I don’t know how to feel about that.

 “I’m not gonna force her to go, she just got here,” Xander narrows his eyes at me. He loves his sister, that much is clear. I know they've never met before, but Jack told me Xander had managed to write and call her over the years. Her mum was some vindictive bitch that wouldn’t let them near her, ever since Jack cheated on her. Not only did Jack cheat but the woman, Daria, got pregnant with Xander. Summer’s mother was pissed and took Summer away for good. There’s probably more to the story, but that’s all that I know.

 “Tell Jack I'll bring her when she’s ready, he’ll understand,” Xander says.

 “Fine, you explain,” My eyes dart to her door once again.

 “Someone’s gonna need to stay here with her, I don’t wanna leave her alone,” Xander says.

 “Reid can stay, he’s already seen Jack,” Ryan offers, a smile playing on his lips. Xander looks at me warily, but then gives a slight nod.

 “Fine, let’s go. I’ll go and say bye to her,” Xander says, standing up and walking over to her room.

 “How long have we got?” Dash asks the room.

 “Two weeks,” I reply. Dash nods and stands up, heading out the front door.

 “Two weeks, huh,” Ryan says.

 “Yeah, I don’t know how Jack is gonna keep Summer away from this shit,” I say, looking down at my feet.

 “We’ll make it work,” my brother says, forever the optimist.

 “We’re gonna have to.”

 Summer

 I walk out of my room after unpacking everything in my suitcase. I freeze when I see Reid sitting on the beat up leather couch, slowly sipping on a beer.

 “Why are you here?” I ask bluntly, walking to the fridge to get a bottle of water.

 “Xander wanted someone to stay and keep you company,” he replies, eyes still on the TV.

 “So he chose you?” I scoff.

 “You got a problem with that?” he grates out, sounding irritated.

 “No, sir,” I say sarcastically, closing the fridge with a push of my hip. Reid instantly turns his head, staring at me blatantly.

 “What?” I ask, walking over to the couch and taking a seat opposite him. Reid rubs his temple, like I’m giving him a migraine, and doesn’t answer. My gaze roams lower, down to his muscular arms. He looks so strong, so masculine. I almost sigh in appreciation when I see how his T-shirt dips into a v, showing off a hint of his toned chest. Yum.

 “Yes, we all know I have a fucked up face, you don’t need to stare,” he snaps, averting his eyes to the TV. A muscle ticks in his jaw, his posture stiff.

 “Actually, I was thinking how sexy you are,” I say honestly, giving him another once over. He turns to look at me, surprise evident on his face. His eyes widen, and then narrow, as if he finally gets what I said.

 “But even your sexiness doesn’t cover for your personality, or lack thereof,” I say in a saccharine sweet tone.

 He studies me for a second. “You’re gonna be trouble, I can tell,” he mutters under his breath.

 “Me? I keep to myself, how can I be trouble?” I ask, scowling.

 His lip quirks into a crooked smile. “We’ll see.”

 “Cryptic much?” I say, narrowing my eyes a little.

 He changes the subject. “Your brother and father love you, a lot. Don’t hurt them, Summer.”

 I gape. “You’re kidding me, right?”

 He gives me a look that says he’s anything but kidding. “If you leave all of a sudden, they’re gonna be heartbroken. They’ve been talking about you ever since I’ve known them.”

 “Right, so they are the victims in all of this.” My voice sounds bitter even to my own ears.

 His eyes soften. “No one’s gotta be a victim. I’m just saying, they are good men, and you are their weakness.”

 “I highly doubt that,” I say. “I’ve wanted to meet Xander my whole life. He’s the reason I’m here.”

 “And Jack?” he asks, studying me.

 “You’re nosy, you know that?”

 He shrugs, and tilts his head to the side. “I protect those I care about.”

 “No one needs protecting from me,” I say defensively.

 “Maybe so,” he says, turning his head. “They seem to think you’re the sweetest thing, but I know there's some fire in you.”

 “You’re making assumptions based on what, the whole thirty seconds you’ve known me?”

 His expression doesn’t change, but he stands up. “Do you want something to drink?”

 I blink once. “Umm, sure.” I watch as he goes into the kitchen, and opens the fridge.

 “What would you like?”

 “Apple juice, please.” He pours me some juice and brings it over to me, handing me the glass. Our fingers touch as I take it, and my body instantly reacts, my fingers tingling. As soon as I grasp the glass he pulls his hand away, frowning slightly.

 “Thanks,” I say, sipping the drink.

 He looks at me once more, his blue eyes not missing a thing. I suck in a breath, feeling those eyes penetrate my defences. He opens his mouth to say something, but stops himself. Instead, he gives me a half shrug and returns his gaze to the TV. When he doesn’t attempt any more conversation, I mumble a goodnight and head to my room.

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