Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 102549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
“I guarantee if you stood up in front of this entire table full of queer men and said, ‘I have a three-way to get to,’ not one of them would stop you.”
“You know it’s more than that. Peyton, for one.”
“Peyton what now?” my brother cuts in.
“Is a douchenozzle,” I say.
“Ah, brotherly love,” Uncle Ollie says wistfully. “I should call my real brothers.”
Dad overhears that and gasps. “Blood doesn’t equal real family.”
Uncle Ollie waves him off. “You know what I mean. Peyton and Brady arguing reminded me of my overbearing family, who I haven’t made the effort to go see lately.”
“What are they arguing about?” Dad asks.
I throw my head back. “Why is our entire family so fucking nosey?”
“Brady had a hookup back at the house,” Peyton says. “I saw him sneaking out the window.”
Levi and I lock gazes. The only thing I’m gripping onto is the fact Pey said him. Not them.
Peyton smacks Levi playfully, but it makes a thwack sound. “You knew, didn’t you?”
Levi puts up his hands. “I’m Switzerland.”
“Who is he?” Uncle Maddox bounces in his seat.
“He’s no one. Which is why I told him to take the window because no one wants to be introduced to this family until it’s serious. Which this is not.” No matter how much I want it to be.
Levi cuts in. “But I happen to know it’s someone we went to college with, and he’s only here for this weekend. We can’t keep Brady from having fun.”
I scowl at him. “What have you done? They’re going to tell me to go to him only so they can follow and catch a glimpse and then embarrass me mercilessly.”
Dad puts his hand on his heart. “Our baby knows us so well.”
Under the table, someone kicks me, and when I look in front of me, Peyton winks. I don’t know what he’s planning until he grabs his right arm.
“Ouch, fuck.” He spreads his fingers out and then makes a fist a couple of times.
Everyone goes into “Oh, shit, super-talented NFL player is injured” mode, and I seize my chance.
I could kiss my brother for redirecting the attention to him and giving me an opportunity to get away.
I’m out the door to the restaurant and ordering an Uber before they even realize I’m gone. Hopefully. I make my pickup spot around the corner, just in case.
There’s a message waiting for me on my phone:
Kit: If you can get away, we got a room at the Plaza.
Me: OMW. So which one of you won the lottery to afford that place?
Prescott: Kit is Mr. Money Bags now.
Kit: Ignore Pres. He’s drunk.
Prescott: Am not!
Me: Are you guys literally texting right next to each other?
Prescott: Yep.
Kit: Yup.
They never fail to make me smile. I reply: I’ll see you guys soon. Come meet me in the lobby.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
prescott
“You coming down to meet Brady?” Kit asks.
I want to, but the way Brady kicked us out of his place earlier has me doubting what I’m even doing here. Which is driving me crazy because I know what this is, and I know what we agreed to have.
Before arriving in New York, I would’ve said if his family were in town, we would make ourselves scarce. In the moment? I wanted nothing more than for him to take us downstairs and introduce us.
He did it to protect me and my job, as well as his own, yet the whole thing doesn’t sit right with me.
“Are you all right to go? I have to check in with the parentals. Haven’t called them since I got back.”
“Give them my love.”
“No way. Then they’ll ask a million questions about you instead of me, and I already have to fight my millions of siblings for their attention.”
Kit grins, his all-American charm shining. “You know I’m their favorite child.”
He’s right about that. My parents love him more than me or any of my siblings, but it’s because they know Kit didn’t have the same upbringing that they provided us. When they came to visit me after Kit and I moved into our apartment in Coronado, they asked if Kit’s parents had come to see the new place yet because they didn’t want to come second in the parent awards. When Kit scoffed and said they could never come second to people who claimed to love him but then cut him out because of his “life choices,” my momma bear adopted him immediately.
I don’t have secrets from my parents, and they know Kit’s and my history. Once upon a time, they tried to convince me I belonged with him. And maybe, for a while, I began to believe it, but I was too busy being young, wild, carefree, and interested in protecting my career.
Plus, I was convinced that relationships never work despite my parents proving otherwise. But they’re the exception, not the rule.