Page 65 of Fight for You

"If you weren't so bossy, I wouldn't get mad at you."

"If you weren't so stubborn, I wouldn't have to be bossy, little monster."

She narrows her eyes at me and then growls, making me chuckle.

"Seriously, baby girl. I love that you trust me to keep you safe, but I swear you don't listen just to piss me off sometimes. You shouldn't be trying to do so much on your own. That's what you have me for."

She's always trying to do everything by herself. It's like, since Tony attacked her, she feels like she has to take the world on by herself to prove she can. But fuck that. She will never have to take the world on by herself because I'll be at her side to do it for her.

"You're worried about Kaleo," she says, reading me as easily as ever.

I shrug a shoulder, not answering. Truth is, yeah, I am worried about Kaleo. He's been on his best behavior since I kicked his ass. He hasn't even shown his face on this block in almost a year. That worries the hell out of me.

When Kaleo gets quiet, it's because he's up to something. Just like he was last year when he sent Tony after January. Whatever he's plotting can't be good. I've asked Titan about it a few times, but he just shrugs me off and tells me that he's handling it. That worries me, too.

We've always handled shit together.

"I'm not afraid of Kaleo," January says, putting her palms on my face and forcing me to look at her. "He doesn't scare me. But we're not talking about him today. We're celebrating the fact that I get to stalk you around campus next year."

"Stalk me, huh?"

"Definitely," she whispers, licking her lips as she stares at mine. "I'm going to stalk the shit out of you, Michael Kincaid. You'll get so tired of me that you'll be thrilled when I stomp over here to ignore you."

"Fuck," I curse and tug her forward to take her lips in a deep kiss. It's soft and sweet, not at all like I want to take her. But she's still so young and innocent. I want to keep her that way. She doesn't need to know that she makes me so hard I jerk off to the filthiest thoughts of her at night. She's not ready for the things I want to do to her. I try to take her soft and sweet like she deserves. "You moving in with me when you graduate, baby girl?"

"Yes," she whispers against my lips.

Her affirmation sends another bolt of desire through me. I kiss her again, unable to stop myself.

"I'll never get tired of you," I tell her a few minutes later, breaking away from her lips. "But you won't have to stalk me. I'll be so busy following you around that you'll never have to wonder what I'm doing."

"I'm okay with that plan," she says with another happy smile reflecting in her eyes.

I'm still staring at her with a goofy grin on my face when Titan opens the front door a few minutes later and stalks inside. He peeks over at us, grunts, and then shakes his head before slamming the door.

January crawls off my lap and settles beside me.

"Hey, stranger," she says to her brother. "Guess what?"

"What?" he demands, not even looking at her.

I grit my teeth when January visibly shrinks at his annoyed tone.

"I got good news today," she says, trying to draw him into a conversation with her.

"That's nice." He rips his shirt off over his head and tosses it toward the laundry room. He toes his boots off and leaves them in front of the door. "I gotta get a shower. I'm late."

"I got into UCLA," January whispers. Her happy smile is long gone now, replaced by sadness.

I wrap my arm around her, trying to offer her a little strength. What I really want to do is knock Titan to the floor and kick his ass for upsetting her.

He freezes halfway across the living room. He stands so still I'm not even sure he's breathing. A cloud passes through his expression before he blinks it away, slamming a disinterested mask into place. "Congrats, kid," he mumbles after a minute. "Glad you got what you wanted."

January sighs sadly when he takes off toward his room. She ducks her head, hiding her face behind her hair. "I used to think I missed him when we were little, and he was chasing after Mandy," she whispers, a sad tremor in her voice. "But now I wish we were back there. At least then, he still talked to me, even if it was just to be mean to me. He barely speaks to me at all now. I hate it."

"I'll talk to him," I promise, pissed that his attitude ruined something so big for her. She doesn't deserve that, especially not from him. He's been her hero since she was a baby. Maybe he's okay with breaking her heart because he thinks she's going to leave him behind, but I'm not. She deserves better from him.

"It's okay," she lies, offering me a sad smile. "At least you're happy for me. I know my mom will be too."