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Aiden glances at me quickly before looking back at the road. “I wasn’t complaining about Sabrina. Just the suits,” he pouts.
“Yeah, well, the suits are there to keep her safe. I’m sure she doesn’t love it either, but it’s not like you didn’t know this was a possibility when you started dating.” They’ve been together for three years, and Sabrina’s dad started his campaign for the presidency about six months after they got together.
“Dude, retract the claws, kiddo.” Aiden will never see me as something more than the little kid who used to follow him and his friends around.
I lift my hands in the air and wiggle my fingers. “No claws. Just reminding you to be grateful for what you’ve got.”
He turns into Mom’s neighborhood. “I don’t know if I like you being the wise one. That’s my job.”
I cover my mouth to hide my chuckle. “Your job was to scare away the monsters when I was little, and you did it well. Maybe now you can just try seeing me as a friend.” I watch the emotions flit over his face as my words sink in, but I can’t quite make out what he’s thinking as he turns into Mom and Coach’s driveway.
“You know how Cooper always tortures Brady about dating his sister?” he finally says.
I force my face to stay neutral at the mention of Cooper, hard as it may be. “Yeah... what’s your point?”
Aiden turns the car off and twists to look at me. “There’s something about protecting your sister that’s ingrained in us at birth. And it’s worse for me because you’re my baby sister, not my twin.”
“I’m not a baby, Aiden. I’m three years younger than you, and you and Sabrina were already living together by the time you were my age. And I’m not sure how we even started talking about this.” I grip the bag of food tightly, ready to make a quick escape, but he stops me with a hand on my arm.
“I know you’re not a kid anymore, Carys.” He swallows. “Fuck, you’ve been on your own for a year. I get it. But old habits die hard, and it’s weird as hell for me to hear you be the voice of reason.” Aiden cringes. “Just promise you’ll never talk to me about sex, and I’ll promise to try to treat you like an adult instead of a kid. Okay?”
He offers me his hand, and I stare at it like a snake I’m expecting to attack.
Is he for real?
I didn’t have to fight for this.
I wasn’t even the one to bring it up. He did that all on his own.
Instead of shaking his hands, I lean over the center console and circle my arms around his beefy neck. “I love you, Aiden James.”
“Love you too, Carys Catrina.”
* * *
When I walk into the beautiful brick house, the high-pitched squeal of my little brother matches the cadence of his chubby feet pounding against the hardwood floors. His body takes him faster than he can stop, and he flings himself across the room at me.
“Care Bear, you’re home.”
I drop my bags and squat down to catch him. “Callen, be careful.” I pick him up, and he wraps his arms and legs around me like a koala bear. I press my lips to his floppy black hair that still has that sweet baby smell and inhale deeply. “I missed you so much, Cal.”
Mom follows Callen into the room and throws her arms around us both, kissing my cheek. “Oh honey, I’ve missed you.”
“Me too, Mom.” There’s something about being hugged by your mom... it just makes everything better. I close my eyes for a minute and soak her in until Callen starts to wiggle in my arms. I look up and find Coach watching us from across the room with a warm smile. “Hey, Coach.”
“Good to have you home, kiddo.” He joins our little group hug and tries to tug Callen free. “Come on, Cal. It’s time for bed.”
Chubby legs hold me tighter as he begs, “No, Daddy. I want Carys to read me a story.”
I run my hands over his silky, soft hair. “One story, then bed. Okay, big guy?”
“Ferdinand,” he squeals.
“That’s my favorite too,” Aiden adds. It actuallyishis favorite, always has been.
“Come with us, Murphy.” Callen has obviously been spending too much time around the guys, if he’s calling Aiden by our last name now, like they do.
Mom’s hands sit on her hips as she tries to force a stern face to hide her smile. “Callen Joseph, what have I told you?”
