Page 49 of Thunder

Seven years, that is how long it has been since I’ve come home. The day I found my sister screwing my high school sweetheart against the wall while I was oblivious and giddy about spending the evening with him. This feels like a bad idea. I already tried to get out of it, tried to claim it wasn’t the right environment for Sammie. I was shut down by Bradley who let me know Sammie wouldn’t be there. So, my one excuse was gone.

If I had the willpower, I would have kept my body from him as punishment, but the man is a walking, talking sex god.

“How you doing, baby?” Bradley asks when I make no move to go inside after standing in front of the property for five minutes, and I swallow thickly.

“I want to turn around and run away,” I admit quietly, and he tightens the grip that he has around my waist like I’m about to bolt.

Damn Dad and Bradley and their bright ideas.

“You can do this, Scottie,” he encourages, “We go in, we eat and let your mama grovel. If you feel at any moment in time that you need to leave, then I’ll stab myself at the dinner table.”

I look at him sharply and snap, “No hurting yourself anymore!” and he grins wide, making me want to smack him.

“Threatening it got you to stop worrying about walking inside that house, didn’t it?” he chuckles, and I mutter, “Jackass,” as I grip his hand on my waist and pull him with me up the steps. He laughs as he follows making my jaw tick but soon stops when I remind him, “I have a shift tomorrow, twenty-four hours…” And he growls, which has me grinning, before he grumbles something about hating my job and that I’m mean for reminding him.

Serves him right for laughing at me.

“Okay, I’ve got this,” I breathe before knocking on the door, and Bradley squeezes me even tighter just as the door opens and I lock eyes with my mama for the first time in years, and hers tear up.

“Scottie, sweetheart, what are you doing knocking? Come on in,” she rasps as she steps back and opens the door wider. I swallow the lump forming, and with the push of Bradley, we walk inside and I introduce, “Mama, this is Thunder.” I look at my boyfriend, “Bradley, this is my mama, Ellie.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Aimes,” he says politely, and sniffles, “Ellie, please, I insist, and it is lovely to meet the man who has won my little girl’s heart.”

I look down, not knowing how to take her words. Bradley squeezes my hip as a throat clears, and I look to my right to find my brother standing with his hands in his slacks. He looks at me with caution, his dark blue eyes assessing if he should approach.

The last time I saw him was when he showed up at my home and accused me of having an affair with my ex-boyfriend.

“Hey little sister,” he says softly, and I whisper, “Hey Lo…”

He smiles slightly and walks over, then shocks the shit out of me when he takes me from Bradley and embraces me.

My arm moves on autopilot, and I hug him back before he steps back and grips my shoulders, looking me over.

“What’s this I hear that you’re some big shot doctor?” he says with pride, and I clear my throat and reply, “I’m only in my second year of residency, not so big.”

“Surgical right?” he confirms and I nod and he grins, “Who knew you were the smart one of the family,” and my mouth parts in shock and he praises, “I heard that doctors want you all over, that your skills in the OR are something to shout from the rooftops. I know I don’t deserve to say it, but I am proud of you, Scottie.”

Am I in a twilight zone?

Bradley comes up behind me like he can sense my confusion and wraps his arm around my waist, getting me out of my stupor and I murmur, “Thank you,” not knowing what else to say and Lorenzo smiles softly at me then speaks to Bradley, “You must be Thunder, Dad has mentioned a lot about you,” as he holds his hand up and Bradley shakes it and replies, “All good things I should hope.”

“Only that you are obsessed with my sister,” he says before we hear, “And it is the truth,” just as Dad walks over to us.

“She’s worth being obsessed over,” Bradley confesses, and Mama grins wide at me, and I know my cheeks have gone red.

“Why are we all in the foyer?” Dad asks as he wraps his arm around Mama’s waist, and Bradley throws me completely under the bus as he mentions, “It took five minutes for her to come inside.”

I scrunch my nose up, then elbow the ass in the gut, and he coughs out a laugh as I look back at him, and he grins wide while I mock glare at him.

“Come on, you two, the lamb chops are ready,” Dad laughs, and I look at him in shock.

“I was only ever allowed that on my birthday if Rachel okayed it,” I whisper, and Mama looks down as my brother flinches and Dad's smile vanishes as he clears his throat and says, “Well, you’re having it today.”

I swallow as Dad guides Mama into the living area and Bradley pushes me along as Lorenzo comes up behind us and I roll my eyes.

“Boxing me in, really?” I mutter, and I hear my brother snort.

Guess I’m predictable.