Just Once (Book 1 in the Just Once Series)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Brook’s POV:

“I said what the fuck was that!?” Nate shouted angrily and Jack was suddenly in front of me, protecting me from his father’s anger.

My mum was still, shocked, her eyes wide as she looked at Jack and I in disbelief.

“That was exactly what it seemed to be,” Jack said defensively as I silently intertwined my fingers with Jack’s, needing to feel his strength, because this had come at a bad time.

Had we sat them down and told them honestly, it may have gone differently, but right now, only anger was emanating from Nate and my mum looked shocked, broken, but she remained silent.

“Are you out of your mind?!” Nate shouted as he glared unforgiving at Jack.

“No, I’m perfectly fine,” Jack said back, trying to remain calm, when his dad was getting up in his face.

Jack pushed me back a little more as his dad gripped his shirt and growled darkly, “She’s your fucking sister!”

“No, she isn’t!” Jack snaps as he shoves his father away from him angrily, “She isn’t my sister, she’s my girlfriend.”

“You will not date her! For Christ’s sake, Jack, think about what you’re saying, what you’re doing!” Nate shouted as he shoved his hand through his hair roughly and shook his head in disgust.

“Brook... my baby, please tell me you don’t think the same way?” my mum suddenly begged gently and I looked at her, guilt swarming around me like air.

“Mum...” I began but she cut me off.

“Please tell me this isn’t what it looks like?” she whispered again, her eyes full of tears and I swallowed hard. Jack’s hand squeezed mine in reassurance and I took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry mum, but we can’t help how we feel,” I said gently and she shook her head before beginning to cry. Nate wraps his arm around her a second later and she cries softly into his chest.

“See what you’ve done! If you think you are living here, under this roof and dating, you have another thing coming,” Nate growls and Jack sneers at him angrily... no, he’s beyond anger, he’s hurt and aching and he’s mad at his dad, his hand is holding onto mine tightly, as if he needs my strength, just as much as I need his.

“Then we’ll move out,” Jack replies, his jaw locked and his eyes burning with anger.

“Like fuck you will, how will you live? Where will you live!? You have nothing! You need this family to stay alive and if you think I’m going to let my son date his sister, you are sadly mistaken!” Nate shouted furiously, his own eyes burning with a deep anger and something close to either hatred or disgust, maybe a little of both.

“And if you think you can split us up by thinking we are still children, you have another thing coming!” Jack shouts back and Nate turns to me, his gaze piercing mine with icy precision.

“You think he is worthy of you? Do you realise what your life is going to be like if people hear about this!? No one will look at you and think you’re normal! It’s disgusting!” he snarls at me and I look away, feeling hurt and scared, because I’ve never seen Nate so angry in all the time I’ve known him. I’ve never seen him raise his voice, let alone devalue his own son!

“Don’t you speak to her like that, don’t you fucking dare!” Jack snaps as Nate lets go of my mum and moves towards us; his eyes on me even as Jack speaks.

“It’s sick. It’s filthy and disgusting and you are nothing more than a slut...” Jack suddenly shoves his dad back, away from me as Nate growls those words at me.