Amor

~Chapter 15~

Donovan's pov:

The sight of her brother's pissed off face makes Sophie stiffen beside me so I give her hand a squeeze to let her know that it's gonna be okay. I'm not gonna let whatever he says, hurt how she feels about us. My girl deserves something good after the month she's had. Jesse's not gonna mess this up.

"We should talk" I address him with a firm voice.

He scoffs, "not with you holding her. Soph go to the living room with the others now."

"B-but-" she tries to say but he raises a brow as if to tell her 'challenging me is not the best thing right now' and she sighs.

I lean down to her ear and lightly leave a soft kiss to the shell of it. "It's okay baby, go with them. It'll be fine." When I notice her shiver and get goosebumps, I softly smile since Jesse is right there and I don't think smirking at her will be cool with him.

"Okay" she says breathlessly and walks past her brother into the living room. I don't miss how she pulls down my hoodie lower to cover more of her legs. If I didn't already know that she's got on her ballet tights and one piece underneath, I'd think she was naked.

Pretty sure that's what her brother is thinking right now too cause his eyes are trained on her as he glances at my hoodie then he turns to me.

"First, explain her clothes or lack there of."

I run a hand through my hair and take the last step down the stairs to be level with him. Being basically the same height as him, there's nothing to be intimidated by. Sure, he's her only family but that doesn't mean he can dictate everything in her life. I see that he's a good guardian for Sophie and is responsible but what about all the times that he can't be around? What'll happen to her then?

"She got back from dance practice and never changed out of her clothes. She was cold so I gave her my hoodie. I wouldn't let her walk around with barely anything on in front of people, so don't assume things that aren't true."

I can tell my tone of voice didn't sit well with him cause I see his jaw clench. "We'll talk in the kitchen" he demands and walks away so I follow.

Jesse takes a seat on the stool by the counter but I chose to stand as I cross my arms. He takes off his tie and tosses it carelessly onto the countertop.

"What do you want with my sister Donovan?"

"It's not just about what I want, Sophie gets to decide also. I made it very clear with her that if she didn't want anything to happen that I wouldn't push it. We both decided on being together."

"So she honestly wants to date you?"

I nod,"ask her yourself."

"Not yet. I have some things to ask you. How many girls have you dated?"

"Just one. Ended a couple years ago."

"Have you been engaging in personal activities?" He asks next but I snort and shake my head. He could've just said sex, not sugarcoat the sentence.

"I'm clean, would you like me to prove it?" I say back mockingly.

"Watch your mouth or there's going to be another fight in this kitchen. I'm serious."

"I am too."

"Good. You're aware that she's never had a boyfriend right? She doesn't understand any of it besides from what she reads. But reading and experiencing it are two different things. You can't expect so much from her or she'll freak out."

"I get that. I told her that we can go at whatever pace she needed. I'm not some asshole who only thinks about her body, I like her a lot."

He sighs and rubs his eye tiredly. Looking at him now, I can see the bags under his eyes and the unshaven hair on his face. This guy is exhausted from working all the time and I'm betting this conversation is the last thing he wants to be doing. I used to see the same look in Aunt Marie's eyes too when I was younger. When she took me in, she was newly single and on her own juggling two jobs. Raising me on top of all that made her energy die out which is why when I was old enough to take care of myself and help her earn some cash, I did. Nowadays she's a lot less tired and she smiles more.