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I held up two fingers and turned to the register where I pressed a button to make some of the receipt paper come out. Grabbing a pen, I wrote down my name and number and handed it to Shane.
“Thanks,” I said. “I really appreciate it.”
He grinned. “Not as much as she will. I swear she lives to piss him off.”
“Ethan’s best friend is my brother. I feel that.”
“Ah, shit. Leo. That’s why you looked familiar to me.” He paused when I wrinkled my face. “But you definitely got the better genes.”
I laughed. “Nice save. I’ll put in a good word with Angelica.”
“Always appreciated.” He winked, then held up the bit of paper. “I’ll give it to her when I’m home.”
“Thanks. I have to get back to work. Let me know if you all need anything.”
***
Shane did as he’d promised because I managed to slip out of the apartment the next day before Ethan had gotten out of the shower.
Angelica had insisted we meet for breakfast. I was a little apprehensive, but she’d sent entirely too many laughing face emojis for me to be too nervous. I got the impression she was bored with maternity leave and needed something to amuse her, and if pissing off Ethan was that thing…
Well, who was I to deny a pregnant lady some enjoyment?
I was no monster. Let that be known.
A salty, vengeful bitch? Yes. Monster? No.
If Angelica really wanted to help, I had an obligation to let her. You know. It was like the sister code. Pissing off brothers was an art form, and it was our duty to pass that knowledge on to the next generation of sisters.
It didn’t matter that Angelica was older than Ethan. It was all fair game as far as I was concerned.
I pushed open the door to my old workplace and stepped into the cooler air of the café. It was quiet for a Monday morning, mostly full of people who were there to grab a quick coffee and maybe a pastry to eat at work.
I glanced around, but it didn’t look like Angelica was there yet. I took a table by the front window and settled in, waiting for her to show up.
It didn’t take her long. She was instantly recognizable by not only the baby bump but because her hair was the exact shade of dark blonde that Ethan’s was.
Dark blue eyes too similar to his scanned the room and landed on me. Her face broke out into a huge grin, and she beelined for me. “Ava!”
Her outstretched arms said she was coming in for a hug, so I stood and accepted the one she happily offered me.
It was nice to know she wasn’t the asshole that Ethan was.
“What are we drinking?” she asked, taking a seat. “Will you judge me if I get a latte?”
“You’re here because I want to piss off your brother. You can drink what you like.”
She grinned. “Don’t tell Shane. He doesn’t like me drinking coffee, but one latte a week isn’t going to kill me. It’s basically a hot coffee milkshake. Do you mind if I eat? I haven’t had anything yet, and I’m dying for a cheese Danish.”
Oh, my God. She was so alive. She was carrying a literal person around, and she was still more likable than I was on a Monday morning.
“Go ahead. I can go and order it if you’d like.”
She blew out a long breath and rested a hand on her stomach. “Would you? God, you’re so nice. And Ethan said you weren’t.”
“He would,” I murmured, making her laugh.
The sound of her laughter carried me up to the counter. I ordered her latte and cheese Danish, adding a second pastry for me and a regular coffee. Paula, the girl who worked behind the counter and my ex-manager, added the employee discount of twenty percent with a wink and told me she’d bring it over when it was all ready.
Thanking her, I headed back to the table.
“So, you’re in a war with my brother.”
“About as close as two twenty-something millennials can get without throwing avocado toast at each other.”
Angelica snorted. “Oh please, everyone knows we millennials can’t afford avocados.”
That.
Totally that.
They were expensive, man.
“Well, yeah.” I laughed and leaned forward on the table. “He brought the hedgehog to the apartment without telling me—”
“Oh, Jesus.”
“—And I kind of have a thing about small animals that aren’t cats or dogs.” I gave her a brief explanation of the anti-hedgehog chat. “Anyway, on Saturday, I find he’s moved my candles. I know it was deliberate because he’s desperate to get under my skin because I banned Mr. Prick.”
“Mr. Prickles.”
“Oh, I know. I did that deliberately.”
She laughed. “Go on.”
“So before he got home on Saturday, I switched the sugar out for salt.”
Angelica’s grin was evil. Pure evil and riddled with satisfaction. “He takes three sugars in his coffee.”
