shoulders. “I thought maybe we could get lunch?”
Linc managed a smile for her, but his stress was evident on his face. “I really don’t have time today, Ken. I’m sorry. We have a lot going on right now that we need to take care of.”
“Oh,” Kennedy faltered, unused to Linc brushing her off. She glanced at her older sister and could tell she was annoyed at the interruption. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Linc. “Alright, I’ll just go then.”
She stormed out, leaving her siblings behind as she made her way back downstairs. As she stood in the elevator, her arms crossed and her lips pursed into a pout, she couldn’t help but despise her family. They were always brushing her off like some annoying fly, as though her opinion, her voice, didn’t matter. It had only gotten worse when the scandal had hit and when the rest of the family had come in from out of town. She had been pushed to the sidelines, even more than usual, and it really hurt to see even Linc doing it now. He had been the only one to ever give her an ounce of his time and now even he was too busy for her.
Just like her father had been too busy for her…and now he was dead. Something about that had changed her, matured her in a way she wasn’t yet ready to accept. The pain of losing him, despite how much he had upset her, had brought out this desperate need within her to be with the family she had left.
None of them had even bothered to see if she was doing okay. They were clearly all too involved with themselves to take notice that she needed them, that she wasn’t sure she could handle any of this without them. It was a dark and lonely place, and she had never felt so lost.
Maybe she should just leave; then someone might actually take notice and give a shit about her for once. She felt the pain hit her in the chest like a hammer, mixing viciously with the resentment. If only she could find a way to disappear. Maybe then they would care.
Lynette’s hands combed through Linc’s hair, her smile content as she felt him sigh against her, his back to her chest with her legs wrapped around his waist. They lay on her sofa with the television on across the room, though neither of them paid attention to the baseball game currently playing. Linc trailed his fingers down her calf, lost in his own troubled thoughts.
“You’re letting this hair of yours get quite long,” Lynette commented, lifting a piece of it between her fingers, admiring the warm chestnut color of it as it caught the light of the lamp behind her.
“I don’t have time to get a damn haircut,” Linc countered, tilting his head back so he could eye her.
“Nor do you have time for a proper shave, either,” she mused, reaching out to trace the five o’clock shadow that graced his jawline. “Though I’m not complaining…it gives you a dangerous look.”
He snorted, shaking his head as he settled back against her chest. “Is that what you want, Lynette, danger?”
“We all think we want the bad boy until we actually have him. Then we have nothing but regret.”
“Guess it’s a good thing I’m only a bad boy half the time, then,” he joked, earning a laugh from her.
“You have the bad boy swagger, Linc, but then there’s that heart of gold you carry with you.” She patted his cheek lovingly, grinning down at him. “And I wouldn’t want you any other way.”
“Good, because you’re stuck with me,” he informed her, enjoying the feel of her soft hands cruising over the skin of his arms. “Have you talked with your dad?”
She tensed against him. “No. And I don’t intend to speak to him.”
“I need to know what he meant with that text message. It might as well have been a threat against my family, Lynette. We’ve talked about this.”
“You’re overreacting,” she reasoned, feeling sorry to see him so worked up over something she was convinced meant nothing. “He’s not going to do anything to you or your family.”
“Then why say
Linc managed a smile for her, but his stress was evident on his face. “I really don’t have time today, Ken. I’m sorry. We have a lot going on right now that we need to take care of.”
“Oh,” Kennedy faltered, unused to Linc brushing her off. She glanced at her older sister and could tell she was annoyed at the interruption. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Linc. “Alright, I’ll just go then.”
She stormed out, leaving her siblings behind as she made her way back downstairs. As she stood in the elevator, her arms crossed and her lips pursed into a pout, she couldn’t help but despise her family. They were always brushing her off like some annoying fly, as though her opinion, her voice, didn’t matter. It had only gotten worse when the scandal had hit and when the rest of the family had come in from out of town. She had been pushed to the sidelines, even more than usual, and it really hurt to see even Linc doing it now. He had been the only one to ever give her an ounce of his time and now even he was too busy for her.
Just like her father had been too busy for her…and now he was dead. Something about that had changed her, matured her in a way she wasn’t yet ready to accept. The pain of losing him, despite how much he had upset her, had brought out this desperate need within her to be with the family she had left.
None of them had even bothered to see if she was doing okay. They were clearly all too involved with themselves to take notice that she needed them, that she wasn’t sure she could handle any of this without them. It was a dark and lonely place, and she had never felt so lost.
Maybe she should just leave; then someone might actually take notice and give a shit about her for once. She felt the pain hit her in the chest like a hammer, mixing viciously with the resentment. If only she could find a way to disappear. Maybe then they would care.
Lynette’s hands combed through Linc’s hair, her smile content as she felt him sigh against her, his back to her chest with her legs wrapped around his waist. They lay on her sofa with the television on across the room, though neither of them paid attention to the baseball game currently playing. Linc trailed his fingers down her calf, lost in his own troubled thoughts.
“You’re letting this hair of yours get quite long,” Lynette commented, lifting a piece of it between her fingers, admiring the warm chestnut color of it as it caught the light of the lamp behind her.
“I don’t have time to get a damn haircut,” Linc countered, tilting his head back so he could eye her.
“Nor do you have time for a proper shave, either,” she mused, reaching out to trace the five o’clock shadow that graced his jawline. “Though I’m not complaining…it gives you a dangerous look.”
He snorted, shaking his head as he settled back against her chest. “Is that what you want, Lynette, danger?”
“We all think we want the bad boy until we actually have him. Then we have nothing but regret.”
“Guess it’s a good thing I’m only a bad boy half the time, then,” he joked, earning a laugh from her.
“You have the bad boy swagger, Linc, but then there’s that heart of gold you carry with you.” She patted his cheek lovingly, grinning down at him. “And I wouldn’t want you any other way.”
“Good, because you’re stuck with me,” he informed her, enjoying the feel of her soft hands cruising over the skin of his arms. “Have you talked with your dad?”
She tensed against him. “No. And I don’t intend to speak to him.”
“I need to know what he meant with that text message. It might as well have been a threat against my family, Lynette. We’ve talked about this.”
“You’re overreacting,” she reasoned, feeling sorry to see him so worked up over something she was convinced meant nothing. “He’s not going to do anything to you or your family.”
“Then why say
Similar Books
