Page 20 of Silks

When they had finally cleared off, I stood with my arms crossed.

“Well,” Teddy said, and I heard the laugh in his voice. “Take two, I guess.”

Then he gave my ass a sharp slap. This little borrowed golf skirt didn’t fit all that well, and he spanked right where the shorts had ridden up, the blow landing with stinging force right on my bare cheek.

I gasped in outrage as my brother headed to the tee.

This time I definitely had an excuse, and I raised my club to smite him across the shoulders, really wallop the shit out of him, but my asshole brother only turned around and grabbed the club.

He still didn’t even look mad, only holding the club with a smirk on his face.

“God, Teddy, you are the worst!” I complained, trying unsuccessfully to pull the club from his grip.

“You’re the one trying to brain me with a club, sweetheart,” he said.

“Why don’t you ever get mad?” I burst out. “Stop acting like everything is ok between us when it is not.”

His brows drew together.

“Who says I don’t get mad? I am mad.”

“At what?” I sniffed in disgust, finally releasing the club.

“At you, for leaving.”

His eyes were uncomfortably tight on me.

“You’re not mad at me. You’re never mad at me,” I retorted.

Teddy stepped closer. “Why did you leave?”

“I didn’t want to be in Louisville anymore. I didn’t want to be around my family anymore.”

Was I imagining it or did my brother finally wince at that?

“Is this about law school?” he asked, frowning, and his hand suddenly snapped out and grabbed my wrist.

“I don’t want to talk about it!”

I tried to twist away, but he held me so tightly my arm stung.

“Don’t try to get away,” he ordered through gritted teeth. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself. But I have to know, Ophelia. Because if it was that, I called you. I texted you. I said I would go if that’s what you wanted!”

“Why would I be mad that you changed your mind about going to law school together to fight for animal rights?” I snapped. “I’m not mad about that at all.”

His eyes looked unexpectedly, startlingly raw so close to me.

“I told you Dad said he’d disinherit us both if I didn’t go to work for his company,” Teddy said. “I didn’t want to be the reason you didn’t get an inheritance! I didn’t want to do that! But when you left all mad, I called you so many fucking times to tell you I’d go! That I’d do anything you wanted. That’s a bullshit excuse, Ophelia. It’s bullshit what you did.”

Finally he looked angry, his eyes flashing at me. My throat felt tight, like there was a huge lump there I couldn’t swallow down. I had been so pissed at him.

“I really don’t care anymore, Teddy,” I said, tossing my hair. “Let’s just go to the next hole.”

He let go of my arm, but only to shove his club back in his golf bag.

“Let’s go to lunch instead.”

“Go to lunch by yourself,” I huffed.