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“Not much,” he replies. “Just thought I’d check in on my little brother and see if he’s staying out of trouble.”
Laughing, I take what I need from my truck and shut the door. I glance at Lennon’s car and frown, annoyed she’s home already.
“Always,” I tell Hayden. “Just getting home actually. What’re your plans tonight? You and Sav doing okay?”
He’s been dating Savannah since last summer and moved to be with her. It was shortly after Lennon moved in, and my life took a turn for the worse.
“Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” The nervousness in his tone makes my heart race.
“What? You two break up?” I panic, knowing what it took for them to get back together after being apart for ten years. I’d be devastated for him if that were the case.
“No! Hell no. I’m not letting her out of my sight again,” he says, laughing.
“Whew. Scared me there for a sec, man.”
“Actually, I’m planning to propose to her. I’ve always known she’s the one for me and want to make her my wife.”
I’m smiling so big at his news. “Hell yes. I’m so fucking happy for you, Hayden. And honestly, about fucking time.” I let out a laugh as he sighs in relief.
“I haven’t told our parents yet, but I’ve designed and ordered the ring. I wanted it to be one of a kind—just like her—so now I just have to find the right time to pop the question. It’s not all planned out yet, but I’m nervous as hell.” I almost make a remark about how lovey-dovey he is, but I’d rather see this version of him than the hollow person he was without her.
“Don’t be. You know what her answer will be. And honestly, who cares what our parents or anyone else say? You know this is right. So do I. And I’m not a bit shocked.” I take the steps two at a time as I listen to Hayden’s plans. After I enter the apartment and drop my shit by the door, I hear Lennon singing in the kitchen and walk that way.
She has her headphones in, and she’s bobbing her head back and forth, and shaking her hips. Either she hasn’t heard me come in yet or she’s ignoring me, so I walk past her, open the fridge, and grab myself a beer. Then I see a sandwich on the counter.
“You made me a PB&J sandwich?” I taunt Lennon, then grab it off the counter before she can stop me. “My favorite!” I take a huge bite and shoot her a grin.
“Hunter!” she screams, slamming her hand down. “That was the last of the bread!”
“Good thing you’re going to the grocery store,” I say around a mouthful, walking into the hallway.
“Fucking seriously?” She’s seething, which has me smiling ear to ear before I take another bite. “I wasn’t going to the store just yet!”
“Guess you have an excuse to now,” I retort, not looking over my shoulder. I’m sure she’s glaring at me or giving me the finger. That’s her usual go-to move.
“Who are you talking to?” Hayden asks.
“Satan.”
He immediately chuckles, knowing exactly who I’m referring to.
“You two still fight like brother and sister?”
“Pfft. Worse.” I step into my bedroom and shut the door behind me, finishing off her perfectly made sandwich.
“When are you gonna get over your feelings for her? Don’t you think you’ve made both of your lives hell for long enough? Learn from my mistakes, bro…”
Hayden is only five years older than me, but I swear he was born with an old soul. We are the only two kids in the family. Our parents didn’t bother trying for a girl after me, and it didn’t help that their relationship wasn’t exactly perfect either. My dad is a piece of shit, though, to the public eye, he acts like Father of the Year. As a California state senator, he has a picture-perfect image to uphold. I was the wild child that had him running to the doctor’s office, begging to get snipped. Though as I got older, I knew he really just wanted to make sure he couldn’t knock up any of his mistresses. Hayden was more of a father figure to me than our dad ever was, and he tried to keep me grounded when I wanted to act out for attention.
Needless to say, I never claimed to be an easy person to live with, and Hayden knows all too well how I get. It doesn’t help that Lennon brings out this bitter side of me, and I want to make her life hell for forcing me to see her every goddamn day. I couldn’t give her what Brandon can anyway. For most of my life, I never met my father’s expectations with my grades, sports, and choices, and after living here and listening to her constant bitching, I know I would’ve never met hers.
