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“I’ve been trying to behave all day but being next to you and trying not to touch you is fucking killing me,” he whispers in my ear. “Your brother is going to have to get used to this because I’m not going anywhere.” Spinning me around, he lifts me so that I’m sitting on the counter.
My head is at his height, and I lean in for the kiss I’ve been dying for all afternoon. Wrapping my hands around the back of his neck, I drag him closer. “A girl could get used to this, QB.”
“Yeah, well, her brother can’t.” Cooper walks into the kitchen and grabs another bag of chips. “Get your tongue off my sister, dude. Keep that shit to yourselves.”
Brady’s hands go back to my hips as he helps me off the counter. We are both laughing soundlessly as screams of “Touchdown” are heard coming from the family room.
Rejoining the party, Brady sits back down, pulls me onto his lap, and we enjoy the rest of the game.
After the Kings pull off a surprising victory, winning the game by two points, the guys take Tommy into the back yard to throw a football around, leaving Chloe, Annabelle, and I to finish cleaning up and start grilling me.
Chloe winds a kitchen towel up before snapping it against my ass to get my attention. “So, Nat, what exactly are your intentions toward my brother?”
I throw the washcloth in my hand at her head. “Oh, come on. You were the one who told me to go for it.”
“I don’t know, Nat, it’s looking pretty serious pretty quickly. Especially after what I walked in on last night.”
Annabelle has walked into the room, carrying dirty paper plates. She dumps them in the trash can, then leans on the counter. “Ohh. What did you walk in on? Throw a girl a bone. I haven’t been out on a single date since I moved home, and your man is hot. A little young, but hot.” She quickly covers her mouth with a stricken look on her face. “Oh, God. Please tell me he is eighteen…”
“He’s eighteen. No need to get grossed out. What these two did last night was legal. Possibly in the category of exhibitionists but legal.”
“Shut it, Chloe.” I hip check her as I close the fridge door. “She may have walked in on us having some fun.”
“Uhm, yeah, it looked like you’d already had fun once and were about to have more fun. His head was under your dress, and I’m pretty sure you had underwear in your hands. Did I mention that this was all outside?”
“That’s not the only place his head was,” I singsong at my best friend, and enjoy grossing her out way more than I should.
She fake gags as she walks away.
I notice that Annabelle has turned away from us and is quietly staring out into the back yard. Then I see a tear fall down her cheek.
Moving to stand next to her, I ask, “Hey, are you okay?”
Wiping at her face, she clears her throat. “Yeah. I just haven’t seen Tommy smile like that in a long time. You’ve got a great group of friends out there. Look at how good they are with him. A kid they barely know. I just… I appreciate this, Natalie.”
“You know what, Annabelle… so do I.”
Chloe comes back into the room with a now cold piece of pizza, and we watch these guys of ours. Not officially men, but so much more than boys. Everyone is smiling. Brady is tossing Tommy the ball, and Cooper is trying to block Murphy, who’s only acting like he’s going to rush Tommy. Everyone cheers when Tommy carries the ball into the makeshift endzone.
I wish I could bottle up today and keep it with me forever. Days this perfect never last.
38
Natalie
The next few weeks fly by, and I feel like I am cocooned in my happy little bubble. Other than the nasty looks and random comments Aria likes to throw my way, she and Darby have left us alone, and Brady and I have had the chance we wanted to just enjoy the newness of us.
We’ve all settled into a routine, and I now understand what I’ve been missing.
My own tribe.
I’ve been accepted and embraced in this new version of a family that was formed long before I came to Kroydon Hills, and it’s an incredible feeling. I rarely walk in from dance to an empty house, the guys are always there. Sometimes eating, sometimes studying, sometimes watching tape. I gained a boyfriend this year but also two more brothers.
Chloe and I are closer than ever, and I’ve gotten the chance to get to know Sabrina, too. Her schedule is harder to work around, but she pops in when she can during the week. Girls’ nights are now a common thing. Sometimes with two of us, sometimes with three.
We’re all gathered at our lockers before class Monday morning, discussing the week, when the warning bell rings. Everyone disperses, and Brady leans down and kisses me.
When he pulls back, I look up and see Aria in the corner of the hall looking more pissed off than usual. I hate knowing that my inner bitch enjoys seeing someone else annoyed, but I’m not hiding from her. I’m okay with her being miserable.
