Holiday Second Chance Romance (Clarice and Trevor) novel Chapter 26

26. She is My Sister

26 She is My Sister

Jack POV

Not exactly the way I wanted to start this conversation, but I guess the bandaid has been ripped off. I turn to face my best friend of more than six decades. Anger flashes in his eyes as he stalks toward me. Chrissy steps in front of me and crosses her arms. “Answer my question, Jack. Why did it look like you were going to kiss my sister? What the hell is going on here,” he asks, his voice laced with anger. “You better not take that tone with him. You are not my father. I am a grown woman and I’ll kiss anyone I want,” Chrissy says.

I fight the smile that wants to split my face. I don’t need to piss Nick off anymore, more than he already is, though I love this side of my fiery pixie girl. “Excuse me,” Nick says, his focus on Chrissy now. “You heard me, Nick. I love you. You are my brother, but you don’t get to interfere in whatever is happening between me and Jack,” she says. “Nick, why don’t we go into your office and talk in private?” “Fine, let’s go,” he says before turning away from us. We follow behind him. At first, I fight the urge to take Chrissy’s hand in mine.

F**k it, I say to myself before I grab her hand and thread my fingers with hers. She is startled but makes no move to pull her hand away. Nick moves behind his desk and turns to face us. His eyes zero in on our joined hands and his brows furrow. “Nick, I know this is a shock for you, but I need you to really listen to me before you decide if you are going to kill me or not.”

“No one is killing anyone. I am in charge of my love life, not Nick, Chrissy says. I squeeze her hand and focus my attention back on her brother. “Nick, I know this must be hard for you. I get that she is your little sister, and I’m not exactly what you pictured for her. I know that I haven’t been an angel in the past, but I haven’t even looked at another woman since she came home from college. She is it for me. I won’t hurt her, Nick.”

that He is silent as he looks between us. “This is what you want,” he asks Chrissy. “If he can prove he is done being a coward and treats me the way I deserve to be treated, then yes,” she says. My heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest as the silence stretches between us. “Alright, you have my blessing,” he says. I blink rapidly, wondering if I’ve stepped into an alternate universe or if I’m still in my bed dreaming. Did he just say we had his blessing? No way was it that easy.

“Are you serious or is this some torture before you say you were just kidding,” I finally blurt out. Nick takes a seat behind his desk and a smile spreads across his face. “I love you both, but you two are not subtle. I don’t know if you really thought that I was oblivious to the fact that you two had feelings for each other or if you two really are that dumb,” he says. “What the hell does that mean? We’re you just screwing with us,” Chrissy asks, practically stomping her foot. “It means that you are my sister and he is my best friend. I know you better than you know yourselves. Yes, I was

26 She is My Sister

screwing with you,” he says.

“I knew you were in love with each other. I just didn’t expect it to take you five years for you to finally admit it,” he says. “You aren’t angry that I want to be with your sister?” He stands rounding the desk to come and stand in front of me. “My sister deserves a man that will love her and never hurt her. Someone that will protect her heart at all costs. You are my best friend, Jack. There isn’t a better man than you to love my sister. I’m not angry Jack. Well, that’s not true. I’m angry you wasted so much time worrying that your love for Chrissy would change our friendship,” he says.

“Well, when you say it like that it sounds pretty stupid.” “That’s because it was stupid. You were scared of him,” she says, pointing at Nick. “I agree, pixie girl, and that’s why I’m going to whisk you away to New York tonight for our first official date.” “I don’t remember being asked or saying yes,” she says, and I step toward her. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her against me. Nick groans and Chrissy giggles. “Don’t make me kick your a** Jack. She is still my sister,” he says. I throw my head back and laugh before I teleport us back to her apartment.

Loretta POV

I can’t f**king believe this. That ba**ard actually called my father. Why the f**k were her parents even there? She hates them. I start to walk back toward my car just as my father pulls up next to me. “What the f**k did you do,” he asks. I don’t think he has ever spoken to me so harshly. “Dad,“I start to say, but he cuts me off. “Get in your car and get back to the house now. Your mother and I will be waiting,” he says. He pulls away, and I look back toward the parking lot just as that ba**ard Nick pulls out.

I get

into the car and make the drive back to my parents‘ house. As soon as I pull into the driveway. I see them standing on the porch. I take a deep breath and get out. I’m almost to the porch when I notice my

near the door. My heart sinks. They can’t be serious. “Tell me that you ggage.

didn’t do what Andrew told your father, Loretta. Tell me that it’s some kind of misunderstanding.” my mother says. Sadness and disappointment clearly written on her face.

“You’re my parents, not hers. Why can’t you be on my side?” “Did you have an affair with your best friend’s husband? It is a simple question with a simple answer Loretta Marie. Now f**king answer it,” my father says. My mother places her hand on my father’s forearm, trying to calm him down. “It‘ s not that simple, dad. I saw Trevor first. I liked him the moment I saw him. She didn’t even really like him at first. It should have been me that married him. I should be the one having his baby.”

“Do you even hear yourself Loretta? You destroyed your best friend’s marriage. For what jealousy,” my mother says. “I am not jealous of Clarice. I love her. She is my best friend. I didn’t want to hurt her. I wanted to be part of their relationship, not destroy it.” “You need to leave Loretta. I don’t know who you are right now. We raised you better than this. Do you understand what you’ve done? This is a small town and people are going to talk when they find out that our daughter f**ked

26 She is My Sister

her best friend’s husband,” my father says.

Claim

“You’re choosing her over me.” “No, we are making sure the town knows we don’t support your f**ked up behavior,” my dad says. “Mom, please,” I say, tears streaking down my cheeks. “I’m your daughter.” “Right now you’re a stranger Loretta. Go home and figure out why you did this. This is not the girl I raised,” she says. She turns going back into the house without another word. “Dad,” I call out as he turns and joins her.

I can’t believe this. My parents are kicking me out of their house. Where the f**k am I supposed to go until Trevor gets here? I stalk back to my car and when I slide inside, I grab my phone from my purse. I dial, and the call goes to voicemail. I dial three more times and last time I leave a

message.

“Trevor, I need you to call me back right now. I need to talk to you. I just saw Clarice and that pr*ck Nick. We are losing her Trevor. Her parents were there too. We need to get her alone before he completely poisons her against you. I also need the name of the place you’re staying. My parents know what happened, and they kicked me out. I need you, Trevor, please.”

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