This time when Ethan smiles at me, it’s a little warmer, the skin around his eyes creasing. “I promise, Izzy. It’s okay. I want to earn those words.”
“What words?” Emery interjects, breaking the moment. He whips his head between me and Ethan, a furrow manifesting in the center of his forehead. “And when the fuck did you guys start kissing each other goodbye?”
Ethan and I exchange a glance, and a mischievous smirk erupts on his face.
“You jealous, little brother?” Ethan taunts, and Emery’s eyes narrow.
“For one, I’m older than you, dick wad. And for two…” He flicks his gaze at me before refocusing on Ethan. “Hell yeah, I am.” He turns to me and pushes out his lips in a dramatic pout. “Izzyyyyy, how do I get on kissing terms with you?”
I pretend to think, tapping a finger against my chin. “Hmmm. Maybe you could… No. You wouldn’t be willing to do that.”
“Do what?” Emery stares at me suspiciously.
“Do you think he would do it, Ethan?” I turn towards the quiet twin, whose smirk is firmly in place.
“Maybe.” He shrugs a single shoulder. “But he might do the other thing instead.”
“Ohhh. That thing. Yeah. Maybe he’ll do that thing. We’ll have to see.”
“You guys are fucking with me, aren’t you?” Emery’s eyes turn to slits.
Ethan and I break into laughter, and even Reid joins in, his quiet chuckle permeating the air.
It feels good to laugh, to let loose. I don’t know how long this levity will last, but for now…
For now, I’ll do everything I can to hold on to it.
Thirty-Five
IZZY
“So what’s the plan?” I ask as soon as Ethan separates from us.
He’s going to take Reid’s car to the mall and then pick us up later tonight—if we don’t walk home first.
Since we’re already downtown, everything is in easy walking distance.
Reid and Emery exchange a look, and the latter grins.
“Do you want it to be a surprise, or do you want us to tell you?”
My heart thunders in my chest at the prospect that they planned this ahead of time. I don’t know why I believed it was a spur-of-the-moment decision.
“Will I have to be blindfolded?”
Emery waggles his eyebrows. “Only in the bedroom.”
Reid whacks Emery across the back of the head. “Bad dog.”
“Oww.” Emery rubs at the abused flesh with a frown. “That hurt, asshole.”
“Good.” Reid folds his arms over his chest and smirks.
“Okay, enough, boys!” I wiggle my body until I’m able to fit between them, then I link their arms with mine. “Let’s go.”
I begin to drag us forward, but Emery digs his heels in, stopping me.
“Wrong direction, pretty girl.” With his arm still linked with mine, he spins us around, consequently dragging Reid with us.
