Page 154 of Revenge Puck

“Because it’s true.” His spoon scrapes against his soup bowl. “I care about you.”

There it is: same line, different phrasing.

“I know you do,” I say evenly, breaking off a chunk of my roll and buttering it to keep my hands from ringing his neck.

“I want you to be safe.”

God, give me a break.Lord,give me the patience to sit through this apology-turned-lecture from him.

“You keep circling back to the same line, over and over—be careful, be cautious, don’t trust him,” I say, mimicking his deep voice.Huff. “You sound like a broken record.”

His expression flickers—guilt, frustration, something else.

“I’m your brother,” he says, as if that explains everything.

“Yes,” I reply. “You are. And I love you for that.”

I hold his gaze.

Neither of us breaks—another thing we did as kids: staring contests across the dinner table. Silent wars over who would blink first. Who would cave first…

We eat.

The food goes down my throat like it’s lined with sandpaper.

My brother isn’t apologizing for interfering in my relationship. He’s only apologizing for the volume and tone and intensity at which he delivered the warning.

“I’ll work on my delivery,” he says at last.

I let out a small, humorless laugh. “Great. Can’t wait.”

Declan watches me, eyes scanning my face as if seeing me for the first time. Or maybe he’s realized I’m not twelve years old anymore.

“So, Blaire and I were at the game the other night, and we couldn’t have been the only ones watching you and Aaron square off during warm ups.” My fork hovers over my salad. “Want to explain what that was about?”

He shifts in his chair. “He started it.”

I laugh. “You sound like a child.”

Honestly, he should be embarrassed. Instead, he narrows his eyes, scowling.

“Jules, I’m serious.”

“Yeah. That’s the problem.” I stab a piece of lettuce. “You’re acting like a damn fool over something I don’t understand.”

He leans back, folding his arms.

“Blaire said men only fight about three things—money, control, and women.” I push a tomato around my plate. “So, which one of those is it?”

Declan’s eyes flash.

Ahh.

I lean forward slightly, lowering my voice. “Is this about a girl?”

He doesn’t answer.

“Declan.”