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Cameron, Carter, Luna, Cole, Kayla, and Kyle are all standing in the small space that’s not designed for more than me. Ah, so it’s one of those visits. “Uh, hey guys, what’s up?”
I’m scanning faces, but none of them give me a clue. This is a first, though. About the only thing that gets all of us in one room is Mom requiring it, or maybe Gracie’s annual graduation at school.
Nope, I remember, Cole skipped that last year. Said he was ‘busy’.
“What’s up?” Cameron snarls. “Are you serious?”
Ever the peacemaker, Kayla steps forward. “Nope, not yet. Hold that piss and vinegar in for a minute longer. Where else can we talk so that all of you aren’t in danger of running ramrod over Luna and me?”
She spins, leading everyone out of my office like she knows where to go. Following her, I call ahead, “Last door on the right. It’s our biggest meeting room.”
Inside the room, Kayla closes the door behind us, directing everyone to grab a chair and have a seat. Despite this being my club, apparently, she’s in charge.
Once we’re seated in a circle, Cole notes in a wry tone, “This feels like an intervention.”
Pulling his big brother act, Cameron demands, “How would you know?”
Which makes Cole clam right back up, as per usual.
“Okay, we need to talk about last night,” Kayla starts.
“Doing Mom’s bidding again?” I deadpan. “Cut the crap, say what she wants you to say, and we can all get on with our days. I know we all have shit to do.” I point around the circle, still awed that they’re all here on the fly like this. “Cameron probably has some big shot deal to close, Carter has a stock market to obsess over, Cole has whatever the fuck he has, and Kyle probably has someone tied to his bed naked at home, waiting on him.”
It's not exactly what I think of my siblings. Or at least notallI think of them. But it’s not too far off.
Kyle smirks. Is he telling me I’m right or telling me I’m wrong? Who knows.
Kayla points a sharp nail at me. “This isn’t Mom. It’s me, and I’m not gonna have my family implode because you can’t keep it in your pants. You’re the one I don’t worry about usually, but here we are.”
A grumble works its way through my brothers, the general consensus being ‘you don’t need to worry about me’, but Kayla’s not having it.
“I feel like this is my fault. I was so surprised to see Samantha at your place that I was curious. I could see the way you were looking at her, feel the sparks between you, and I guess I thought if I invited her, it would push you. I had no idea you were even seeing Samantha, or anyone else, for that matter, before then, but you were obviously much more than casual. Nobody likes to be hidden away like a dirty little secret, Chance, but that’s what you were doing to her.”
It sounds like my sister’s talking from experience, and I wonder what I don’t know about her too. Of all the siblings, we’re the closest, but she’s right. I didn’t tell her about Samantha, so it’d be logical that she has stuff she holds close to her chest and stays silent about.
I don’t like it. She’s my baby sister, and if anyone’s treating her poorly, I want to know about it. Between us five brothers, we could take him down—financially, mentally, and physically.
Kayla’s staring at me, waiting for a response.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you, but Samantha and I aren’t some bigthing. We’re casual, just hooking up.” Even as I say the lie, I cringe, knowing that hasn’t been the truth for a long time.
Kyle laughs first, but then everyone’s laughing—at me.
Carter speaks up, though. “If you believe that, I’ve got some shit to sell you, brother. I’m an admitted and well-documented dumbass, and even I can see that you love her.”
I look around the room, not at my siblings, but like Samantha might jump out and yell ‘gotcha!’ from a corner or from behind a stack of chairs.
“Shh! Keep it down,” I tell him, a finger to my lips. At their confused looks, I explain, “I know I’m in love with her, but she...” I get up, pacing around the room and pulling at the strands of my hair, not caring about how it looks later.
And then I see Luna. Samantha’s best friend.
She’s so quiet, I think I forgot that she was here. Looming over her, I order, “You can’t tell her. She’ll panic and run.” When Carter glares at me for speaking to his wife that way, I say it again, slightly softer, “Please, don’t tell her.”
I’ll beg her to stay silent if I have to, but Samantha can’t know she has my heart. If she thinks for one second that this is more than serial, repeat hook-ups, she’ll be gone in a flash.
“What’s going on?” Cameron asks. “Is she anti-love or something? After last night, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Normally, I’d be all over him, but as it is, I fall back to my chair.
