“This isn’t about work. I need to talk to you.”
“Is it about the psycho who made you a pair of boxers from tweed fabric?”
“It was burlap, and no. This is about Lia.”
“Lia?” he asks, perking up now, a smile crossing over his face. He takes in my fidgety stance, the bags under my eyes, and then . . . “Oh shit, you finally realized you love her.”
My face falls flat.
“I’m going to fucking kick you in the dick with that shit,” I say as I rear back my leg, and JP quickly jolts out of the way. “It has nothing to do with my platonic feelings toward her. Got it?”
“Sure.” He just smiles again and pushes the door open. “I hope there’s a cronut in there. I’ve been craving one.”
“There is,” I say. “But you’re not going to get it if you’re a dick to me.”
“Dude, you’re the one at my house. I can treat you however I fucking want.”
At the top of the stairs, Kelsey calls down while dressed in a robe, her hair rumpled as well. “Who is it?”
“Breaker,” JP says. “He needs to talk about Lia.”
I glance up just in time to see a smile cross over Kelsey’s face. Before she can say anything, I cut her off. “No, I don’t have fucking feelings for her. This is different.”
Her smile falters. “Oh, okay. Let me put my hair up, and I’ll be right down. Want me to call Lottie over so you have another girl’s opinion?”
I’m about to say no when I give it a second thought. Having another girl’s opinion might not hurt, and since Lottie and Huxley live right across the street from JP and Kelsey, it works out.
“Sure, tell her I brought donuts.”
“She’ll be over here in minutes, I’m sure.”
Kelsey takes off toward the room while JP and I go to the kitchen, where JP starts making a pot of coffee.
“You know, it doesn’t shock me that you came to my house rather than Huxley’s.”
“After walking in on Huxley and Lottie fucking against a wall, I learned my lesson. Can’t get the vision of his clenched ass out of my head.”
“Kelsey and I fuck against walls.”
“I’m well aware. The only difference is if I walk in on you and Kelsey, you’ll just laugh about it. Huxley gives me the silent treatment for a week and then a lecture about privacy between a husband and wife.”
“He still is rather uptight, isn’t he?” JP asks. “You would think after marrying Lottie, he might loosen up a touch, but he really can’t seem to let the stick out.”
“At this point, the stick is a permanent resident.”
JP chuckles while he turns on his coffee maker and starts making a large pot for everyone. He also sets out all the essentials of the espresso maker in case people decide on that as well.
“Want me to grab plates?” I ask.
“Yeah, it would be nice if you made yourself useful.”
“Just a simple yes would suffice,” I reply just as Kelsey walks into the kitchen. She’s changed into a pair of shorts and one of JP’s shirts. There’s no doubt she probably wasn’t wearing anything under that robe.
“Lottie will be over in a second. I said donuts, and she ran. Not sure about Huxley, I heard him groan in displeasure when Lottie hopped out of bed.” Not surprising, Huxley is very possessive over Lottie. Then again, JP is also very possessive over Kelsey.
Me . . . well, I haven’t had anyone I care enough about in my life to be possessive over. Watching my brothers find girls and marry them, you would think that it would make me jealous, make me want to go off and find someone for myself, but I’m content. I don’t want to press to find love just because everyone else is. The way I see it, when that one special person comes into my life, I’ll know it, and I’ll never want to let her go.
The front door flies open and through the large entryway, Lottie’s voice echoes, “Donuts, get in my mouth!”
I look over my shoulder just in time to see Lottie charge in wearing a tank top and bike shorts. Her hair is a mess as well. Trailing behind her is a not so happy looking Huxley.
“Why the hell are we gathering so early this morning?” Huxley asks as he walks up to me and rests his hand on the island. “Is this about the job? I’m not getting into it with you. You can’t be around while the team conducts a thorough investigation.”
“It’s not about the job,” I say.
“It’s about Lia,” JP coos like a goddamn schoolgirl. I quickly direct a scowl in his direction, causing him to hold up his hands. “I didn’t say anything about you liking her.”
“No cooing either.”
“Christ, sensitive much?”
“What’s going on with Lia?” Lottie asks, her mouth full of a jelly donut.
“Well, since you’re all here, might as well tell you that Lia is engaged.”
“Aw, really?” Kelsey asks, clapping.
“Engaged? Wow, that’s great,” Lottie says.
“To Brian?” JP asks.
“The douche?” Huxley adds.
“Wait, why is he a douche?” Kelsey asks. “Do we not like him?”
“The boys don’t like anyone,” Lottie says, taking another bite.
“No, we don’t like him,” JP says and then turns to me. “How do you feel about it?”
“Not great,” I answer while taking a seat at the island and placing my head in my hands. JP sets a cup of coffee in front of me, but I don’t even bother touching it. “He doesn’t deserve her. He’s not good enough. And you should have seen the ring he got her. It doesn’t have one ounce of Lia in it. It’s as if he went to the most expensive and gaudy ring shop, said ‘give me the most expensive ring you have’, and then bought it. And worst of all, The Beave wants the wedding in five weeks.”
“Five weeks?” JP asks. “Jesus, that’s quick, although our wedding was quick too.” He smirks at Kelsey. “But that was to accommodate Kazoo’s schedule.”
“Yes, planning a wedding around a pigeon has always been a dream of mine.”
JP pulls Kelsey into his chest and kisses her neck. “You loved everything about our wedding.”
“I did.”
Pulling the attention back to me, I say, “And last night, when she told me, she cried.”
“Happy tears?” Lottie asks.
I shake my head. “No, sad tears, nervous tears, unhappy tears. There wasn’t excitement in her voice, and she kept asking me if I was mad. Why the hell would I be mad?”
JP and Huxley exchange looks while the girls look away.
“What?” I ask, seeing that some sort of secret conversation is happening between all of them that I don’t know about.
JP is the one to talk first. “Dude, don’t you think that a little part of Lia thinks maybe, just maybe, you would have made a move on her at one point?”
“What?” I shake my head. “No. We’ve never thought of each other that way. This has nothing to do with our relationship.”
“Does she know you don’t like Brian?” Lottie asks.
“I’ve never said I don’t like him, but she’s aware we don’t get along.”
“Maybe that’s why she’s asking if you’re mad,” Kelsey says. “You two are so close that maybe she’s looking for your approval.”