I feel tired, too tired. I let my head fall back on the seat, closing my eyes. Then all I see are those eyes, focused on me. All I hear is his voice.
“Eli boy, you really thought you got away.”
Chapter Eighteen
Dinner Invitations, Delightfully Unhinged Hosts, and Dangerous Discoveries
Nick
I knock on Matt and Oliver’s door. No part of me wants to be here. I don’t have the time to socialize, but Oliver ignored all my reasons for declining his invitation. At least, he listened to me when I asked him not to talk to Elliot. He got really quiet on the other side of the call, then blew out a breath before ordering me to show up on time.
Mickey scratches the door excitedly when it doesn’t open right away. That’s another reason Oliver wanted me to come today. We’re officially introducing Mickey to his new cousin. From the looks of it, he’s all for it.
Maybe a little puppy will help me feel better, too? Mickey butts his head against my knee as if he can read my mind. “Of course, you help too, buddy.” I pat his head. “You’re the best dog in the world.”
The door opens then. Matt leans against the doorframe, folding his arms across his chest. “Oliver told me the situation was bad. He didn’t say it was ‘crying to Mickey’ bad.”
Mickey leaves me to greet my brother, who crouches down to give him scratches like they haven’t seen each otherin years. “Aww, was Nick being too mopey? I know, sooo annoying.”
I leave him and his creepy baby voice and squeeze past him into the house. I see a glimpse of fur bounding down, then I have a handful of Shih Tzu. I laugh, kneeling and letting the little guy climb on me. “You’re so cute.” I hold it against my chest, and he licks my chin.
“You’re not going to cry, are you?” Oliver asks from the kitchen.
“Why does everyone keep asking me that? Wait, don’t answer that. What are you making?” I carry the furball into the kitchen with me, following the delicious smells.
Oliver has pans and pots on every stove. He’s stirring, flipping, and whipping all at the same time. “Indian. Naan, chicken tikka, and a dessert I’m not butchering the pronunciation of.”
My eyes go wide. “From scratch? Dude, what the fuck?”
“Ugh, don’t start,” Matt says as he walks in behind me, Mickey on his heels. “This is apparently his idea of destressing.”
I look between all the mess in the kitchen and Oliver. I don’t recognize most of the ingredients, but everything smells heavenly. “Do you need any help?” My voice is hesitant.
Oliver shakes his head. “No, but you should introduce Alex to Mickey before he falls asleep again.”
I look down, and yes, the tiny thing is curled peacefully in my arms, ready to fall asleep. “Ah, yes.” I kneel in front of Mickey and let him smell Alex. He leans forward, delicately sniffing, then licks the tiny guy.
Alex barks a cute little bark. I put him down, keeping an eye on them. Alex moves forward while Mickey stays still, the perfect big brother. “I think they like each other,” I announce as Alex chases Mickey’s tail.
“Oh, thank god. I don’t like when siblings are always fighting,” Oliver says. His face is now covered with flour.
Matt gets a napkin and gently wipes it off him. The casualaffection sends a pang through my chest. I leave the kitchen to follow the dogs now chasing each other across the living room. Mickey is being perfectly polite, letting Alex win.
Matt follows me out. “You really shouldn’t let Oliver get away with statements like that, or you won’t even know when you’re out of a dog.”
That pulls a reluctant laugh out of me. “Nah, Mickey would never leave me,” I wave him off. Probably.
We settle down on his unnecessarily large dining table, watching Oliver handle everything with the proficiency of a professional chef. “You sure he’s fine, though?” I point at Oliver.
“Just the pressure of the wedding getting to him. And now that you’ve announced you and Elliot are fighting, he’s worried about you both being in the wedding party.”
“Oh, I’m in the wedding party, am I?” I smirk at him.
He nudges me with his shoulder. “You know you’re my best man.”
“You hadn’t even asked him yet?Oh my god, Matt,” Oliver shouts from the kitchen.
“He’s being a dick, babe. He knew.” Matt glares at me as I start to tell Oliver the truth.
