Play It Safe

That was all he got.

My breath clean left me as, swiftly, efficiently and with experience clearly borne of lots of practice, Gray’s body rolled away from Casey’s shoulder. Casey went flying, righted himself quickly, turned, immediately stepped toward Gray and aimed a punch at him. Gray dodged it but came back swinging and caught Casey on the jaw with a vicious blow. While Casey was reeling, Gray moved in, now dropping his shoulder. He caught Casey in the belly and didn’t push him back. He lifted him up, turned on a bare foot and, with long, fast strides, he walked out the door.

I raced after them and hit the cold outside, dashing down the porch, watching Gray bounce Casey up and over at the end of the porch sending my brother flying to land on his behind, back and elbows into the cold snow beside Gray’s cleared front walk.

Oh God.

That had to hurt, not only his body but his pride.

I plastered my front to the side of Gray’s back and stared down at my brother, completely at a loss of what to do.

“Get inside, darlin’,” Gray ordered on a growl and my head snapped back to look up at his profile, seeing his angry eyes locked on my brother, his entire face hard with fury.

“You f**kin’ slut!” Casey shouted, Gray’s already tense body went rock-solid and my eyes flew to my brother who was scrambling back on all fours, snow flying all around then he pushed up to his feet and kept shouting. “You f**kin’ whore!”

Gray’s fury escalated sharply, so much so it filled the cold air with crackling electricity. He came unlocked and started advancing but my arms quickly circled him and got tight so he stopped.

“Casey, don’t,” I whispered.

“I don’t believe this!” Casey was still yelling. “I don’t f**kin’ believe this shit!”

“Casey, don’t,” I begged.

“Take my eye off you for a week, a f**kin’ week, and you’re on your back for a f**kin’ cowboy!” Casey clipped.

“Gray means something to me. We’re seeing each other and he means something to me,” I returned, feeling Gray’s body tense again but my attention was focused on my brother.

“You don’t know shit. You don’t know what anything means,” Casey fired back and I started to get angry.

“How do you know what I know?” I asked sharply. “News flash, I’m not twelve anymore, Casey. I’m a grown woman and I know what I’m feeling, how deep it runs and what it means.”

“You’re so full of shit,” Casey retorted.

“Why? Why do you think that? Why, when you meet some woman, in a day you’re falling in love and expect me to believe in that and give you time to explore it? Why aren’t you prepared to believe in me when I’m feeling the same way and why won’t you give me the same?”

At that, Gray’s body again went rock-solid but I was still entirely focused on my brother.

So I kept talking.

“Why, instead, when I don’t see you for a week, are you here now, shouting at me and calling me ugly names? I didn’t do that to you.”

“It isn’t what you think it is, Ivey, it’s hormones rulin’ your head,” Casey returned.

Seriously?

My stupid brother!

“Is that what rules you every time you hook up with some woman somewhere? Are you stuck in your teenage years ruled by hormones?” I shot back. “Again, Casey, wake up. I’m not twelve. I’m not sixteen. I’m twenty-two. I’ve been around just like you. I’ve met my fair share of folks, just like you. I’ve been hit on enough to know when I actually want the attention. And I know what I’m feeling. I know when what I’m feeling means someone is growing to be something important to me. I’m not stupid. I’m not emotionally arrested at age thirteen. I know.”

Casey changed the subject, moving straight down his well-trodden path of emotional blackmail with, “I spent a lifetime lookin’ out for you.”

“Then first, you didn’t do a very good job and second, good news for you, man, your job is done.”

That came from Gray in a deep, rumbling, angry voice and Casey’s eyes sliced to him.

“The f**k you say,” was Casey’s bizarre reply.

Gray must have thought it bizarre too because he didn’t reply.

“She’s my sister,” Casey told Gray something he already knew.

“Yeah, I know,” Gray returned. “I also know she’s movin’ on, that’s her choice and she’s takin’ it. You’re not down with that, I’ll see to it that you come around to Ivey’s way of thinkin’.”

Hells bells.

Casey’s eyes narrowed and then they moved to me.

“I see, sis. I’ve been replaced.”

“Then you don’t see because that’s not it at all. Or you do see and you’re just bein’ a dick,” Gray stated, Casey looked back at him but Gray wasn’t done. “Now, seein’ as you looked out for her awhile, you’ll also see she’s standin’ on a porch in thirty degree weather wearin’ a shirt so I know you’ll want her to get warm. So maybe you’ll share with us what you’re doin’ here so we can be done with that and I can get my girl back in my house.”

When Gray didn’t move, extend an arm to the front door or give any indication this conversation would happen anywhere but where we were currently standing, Casey snapped, “Right, so I see you’re happy to have my sister in your bed but you won’t invite her brother in your house.”

“No, I won’t,” Gray confirmed. “Woulda but you f**ked that by makin’ your own way in and doin’ it with your shoulder in my chest. You cool down, get your head outta your ass and prove to me you’re not an ass**le, you’ll get that invitation. Though, I’ll warn you, after the way you’ve acted and the shit that came outta your mouth directed at my girl, that’s gonna take awhile. So today you’re not gonna feel my hospitality. Now we got that straight, what the f**k are you doin’ here?”

Casey’s eyes went shifty and I instantly knew what he was doing there.

“You wanna give me a second alone with my sister?” he requested, trying to force his voice to normal but the irate still came out.

“No,” Gray replied shortly and said no more.

Casey glared at him.

Gray didn’t move or say a word.

I opened my mouth to speak but Gray got there before me.