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“Yeah, those are both gone.”
“What the fuck, Sam? I left that stuff here so that I’d have something to snack on during my Sunday shifts.”
Perhaps I should feel a little bad, but I don’t. Perhaps I’m still punishing Marty for making me go to Nate’s wedding. I don’t feel bad about that either. “My house, my snacks.”
“Seriously? You had to eat all sixteen cookies? You couldn’t leave me one?”
“Look, man, we’re trying to make sure Mom eats clean, are we not? I’m just doing my part to eliminate temptation for her.”
He grunts angrily into the phone. “Fine. You mess with my stuff; I’m messing with yours.” I hear the creak of the floorboards as he marches up the steps and down the hall toward my room. Then a stream of quiet expletives falls out of his mouth when he’s unable to open the door.
“Ha, nice try, bitch,” I say, tauntingly. “You think I’m dumb enough to leave my room unlocked when you’re there?”
“This isn’t over,” he warns. I hear him try turning the handle again, the hinges on the door squeaking as he tries slamming his shoulder into it, and eventually, he sighs in defeat. “Can you at least bring me home some candy?”
I concede, but only a little. “If Vanessa and I happen to stop at a store that sells candy, I will get you some.”
“You can’t just make an extra stop to get me something?”
He is such a giant baby. “Who am I, your wife? No,” I tell him with a laugh. “Take your snacks home with you at the end of the day if you don’t want me eating them.”
Marty swears under his breath as he hangs up.
Vanessa looks entertained despite having only heard my side of the conversation.
I shrug. “Brothers.”
“Hey, wanna come back to my place and help set up the nursery?” Vanessa asks. “Axil just finished building the crib, and we’ve had some other furniture delivered.”
“Sure,” I tell her. “Mind dropping me off at my place after?”
“Not at all.”
When we arrive at Vanessa’s, Zev and Kyan are putting together a tall white dresser and squabbling over the instructions while Mylo and Axil are unwrapping the crib mattress.
“Wow, is this the crib?” I ask as we enter the room. Axil made the baby bed by hand, and it’s as much of a masterpiece as the rest of the furniture he’s made. The wood is a rich brown color––I’m not sure what kind of wood it is––but tiny birds and squirrels are carved into the bars in the front, flowers and happy-faced suns run along the bar across the top, and the entire back panel features a cute woodland scene with owls, bears, and a fox peacefully existing alongside one another. “It’s gorgeous, Axil.”
“Many thanks, Sam,” he says in his usual deadpan growl.
My eyes drift to the dresser, which now looks extremely boring and shoddy in comparison. “I’m surprised you didn’t make all the nursery furniture by hand.”
“If it were up to Axil, he would have,” Vanessa says with a loving eye roll.
He grunts. “I was not given enough time before you started ordering things.” Axil looks over at the dresser with disgust. “This is temporary. We shall use it until I can put together a better one.”
“How was shopping?” Zev asks, seemingly eager for an excuse to stop assembling the cheap furniture.
Vanessa whistles. “You guys should see this dress Sam bought for the wedding she’s going to. It’s a heart-stopper.”
“Is that so?” Mylo asks, his mouth curving into a wicked grin. “I’d love to see this dress.”
What the hell is he doing, teasing me in front of everyone? Or, on second thought, Mylo is a natural flirt. Maybe it’d be more suspect if he didn’t.
All right then. Two can play this game. “I doubt you could handle it.”
He sits up straighter, an arrogant glint in his eye. “Really.” More statement than question. “I assure you, Samantha, I’m quite capable of handling anything.”
“Even a backless dress…” I say, tucking my chin against my shoulder and turning to the side, my lips forming a perfect pout. “Made of silk as soft as butter. A dress that’s impossible to wear a bra with and has a slit that comes up to…” I run a finger from my knee slowly up my thigh, “here?”
