She snags two slices of pizza with a smile. “I know you will be.” She grabs some napkins then pauses. “And Uncle Levi, you were right. Bri’s totally the reason for my sense of humor. She’s hilarious. You should spend more time around her, dad. She may rub off on you.”
She has no idea how much I’d like Bri to rub off on me.
Sawyer heads to the dining room, leaving me alone with my brother again. Levi grabs another slice, his third by my count, which means there’s only two left in the box.
“The nanny’s funny?” he raises a brow.
“Wouldn’t know. And her name’s Brianna.”
Levi snorts. “Sawyer seems like she’s adjusted well to living on the East Coast.”
“Yeah.”
“You heard from your ex?”
“No,” I respond instantly annoyed. Why would he ask me that? Neither of my brothers liked my ex-wife and the more time and distance I put between that marriage the more I realize she was the wrong fit for me. I fucked up by getting remarried. I know that. I thought I was helping Sawyer by giving her another mother-figure and at the end of the day, all I gave her was more baggage and a woman who didn’t even last a year in our life.
He nods, chewing thoughtfully. “So why were you acting like a douche canoe to Bri?”
I tense. My jaw works, but I don’t say anything. Instead, I pivot to the fridge because—fuck it—I need that angel food cake right now. I take out the last slice from the half she left us, grab a fork, and take one glorious bite.
Holy angels above.
It’s perfect, light, airy, melting in my mouth the way real angel food cake should. I close my eyes, letting it settle on my tongue, and some part of me wonders what Brianna looked like while she made it. If she hummed to herself in my kitchen a sappy love song, if she moved with those same soft movements she always has.If she was thinking of the way it’d make me feel to taste it. I didn’t even know I had a cake pan for angel food cake.
Wait—I don’t.Which means she brought one from her own house to mine just so she could make this.
I sigh. I’m so fucking gone for this girl, and yet we haven’t had a proper conversation since that night in the gym.
“Because she’s theMayhemowner’s daughter.”
Levi chokes on his pizza, coughing hard as he pounds a fist against his chest.
“What?”
“Yeah.”
“Caleb King’s? The rich guy who sits up in his box? The one with the expensive suits who looks like he fucks for a living? The former professional basketball player?”
“That’s the one.”
Levi blinks. “And she’s nannying for you? And working for the Mayhem as a physical therapist?” His brows furrow like he can’t compute it. I get it. I can’t either other than the fact that Bri said they don’t have a relationship.
“No idea why she’s doing it other than she’s got the free time, her roommate bailed at the last minute, and Sawyer and she seem to get along well.”
“Maybe he doesn’t give her money.”
I shrug. “That’s what she said. She said they don’t know each other at all.”
Levi’s expression turns from confused to knowing. “Damn dude. And you just basically told her she shouldn’t be needing your money. You’re a real dick, you know?”
Yeah. I know that. But hearing my older brother say it out loud only makes me feel like a bigger asshole for the way I questioned her about the money. The thing is, I don’t even care aboutmoney. I’ve got enough to last me a lifetime if I never wanted to work another day again. That was never the point.
I’m being a dick because I know I can’t have her, and somewhere in my head I’ve convinced myself that keeping her at a distance will make this easier. Like if I push hard enough, eventually the wanting will stop too. But the truth is, I’m not punishing her. I’m punishing myself for wanting her this badly. And I know it.
“Alright, well I’m heading to bed,” Levi says, moving upstairs to find a spare bedroom where I’m sure he can stretch out and find another way to invade my space.
“Sure, make yourself at home.”
