Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2)(56)

“He still cares.”

Cage’s words startled me.

“What?” I asked looking back to the screen thinking he was commenting on what was happening.

“Marcus. He cares Low. I saw it in his eyes. What he did tonight was shitty but it was his defense mechanism. He doesn’t want to care. But he does.”

I shook my head and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to hear that. Not now.

“No Cage. Don’t. I can’t let myself hope. He hates me. He always will.”

Cage clicked his tongue, “There’s a thin line baby. A thin line between love and hate.”

“No. There isn’t.”

Cage tucked the hair that had gotten loose from my braid behind my ear.

“Low, a guy doesn’t fall in love with you and have you love him back then just throw it away. You’re too special. After being loved by you, he can’t completely forget. He’s haunted by it. I’d bet my life on it.”

Cage loved me. He thought I was perfect. He was the brother every girl deserves. I turned my head and kissed his chest.

“Thank you. I know you really believe that. And I love you for it. But you’re wrong.”

“Haven’t you figured out by now that I’m never wrong?”

Laughing I reached for another handful of popcorn. I was safe here in this moment. I didn’t want to think about anything else.





Chapter Twenty-Two





Marcus



“He’s our father, Marcus. That isn’t ever going to change,” Amanda said heatedly as she paced in front of the desk where I’d been trying to pick the summer courses I needed to take. “Besides, I keep seeing that little face and those blond curls and knowing she’s our sister. She’s a baby who did nothing wrong. She was born. It’s not her fault. I want to know her Marcus. I want to have my dad back in my life again. I hate this. Mom wants us to go see him. Them. She thinks it’ll be good for us. Especially you.”

Groaning, I leaned back in my chair and stared up at my very determined sister. What happened to mad Amanda? The one who hated our father and never wanted to see him again. I liked that Amanda. I wanted her back. We felt the same way. Except of course the part about Larissa. Every time I thought about her my chest ached. All that time I’d been so fascinated with her little blond curls and happy little claps and squeals and she’d been my sister. Had that been Willow’s plan? She’d thought by bringing Larissa into my life under false pretenses that I’d love her and accept what my father had done? God, how had I been so blind! Those damn dimples. I was lost the moment she flashed them at me. She appeared so wounded and innocent and the whole freaking time she’d known exactly what her sister was doing to my mama. What she’d done was unforgivable. She lied to me. To my family. And dammit I was still in love with her.

“They’re going to be at the condo this week. He’s invited us and I’m going. I want you there with me. I need you there Marcus. Please,” Amanda begged.

Dinner with Dad, the other woman and the other kid. Not my idea of a good time. An image of Larissa smiling up at me and demanding I play with her tugged at me.

“Okay, I’ll go. But only because you want me to so badly. Not because I want to make amends with him. If you want to then fine. But it’ll never happen for me.”

Amanda frowned then nodded and walked around the table and kissed me on the head.

“Thank you. I really wish you’d get past all this anger and let it go. Then maybe you can see the big picture that everyone else sees. You’re living in a tunnel and if you stay blind for too long you’ll miss it.”

What the crap did that mean? I stared up at her and she smirked then walked out of the room. I guess she thought that was supposed to be deep and meaningful. It was probably the lyrics from some God awful boy band song.



“Amanda,” my dad said warmly and pulled Amanda into his arms. He patted her head and kissed her temple and whispered something to her. She nodded and his eyes raised to meet mine. “Marcus. I’m glad you came.” I wasn’t. But obviously Amanda needed this. I nodded and followed her inside.

“MARTUS,” A loud squeal startled me and I looked down to see Larissa running toward me with her arms up in the air, grinning. Two little teeth flashed at me. I picked her up and she smelled just like I remembered.

“How’s my princess? I see you got two teeth.”

She pointed at her new teeth, “Two teef,” she agreed and placed a wet kiss on my mouth.

“Martus come pay,” she’d added a few new words to her vocabulary. I sat her down and held her hand.

“You lead the way,” I told her and she pulled me along behind her toward the living room where toys of all kinds were scattered around the floor. I quickly scanned the room and Tawny was nowhere to be found. Letting out a sigh of relief I sat down where Larissa demanded and she pulled a bucket of bright pink blocks toward me.

“Pinses bocks,” she explained pointing to the picture of Cinderella on one of the blocks.

“My favorite kind,” I assured her and she giggled happily waiting for me to build her a tower of blocks to knock down.

“She’s mentioned you several times,” my father said as he walked into the room. I didn’t look up at him. Nor did I respond. I came here for two reasons. My sisters, both of them.