Twisted Collide: The new sports romance in the Redville Saints series

I’ve been home for about an hour. With a glass of whiskey in my hand, I sit on the couch. I know if anything happens to Josephine, one of my teammates will call me, but I can’t help but think about her.

Why does everything have to be so complicated? First with coach being her dad, and now with Uncle Jim blackmailing me?

Why can’t I get my shit together and just say fuck it to everything?

The sound of a knock on my door has me sitting upright. I don’t move at first, but then I hear another knock, and a familiar voice says, “If you don’t open your door, I will use my key.”

It’s Molly, and I know she’ll use it, so I don’t get up. I just sit there and take another sip of my drink.

It isn’t long before I hear the telltale signs that she has entered the premises and is heading my way.

Her footsteps echo through the room, and then she stands in front of me with a hand on her hip.

She’s going to lay into me.

It’s about time someone yells at me for what I did to Josephine. It’s about time someone tells me how it’s all my fault and agrees that I’m a fucking asshole.

Coach wouldn’t do it, but Molly will. “When are you going to get your head out of your ass?” Here it comes. “And just admit to me and yourself that you are madly, stupidly in love with Josie?”

For a second, I think she just said that she thinks I’m in love with Josie, but that can’t be right. I open my mouth, then close it again. I must’ve drunk more than I thought because that’s not what she said, right?

“Earth to Dane.”

When I still don’t speak, she lets out a long-drawn-out sigh.

“For my older brother, you’re kind of stupid.” That has me actually paying attention.

“What?”

“You heard me. You might be my older brother, but you are kind of dumb.”

“Gee. Thanks, sis. Love you too.”

“Okay, so here’s how I see it. You’ve been lying to me. You and Josie are madly in love. You got into a lover’s quarrel, and she stormed off and fell?”

“No, actually, that’s not what happened.”

“Then it’s a lot worse than I thought. Let me see if I have it this time. You’re in love with her. You were a complete idiot, most likely broke her heart, and told her you couldn’t be with her . . . something to do with her father, and she approached you today because you were playing a crappy game and looked like you were miserable. Then you got into a fight, and she fell.”

Now my mouth drops open because she actually nailed it. Well, she didn’t mention the keys, but still pretty damn close.

She must see the look on my face and understand because, again, she’s my sister, and apparently, she’s the smartest human being on earth.

“I nailed it, right?”

“Yeah, actually.”

“Here’s the thing, dear brother; things like this don’t happen every day. It’s not often you find someone who you care deeply for. Heck, look at Mom and Dad.” I let out a large sigh. “No, I’m not gonna talk about Mom and Dad because I know how much you hate to talk about them, but don’t think I don’t remember the way that they were, though. How unhappy they were. What I learned from them is if she makes you smile and laugh, then who cares what Robert says?”

“I do.”

“Robert is like a father to us. Dane, do you not think he’d be happy for you?” Molly stares at me. “He-he loves you like a son.” Her words tremble as they come out, and I see the tears welling in her eyes right before they fall down her face. “We all love you so much, Dane. You’ve spent so much time putting me first; taking care of me, being the father that I needed because I had no parents, but one thing you haven’t done is you haven’t lived. I saw you that day when you touched her at the bar, and for the first time—”

She stops and sniffles as the tears cascade down her cheeks. “For the first time, I saw you happy. I don’t remember the last time I saw you happy. Please don’t give up. Fight for her. Fight for the person you deserve. Fight to be the man you’re meant to be. This guy is a shell of a guy. That’s not you, and I never would’ve wanted this for you. I never would’ve let you give up your life to take care of me. If I knew that this is who you were going to be—” She breaks down, her body trembling, and I stand from my chair, place my glass on the table, and envelop her in my arms.

“Please don’t cry, Molly.”

“I’m crying because I love you, Dane, and I just want you to be happy.”

“I’ll be happy.”

“Promise me you’ll go to her. Promise me you’ll fight for your happiness.”

I look at my sister, who is wiser than her years. “Okay, Molly. I’ll fight for her.”