Read Sidelined for Free Online Page A

I don’t want to watch you self-destruct. And if I knew you planned to live in this shit hole, I never would have hauled it out here.”
    Only half listening, Levi soaped his hair and slicked the jizz off his stomach. He had a limited supply of hot water, and he didn’t want to waste it. “I don’t have anywhere else to live. The townhouse in New Orleans that I need to put on the market. That’s about it. And before you suggest it, I’m not living up in that monstrosity that you call a house so don’t even go there.”
    “It’s a perfectly nice house, and you can have the whole second floor until you have a place of your own.”
    “It looks like a medieval torture chamber masquerading as gothic revival or something equally disturbing. Dude, why did you build that thing? And I’m not moving in with you. If you flush the john again, I will chase you down and kick your ass.” Levi moved under the limited spray and rinsed the shampoo from his hair.
    Jude leaned on the counter in front of the sink when Levi stepped out of the shower. Arms crossed again. A petulant little-boy frown on his face.
    “I built it for Tiffany. It’s what she wanted.” He didn’t meet Levi’s gaze, which made Levi wonder what other secrets his brother was keeping.
    “I see. So what happened?” He towel-dried his hair, then wrapped it around his waist, not that Jude seemed all that bothered by his nudity, not that Levi cared what Jude thought since Jude was the one invading his personal space.
    “She decided that being the sister-in-law of a famous sports figure wasn’t as glamorous as being the wife of one. She ran off with some asshole who plays for the Braves.”
    “I’m sorry, Jude, I didn’t know. I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.” And he was. Jude never asked him for anything; it wasn’t his fault they had a shitty upbringing. Absent parents. Still absent.
    “Doesn’t matter. Better to find out before the divorce, right? I just don’t get how you guys can live with it. Stealing other men’s girlfriends, aren’t there enough women hanging on you—“
    “Whoa, bro, back the 'tarred with the same brush' train up before you find my foot planted in a tender part of your anatomy. For the record, not all of us ‘guys’, as you call us, like the attention of the gold diggers. And that’s what your girl was, or she wouldn’t have dumped your ass for bigger fish. Not all of us set out to destroy families and degrade family values. Most of us are just decent hard-working guys trying not to drown in the system.”
    “And you never once picked some chick up in a bar just because you are Levi Brody. Or because they wanted to see your Super Bowl rings up close and personal. Did you let that chick you banged last night wear yours while you fucked her? Do we need to check to see if she took one of them with her?”
    Levi winced at the bitter pain in his brother’s voice. The anger and betrayal, he understood. He’d walked away from the man he wanted to avoid doing exactly what Jude accused him of.
    “No,” he said softly. He stood in front of the long counter beside Jude, facing the mirror. He stared at the back of his brother’s head through the steam. “I can honestly say I’ve never picked up a woman in a bar or anywhere.”
    “And the love bites all over your neck just magically appeared out of the blue? I saw a black Cherokee leaving early this morning.”
    “Did you see who was driving it? Because I sure as fuck can’t remember what he looked like.” And now the wait began. His chest ached, like someone had reached inside and grabbed his heart and started squeezing. He closed his eyes when Jude turned to face him. And held on to the counter until his fingers hurt.
    “Did you say he?” The tone of the question stopped Levi’s heart. He swallowed, waiting for what came next. The anger. The shame. He waited, but Jude didn’t say anything. He didn’t move. He just stood there. Levi could hear him swallow. He