Free BrickWall_Kobo by Steph

true.
    Weren’t they all?
    She’d found that out the hard way when she’d found the man she’d thought was her happily-ever-after in bed with another woman.
    Oh, Rich had sworn up and down that nothing had happened between him and the ex-girlfriend passed out on his bed. Sworn he’d only allowed her to sleep there because he hadn’t wanted her to drive home in her condition.
    Bliss had wanted to believe him. She couldn’t. Couldn’t bring herself to trust him. Couldn’t help feeling like a fool. Apparently she’d been right because when she’d gotten rid of him, he’d immediately started dating his ex.
    So much for trust.
    No, Shane would be a great diversion until it ended. And it would end. And when he moved on… No harm, no foul. But in the meantime, she’d enjoy the smoking-hot sex.
    “Liss! Hey, Liss. Guess what?”
    She jumped as her door slammed open but smiled when she saw her older brother, Mike, in her living room.
    “Hey, Mike. We’ve talked about knocking before, remember? You’re supposed to knock before you come into my apartment. Or anyone else’s.”
    Mike’s sweet face screwed up into a frown, and Bliss had to bite her tongue against the words that wanted to escape.
    But she knew if she said, “Never mind, it’s okay,” it wouldn’t help Mike. The therapist had been crystal clear about that. He’d stressed, when she and her parents had first talked to him about Mike moving into his own apartment, that they had to hold him to the same standards as they would a person who didn’t have his disabilities.
    Mike had to be held accountable, Dr. Farouk had said.
    “Damn. I’m sorry, Liss.” He hung his head, ginger hair shades lighter than her own, hanging over his forehead. “I’ll remember for next time. I promise.”
    Now she smiled. “I know you will, bud. Now what’s so important you forgot your manners?”
    And that fast, his grin returned. Her parents swore Mike had taken one look at her after she’d been born and hadn’t stopped smiling since. And she’d hadn’t known a time when her brother wasn’t a fixture in her life.
    “My boss told me I’m getting a raise!”
    Her brother’s infectious joy made everything in life just a little brighter.
    Throwing her arms open, she hugged Mike tight and said a silent “fuck you” to the few so-called friends who’d told her she was crazy to agree to have her “disabled” brother move in next to her. Mike wasn’t disabled. He was differently abled. In her mind, the distinction was huge.
    “That’s great! I’m so happy for you.”
    Mike pulled back, but not before putting a smacking kiss on her cheek.
    As he told her about his day at the grocery store where he worked, she let herself get caught up in his joy. Since they’d moved into their side-by-side apartments, she’d watched him gain so much more confidence.
    Her parents had never tried to hold him back but even they’d been worried about his plan to move out on his own. But when her former neighbor had told her he needed to sublet his apartment immediately because he’d gotten a new job out of state, she’d gone straight to her parents and Mike.
    She’d known Mike would be fine. Her parents had taken some convincing but, in the end, Mike had moved in next to her and she’d never regretted the decision.
    Her ex had never understood why she’d want to “chain” herself to her brother, “with all his problems.”
    With an internal sigh, she knew that should’ve been a question she’d asked herself about Rich at the time.
    She’d learned her lesson. Wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. You never knew who was going to turn out to be a dick.
    She really hoped Shane proved to be the decent guy he seemed to be.
     
     
    Chapter Five
    “Seriously? You’re going to a wedding with a girl you just met? Are you insane or just stupid?”
    Shane showed off his dexterity by giving Lad the finger without losing his grip on the game controller or getting his character