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He ignored me and pulled the door open. Lawson stood there dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with a picture of a keyboard and the words “Push my buttons” below it. Despite the grimace on his face, he looked good.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my stomach fluttering. I wasn’t sure of the reason for my sudden queasiness, but it was either because Lawson looked just as good as he had a few days ago or because there was obviously something going on.
“Here to move you,” Lawson stated plainly, his head swinging back and forth between his brother and me.
The fluttering in my stomach became an ugly churning as Lawson’s eyes traveled the length of my body. “Take it you aren’t packed?” he murmured, his eyes still appraising me.
When I finally found my voice again, I ignored him and pinned Hampton with a glare. “Kitchen. Now!” I snapped.
“Want a beer, man?” Hampton asked his brother as he sauntered in. His nonchalance only pissed me off further, but I managed to bite my tongue as he pulled the fridge open and handed Lawson a beer. He pulled another one out and tipped it my way in question.
I continued to glare at him as he shrugged and twisted the cap off before taking a long pull on the bottle.
Lawson opened his own beer and then settled himself into the chair I’d just been studying in.
“Excuse me,” I ground out through gritted teeth. “Mind giving us a little…privacy?”
Lawson flashed his pearly whites as he shook his head. “Not a chance I’m missing this.”
I rolled my eyes at him and whirled back toward where Hampton was leaning against the counter, as though we were just having a friendly get-together.
“What the hell is going on?” My voice was shrill and I was sure that coupled with the ratty pajamas I was wearing I looked like a lunatic.
Hampton took another swallow of his beer, then dropped the bomb he’d been holding onto for a few days. “Smith’s moving in tomorrow.” He tipped his bottle toward where his brother sat in front of my laptop. “Lawson’s been nice enough to agree to let you move into his new house. He’s got plenty of room. I was there a couple days ago, it’s really nice.”
“Are you kidding me?” I sputtered. I glared at him, hoping that all my medical training was wrong, and that looks really could kill. Because in this moment, there was nothing that would make me happier than to shoot daggers from my eyes, directly into Hampton’s chest. The exact spot where his heart used to be, until Smith stole it.
Much to my disappointment, Hampton was completely unfazed and continued to stand there, without even having the decency to look guilty. “We talked about this, remember?”
I shook my head. “No, we didn’t. You announced at dinner that you’d eloped and that I had to move out.”
He nodded. “Right. And remember, I said Lawson’s house was near the hospital and it was perfect?”
My voice was shrill as I shouted. “That’s not talking about it! Jesus, Hampton. I don’t want to move in with Lawson!”
I whipped my head to where Lawson was sitting, feet propped on my kitchen table. “No offense, Law.”
He tipped his beer bottle in my direction, not even bothering to conceal the humor on his face. “None taken.”
“Piper, you can’t live here with Smith and me,” Hampton pleaded. “We’re newlyweds. We can’t have a roommate while we’re…getting to know each other.”
I pushed a hand into my hair. “You should have gotten to know him before you married him!”
He lifted a shoulder in a shrug, the sly smile on his face just making my blood boil more. “Sometimes you just know.”
“Yeah,” Lawson mumbled. “You can’t help who you fall in love with.”
“What does that mean?” I snapped.
He waved a hand in my direction. “Nothing.”
“Can you just stay out of this?” I huffed.
Lawson tipped his chin and smirked. “You’re moving into my house, but you want me to stay out of it?”
He had a point, damn him.
Turning back to Hampton, I reined my temper in and through clenched teeth told him, “I cannot believe that after eight years of living together, you’re kicking me out with no notice!” My heart raced as the reality of what I’d just said sank in. I swallowed hard, squeezing my eyes shut. I needed to get a grip. But no matter how many times I practiced deep breathing, I was still crushed that Hampton was abandoning me. “But if you don’t want me here, then fine. I’ll go.”
