breathed before she leaned in again, the smile still dancing across her face.

  This time, her hand went to my neck, pulling me to her, and she wove her fingers through my hair. When our lips met again, it wasn’t a light brushing of lips. This time they were firm against mine, but still impossibly soft. Her tongue swept over my lips and without any command from me, they parted, allowing her inside. Our tongues danced together, meeting stroke for stroke, and in that moment, the world froze. There was absolutely nothing that would ever compare to the way her lips melded with mine, the way her nails against my scalp sent a tingle down my spine. I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her into my lap, her petite frame fitting perfectly in my arms.

  When she looped an arm around my shoulders, she let out a soft moan, fueling me to deepen the kiss. In all of my wildest dreams, and I’d had plenty over the years, I had never imagined she’d taste like this. She pressed her body to mine, her breasts firm against my chest, and my hand itched to slide up her ribs. But I willed myself to be still, not wanting to go too far too fast. She’d initiated this kiss, and I would let her dictate where it went. Even if it never went any further than this, I knew there would never be anything in my life that would rival it.

  Her mouth had expertly moved over mine, her tongue melding with mine, and I’d poured every ounce of desire into her, willing her to understand the depth of my feelings for her. But too fucking soon, she pulled away.

  Abruptly, as though someone had doused us with cold water, she pushed out of my lap and turned away from me. Her hands ran through her hair, and I wasn’t sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me, but I could swear there was a slight tremor in them. She cleared her throat and then glanced at me over her shoulder. She refused to meet my eyes, but when she did, I was relieved that there wasn’t regret in them. Confusion, and maybe even a little bit of panic, but there was no remorse for what we’d just done. I cleared the emotion from my throat. “Is everything…okay?”

  She nodded and grasped my hand, squeezing as she said, “I’m just tired. I should take a nap.” She shuffled back over to her bed and climbed beneath the covers. Her head was still turned away from where I sat, my chest rapidly rising and falling. “Turn the light off on your way out,” she said as she pulled the covers up to her chest.

  I stood, my knees still a little weak, and murmured, “Piper…”

  She turned back toward where I stood, and I knew that she could see the worry lining my forehead. Her cheeks were pink as she pleaded. “Please, I need to think. And sleep.”

  I didn’t argue. I’d give her what she asked, but that didn’t mean I would understand it.

  Was it too much, too soon?

  Had I made a mistake in telling her about how I felt?

  I swallowed hard. “I’ll be down the hall.”

  She pressed her lips together and nodded before sinking further beneath the covers and turning to face the wall away from me. With a heavy sigh, I turned on my heel and trudged to the door.

  I closed it quietly behind me, and when the door clicked shut, I leaned my weight against it, sagging as the reality of what had just happened hit me.

  Piper kissed me.

  I kissed Piper.

  Piper and I had kissed.

  I knew I was supposed to be a man now, but damn if I didn’t feel like a giddy sixteen-year-old boy who finally got the girl.

  Now all I had to do was figure out how she felt.

  And find a way to keep her.

  “Lawson?” Her voice caused me to jump and I turned. Piper stood in the doorway of my office, the light behind her causing her to have a glow that reminded me of renderings of angels.

  I rolled my neck, grateful for the interruption. I’d been entrenched in work for the last few hours and my muscles had been protesting the whole time.

  “Pippie. Everything okay?” I asked.

  She nodded and then padded into the room. She was still in a nightgown, the hem barely reaching mid-thigh. Her feet were adorned in slippers that had an emblem of a stethoscope on one and a needle on the other. Her hair was pulled back in a lopsided ponytail and her face was puffy from sleep.

  “Are you sure you’re alright?” I asked again, concern lacing my voice. Ever since our kiss yesterday, she hadn’t emerged from her room. She’d texted me, assuring me she was fine, but had refused to come out.

  I’d spent the last twenty-four hours fighting the urge to knock every time I walked past her door. She’d come out when she was ready.

  So, I’d left her alone.

  “My make-up shift isn’t until Monday,” she said, perching on the edge of my desk. Her nightgown rode up even farther on her legs and she was so close I could feel the heat radiating from her skin. I leaned back in my chair, putting space between myself and her bare thighs.

  “Oh, good. You’ll have a few more days to recover.”

  She nibbled on her thumbnail, a habit I’d never seen before.

  “You sure you’re okay?” I asked again, gesturing to her.

  She pulled her hand away from her mouth. “Yeah, why?”

  I lifted a shoulder. “You’re not a nail biter.”

  One corner of her mouth lifted. “Do you want to take me to dinner tomorrow?”
>
  “I always get you dinner. The last time you tried to feed me, you almost poisoned us, remember?” I quipped.

  She shook her head. “No, Lawson. I mean, do you want to take me out to dinner? Tomorrow night?”

  I was lost. I brought dinner home every night. Half the time she wasn’t home. “Sure. What do you want? Chinese? Thai?”

  She pushed away from her spot on the desk and closed the short gap between us. “Let me try this again,” she huffed before squatting in front of me. With a bright smile plastered on her face, she said, “Yes, Lawson, I would love to go out to dinner with you tomorrow night. It’s a date.”

  She emphasized the word date and it all clicked. “You…”

  She nodded. “What time should I be ready?”

  This time, I didn’t miss a beat. “Six. Be ready to go by six.”

  23

  Piper

  “It’s just Lawson!” Georgia shouted, her voice tinny as it poured through the speakers of my MacBook.

  “Right,” I murmured to myself, pulling the shirt off that I’d just put on. “It’s just Lawson. Calm down.”

  I’d changed my outfit no fewer than three times. Everything I had put on was wrong. The first outfit was more suited for a Tinder hookup. The second one was only appropriate if I was trying to impress a nun. The third outfit wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t right. I’d nearly screamed in frustration as I pulled the fourth shirt over my head and then looked in the mirror, only to be disappointed yet again. With one last ditch effort, I pulled a dress from the depths of my closet and studied it. What the hell? I shrugged and slipped it over my head.

  “Why are you getting so worked up over this?” Georgia’s voice was laced with amusement. She was clearly enjoying being an eyewitness to my freak-out session.

  “I should have called Hampton instead! At least he would help me pick an outfit!” I turned back to my bed where my computer sat propped on my pillows. Georgia’s face filled the screen, her mouth set to a smirk.