Pure Belleza | ✔️

(30) Part Two Prologue

M A X • P O V

One year later.

The computer screen came to life and Lucas stared back at me with no shirt on, bed hair and a nice view of his tonsils as he yawned.

I shouldn't have been surprised he was still half asleep in the middle of the afternoon. It was his first weekend after starting college and from what his text messages said, he'd been busier than he cared to be.

"What's up brother," he mumbled, resting his forearms on the desk in front of him. "Fuck, I'm fucked. Tired as shit."

"Late night?"

"Milly was here. She's gone back to her dorm room I think."

"How's that going?"

He scratched the back of his head. "We've been talking a lot. Figuring out where to go and what to do. Honestly my dick is going to fall off if she keeps blocking me."

"Dude."

"I haven't had sex in almost twelve months, Max," he leaned forward and stared at the screen. "I've been so good. I've taken her on dates. I haven't looked at another girl. And I'll keep waiting. But my balls are bluer than Gatorade. I love her. I just want to show her that I love her."

"She's not interested?"

"I dunno," he leaned back and palmed his face. "She is. She's just waiting for a label I think."

"You just said you love her. What's the issue?"

"I don't know if I should give it some more time," he said. "Lydia told me I should focus on getting a career and all that shit. Be single while I'm at school. I can't fuck this up, Max. She's too important."

"You're overthinking it," I said. "You love her. You've changed and you did the right thing proving she meant more to you than sex. I think it's safe to give a real relationship a go."

"Yeah maybe."

"You said twelve months ago though. Did you guys—"

"Na," he shook his head. "Na it was at Lydia's wedding. I fucked one of the bridesmaids."

"Lucas—"

"It was a slip up. Old me crept back in when I was feeling alone and sad and four vodkas deep. I don't even remember her name. It was just a one night stand and Milly knows about it. She's done the same. It's no big deal."

"The bridesmaids were in their twenties dude."

"Mhmm," he said, smug.

My brother's obsession with his penis was truly concerning sometimes.

"So about Christmas—"

Lucas cut me off. "I don't want to talk about Christmas. It's still three months away."

"I just wanted to make sure you were going home? Abby and Flynn suggested we have Christmas at the California house."

Abby and Flynn were living in the beach house in Hermosa.

She was deep into her modelling and Flynn was doing College football at UCLA.

It was strange for all three of us to be in a different place.

Lucas was closest to home at Baylor but he lived on campus. Mom and Dad seemed to be thrilled about having the house to themselves again. Something about walking around in the nude.

"I'd be down on a Christmas in Cali," Lucas said. "Be warmer."

"I'll let the others know."

"No need," he waved me off. "I'm going home for lunch tomorrow. I'll let Mom and Dad know."