Read PULSE: A Stepbrother Romance for Free Online Page B

as he’s going to be around.”

 
    “It occurred
to me, yes. I knew that Saffron would be safe. But he’s got his own life, and I
couldn’t have him rearrange his entire summer around her. I already ask enough
of him as it is.”

 
    “But that
didn’t stop you from asking me, ” I
prodded.

 
    “No, it
didn’t.” He still had a faint smile on his lips, but he was studying me
carefully. “But you did. I didn’t even have to convince you all that hard.” He
took a deep breath, gaze still locked onto mine. “Listen, son–”

 
    The door
clattered open. It was Ellen, holding a tray of three margaritas.

 
    “I thought
you boys could use something a little tastier than beer. Wouldn’t you know it,
I had enough for three!”

 
    Dad chuckled
lovingly, standing up to kiss her and take a drink from her tray. “It’s almost
as if you read minds, honey,” he smiled at her.

 
    It seemed as
if the thought was gone. I almost asked him what he was going to say, but I
hadn’t heard of many conversations that ended well and began with “Listen, son...”

 
    I enjoyed
seeing them interact. They always did it with such love. It was never forced – not once did I ever get the
impression that they were keeping up appearances for us. They innately just clicked , and I couldn’t help but feel
jealous. I’d never had any sort of meaningful relationship with another human
being that came close to what they had. Girlfriends had been fleeting;
one-night stands abounded when I needed to blow some steam.

 
    People had
been disposable to me, even in love. I hadn’t let myself grow close to anybody
as a result. My closest friends had been passing acquaintances or... Perhaps
more accurately: my fiercest opponents.

 
    For the
longest time, I’d considered my fellow human being somewhat hard to read. What
they really wanted, they hid from you. All human interaction was this stupid
little dance, this compromise between
what they want and what you want. Sometimes, they did it under
the veil of being friendly, accommodating, decent human beings. More often,
they were simply biding their time as they hoped for some misguided opportunity
to reach out for whatever they did really
want.

 
    Things were
different in the cage.

 
    What your
opponent wanted was obvious.

 
    They wanted
to win. They wanted you to beg for mercy. They could wrap that in theatrics,
but it didn’t hide their core intention.

 
    I never
obliged if I could help it, but at least that was a dance I knew the moves to.

 
    I sometimes
wondered what I had missed by blocking everyone out. It didn’t matter. I’d
learned my limits – my real limits,
not the edges of my comfort zone. I had become strong . I had become fierce .
I was a force of nature when I really needed to be.

 
    But as I
watched my parents, just as close as they had ever been since before I left, I
was left with a question that I couldn’t answer:

 
    At what cost?

 
    “Sawyer?”
Ellen was frowning lightly as she stood beside me, the tray held out.   A look of concern had crossed her face,
and I realized that I had completely zoned out on them.

 
    Blinking a
few times, I reached out and grabbed the closest margarita, smiling warmly at
her in gratitude.

 
    “Thanks,
Mom,” I told her.

 
    “I had
thought something was the matter!” She laughed, setting the tray aside and
sitting down next to Dad. “You must have just been lost in thought…”

 
    “Yes, it’s
been a…a long ride,” I admitted. “Lots of time to think. I’ve grown sort of
used to it.”

 
    “Oh, surely
you’re still paying attention to the road!” She gasped. “We can’t afford to
have you lose your concentration and sail into the back of a van, daresay even
an intersection, especially not on that dangerous thing…”

 
    I laughed for
the first time in a long while. The sound was almost completely unfamiliar to
me. “No, it’s not like that. I still pay