Lies That Bind (on hold temporarily)

Chapter Thirty One

J A M E S

"Can't we just say I'm sick or something? I heard the flu was going around," Sara calls from behind her bedroom door.

I roll my eyes and Alec laughs from the couch. "Baby, we agreed we would go."

"Technically, you agreed. I never specifically said I would," she retorts, no doubt with her hands on her hips.

Alec comes up next to me and slings his arm over my shoulder. "Want some backup? I have an idea."

"At this point I'll take all the help I can get," I admit, running a hand through my hair for the hundredth time since I got here an hour ago.

He smirks at me and clears his throat before knocking on Sara's door. "Rosy, open up."

"No," she huffs.

"Open it because I can promise your landlord won't like the way I choose to do it," he threatens.

Sara heaves a sigh on the other side of the door before reluctantly twisting the handle. "What?" she spits, angry tears filling her eyes.

Alec slips inside and shuts the door behind him. A slam follows and I can only assume he has her pinned to the wall.

"Talk to me," he says softly.

I take that as my cue to walk away. My phone buzzes in my pocket as I make my way over to the couch to take a seat, I slip my phone out to see a message from my brother.

RJ: Please tell me you're not bailing.

RJ: I think Sofia will actually have a meltdown if you don't show up.

JAMES: I'll be there soon.

JAMES: Not sure if Sara is gonna come though.

RJ: I'm starting to think you're making this chick up.

JAMES: Fuck off.

RJ: Just get here man. Slam piece or not.

Anger bubbles up in my chest. She's so much fucking more than that to me and he knows that. He just likes to give me shit for it all the time.

JAMES: She's not a slam piece.

RJ: So you're official?

I groan and scrub a hand down my face before typing my reply.

JAMES: Not technically, no.

RJ: Slam. Piece.

He's asking to get his ass beat when I get to mom's. Lucky for him my adorable niece will probably save him from my wrath.

RJ: But there's nothing wrong with that. If anything, I'm jealous.

JAMES: I don't think Callie would appreciate that statement.

RJ: I love Callie. But that doesn't mean I don't miss the life I had before her. I miss the spontaneity.

RJ and Callie didn't get together in the most traditional way.

They had a one night stand four years ago and never exchanged numbers. Typical for my manwhore of a brother.

All Callie had was his name, but that didn't do her much good since they met in Tucson and RJ was only there for a bachelor party.

After months of searching for him, she had given up hope. When she finally ran into him while she was six months pregnant, she swore it was kismet. RJ had gone back to Tucson for the wedding and nearly lost his shit when he saw her.