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Twice.Chapter 29BrielleRoyce took a few calls, slipped from his bed long enough to bring back food, but other than that we didn’t leave.
Now, it’s a little after nine in the morning, and a full thirty-ish hours later that I’m slipping from Royce’s room and down the stairs. I almost make it to the door when a throat clears, causing my muscles to lock up on me.
My head snaps toward the sound and I suddenly have a desperate need to disappear.
Not one, not two, but all of the Brays are scattered around in the kitchen.
Raven and Maddoc lean against the counter, coffee cups in hand. Captain has Victoria wrapped up while she stirs something on the stovetop. Zoey sits at the bar, holding on to the little pink wolf and then there’s Rolland, the boys’ dad.
He’s sitting beside Zoey, his new grandson in his arms.
They must have just gotten home, and here I am... killing their morning.
“Well.” My shoulders fall. “This is embarrassing.”
Raven is the first to crack, and then low chuckles follow around the room.
My face might be bright red right now, not that I’d know it. I’m too mortified to tell.
Maddoc reaches over Raven, pulling another coffee mug from the cupboard, and holds it out for me.
“Oh... no, I... just no.” I shake my head, spin on my heels and yelp, my hand flying to my chest.
Royce grins in front of me. “Scared?”
“Dying inside,” I hiss, but not in a whisper. I know he’d only say it louder, so I let them hear and another round of laughs follow.
“Good. Now next time you won’t try to sneak out.”
“I wasn’t sneaking. I was, you know, quietly leaving.”
“Sneaking.” He pushes closer and good god, he’s shirtless, and oh look, my bra’s in my hand. I stuff it beneath my shirt—more laughs.
Royce crosses his arms. “So, did you not catch how I said ‘next time’?”
“What—” I tilt my head. “Yeah, I did...”
His head tugs back, a look of pure confusion on his face.
I’m pretty sure I hear a muffled ‘oh boy’ that can only come from his dad.
“And nothin’?” He crosses his arms.
A laugh bubbles out of me. “Do you really think I’d be here if I wasn’t positive this wouldn’t end here?”
“Yes.”
This time, I’m laughing with his family and his glare snaps their way.
I take a deep breath and close the small gap between us.
He looks down his nose at me, a small frown in place, but once my body is near his, he can’t help himself, and his arms wrap me in.
“You’re adorably wrong, Playboy.”
His hold tightens, I fight the sigh that tries to escape.
“And you’re annoyingly naïve if you think you’re walking out that door right now, so park that ass, Tink, and get ready for some Brayshaw breakfast.” He releases me and walks into the kitchen.
When I glance back, everyone has moved on, no one is staring, and all are going about their normal routine. Reaching beyond each other, shifting out of the other’s way.
One grabs the milk, the other the bread, one a pan.
Raven pours the coffee and Victoria pulls out the silverware.
As I dare to inch closer, it’s Raven who spins toward me with a brow raised and hidden wink. “Coffee?”
“Hot Chocolate?”
Her grin is wide and instant, her eyes tight and something else I can’t note. They shift to Royce, to the glass set out on the counter that must have been for him, something hot and steaming already inside it, and drops the one Maddoc pulled out for me directly beside it, a low and self-murmured, “perfect” following.
“Take a seat, Brielle.” Rolland smiles softly. “I hope you like crepes.”
“It’s my first time making them, so if they suck, lie to me.” Cap grins.
“Oooh, Daddy!” Zoey’s little hands come up to her mouth. “You want her to tell a lie? That’s not honest! That’s bad.”
Cap’s mouth opens, but he looks to Victoria for help, and she sweeps in with ease.
“ZoZo, remember how I used to eat all the sweets you wanted to share with me, even though sweets aren’t my favorite?” She smiles at her daughter.
Zoey nods, pushing her blonde curls from her eyes. “Um, because you wanted to be kind? Make me happy?”
“Exactly.” Victoria’s eyes shine. “It’s Daddy’s first time trying something new, and he needs encouragement, so instead of saying something that could make him sad, we would find a way to say something that might make him smile and not feel so bad if we didn’t like them. Get it?”
Zoey nods and turns to Rolland. “Papa, it’s nice when you cut my strawberries little even though I’m big and like to hold and bite them.”
Rolland’s mouth drops open, and then the room erupts with laughter.
I smile at the scene, and hesitantly take the seat at Rolland’s side, smiling down at baby Phoenix in his little basketball striped onesie.
