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Chapter twenty-two
Adrian Carter
“She’snotgoingtoup and disappear if you take your eyes off her,” Levi says, coming to stand beside me in the backyard.
We ate lunch not long ago and this is usually the time I’d be planning my escape, but instead I’m watching Juliette pose with Murphy while Maddie takes photos of them. For the first hour or so I kept Juliette nearby. I could tell she was uncomfortable and overwhelmed. But now she’s warmed up to everyone and I don’t have a good reason to keep her close. So I’m watching her from a distance as she lights up the backyard with her blinding smile.
I ignore Levi, my eyes glued to Juliette and Maddie as they laugh at Murphy rolling on his back. Their happiness makes warmth flood my chest.
“Are you going to lock her down or what?” Levi asks, pushing his way through my bubble of peace once more.
“Did you really just use the phraselock her down?”
I look over at him and he cringes.
“I did. Not the best word choice, but you know what I mean. It’s clear you have feelings for her.”
“She’s my friend, my feelings coincide with that label.” As long as I ignore the number of times a day I think about kissing her.
“I know I can’t force you to make a move. No one has ever gotten you to do something you don’t want to do, except maybe Maddie.”And Juliette.Both of whom are looking over at us and then back at each other with conspiratorial smiles. I’d do just about anything for either of them. It hasn’t been easy realizing that Juliette has become important to me. I can’t lose her, but I can’t have her as mine either.
“But?” I ask, knowing there’s one coming.
“ButI want to pull the older brother card and tell you not to let her get away. Even if she’s shy, a woman like Juliette isn’t going to stay single forever. You don’t want to be staring at your ceiling five years from now wishing you would have told her how you felt.” There’s a certain intensity to his words that make this feel like more than casual brotherly advice.
“Are you speaking from experience?”
He shrugs in my peripheral. Juliette and Maddie begin walking toward us hand in hand. “I might have let someone walk away, yeah. And now I’ll never know what would have happened if I would have held on instead of letting go.”
I can’t pry any longer since Juliette is in earshot, but his words have my curiosity piqued. Levi is fairly organized and straight-laced. He’s always had a specific plan for his life and even though he likes to have a good time, he’s not one for impulsive acts or romantic whims. The most impulsive thing he’s ever done is get a tattoo a few years back without telling anyone. So for him to be waxing poetic about a lost love means that this woman really affected him, especially since he keeps that side of his life private.
“Uncle Adriannnn.” Maddie drags out the last syllable of my name while batting her eyelashes. At twelve years old, she’s already a mastermind at getting what she wants. From all of her uncles, at least. MJ and Sebastian have an easier time telling her no.
“What do you want?” I ask and she giggles along with Juliette.
“Juliette said you’d ask that.” A grin threatens to break my stern façade when I see Juliette smirking at me.
“Well?” I prod and Juliette gives Maddie an encouraging nod.
The way that they’re already best friends speaks to each of their sugar-sweet characters. It baffles me that Juliette wonders if people like her. She brightens every room she walks into.
“Can I take some photos of you and Murphy? Juliette said he likes you.”
I hate the idea of having my photo taken, but it’s hard to say no to the two sets of puppy dog eyes being presented to me. They don’t even need Murphy to aid them, they’ve got it down pat.
“Five minutes,” I say and Maddie cheers, hugging Juliette.
“Come on, I’ll tell you how to pose. You have to listen to me though, or else the minutes don’t count.”
“Yes ma’am,” I say with a smile and Juliette laughs.
For the next few minutes, I listen to Maddie’s instructions.Put your arm around him, tilt your chin up, and now smile, no likeactuallysmile, Uncle Adrian.I’m about to tell her that her time is up when she grabs Juliette’s hand.
“Now you pose together with Murphy! It will be so cute.”
Juliette’s eyes are wide as Maddie drags her over. Murphy sits dutifully beside me, content with the treats Maddie has been bribing him with behind the camera.
“You sit on the other side of Murphy and hug him. It’ll be so adorable,” Maddie squeals then bounds off to set up her shot.
