Four Letter Word
Page 61

This was so embarrassing!
“Did you know they were coming over?”
Brian stood to zip his shorts.
“I forgot,” he replied quietly, looking me over while pressing a hand to the front of his shorts. “Fuck, I was so close.”
“Get over it,” I snapped softly, struggling to get one arm through my shirt. “And hold them off from coming in here. I still have a boob out.”
Brian smirked, which I totally could’ve slapped him for but he looked really cute doing it so I let it go. He moved around the couch to hold off our company but halted only a couple of feet away when quick footsteps padded into the room.
“Uncle Brian!” the little girl shrieked. “Guess what? I chopped down Ollie’s tree!”
“Livvy! Why did you do that?” the boy asked, sounding angry. “I just put that up.”
“Because it was the only other tree I could find,” she replied meekly. “I’m sorry, Ollie. Don’t be mad. You can chop down my tree.”
“Would you both stop talking about Minecraft for five seconds and go give your uncle a hug?” a woman suggested.
Teeth clenching, I finally got my arm through the second hole and pulled my shirt down, double checking I was covered then sitting up slowly and stretching my hands above my head while forcing a yawn.
“Oh, wow. That was the best nap ever,” I lied, then rubbed my eyes and blinked fake sleepily between the two kids who were peering around Brian’s arms wrapped around them and the young woman standing a few feet away who I assumed was their mother.
She had Brian’s high cheekbones and full lips, which she was turning up into a knowing smile as she looked at me.
I didn’t think she was buying my nap story.
“Uncle Brian, who is that?” the boy asked.
The girl blinked with round eyes the color of melted chocolate.
Brian released them, stepped back, and turned his body halfway, giving them full view of me as I stood from the couch.
Both with blue-rimmed glasses and dark hair that looked playground messy, they were the same height and looked to be the same age.
Were they twins?
“This is Syd,” Brian said.
The girl took a step closer and tilted her head.
“Are you Uncle Brian’s girlfriend?” she asked, giving me a onceover and, when she was done, smiling big. “I know you are. He said you were super pretty and you are so super pretty. Your hair looks like Ariel.”
My cheeks warmed.
“Thank you,” I replied, moving around the couch and stopping in front of her. “I’m Sydney. I go by Syd, too. Is your name Livvy?”
She shrugged.
“That’s what Ollie calls me. It’s Olivia. You can call me Livvy or Olivia. Uncle Brian calls me Liv sometimes. He also said he loved you.”
My eyes widened. I turned them to Brian and watched him pinch his shut and drop his head, shaking it.
“Olivia,” the woman hissed behind her. “He didn’t say that, I said it.” She lifted her eyes to me and softened them, adding, “Not that it isn’t true. If my brother told you already, then I’m sure he means it.”
Brian groaned, clearly uncomfortable.
“Why did I give you a key?” he asked, turning his head to her.
The woman smiled, telling him, “Because I used to live here, remember?”
“Duh, Uncle Brian,” the boy, Oliver, added, looking up with tight brows.
Olivia spun around, her pretty dress fanning out as she giggled.
“Yeah, duh,” she echoed.
Brian’s sister turned back to me, keeping that smile but notching it up in brightness as she stepped forward and offered me her hand.
“I’m Jenna, by the way. It’s so good to meet you, Sydney.”
She knew about me, I was sure of that, but I didn’t know the extent and I really wanted to know what all had been said about me.
Especially the whole love business.
“It’s good to meet you, too,” I replied, dropping her hand and looking down at her shoes. “Cute booties.”
Really cute.
They were camel-colored leather with a chunky wooden heel that had to be four inches.
I wondered what size she wore.
“Thanks. I have a date tonight and he’s six-five. Needed some height.” Jenna turned her head and looked at Brian. “Did you forget?”
Brian shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Nope.”
“You forgot.” Jenna sighed. “It’s fine. I can reschedule.”
“No way!” Olivia cried, stomping her foot.
“Oh, man. This sucks.” Oliver crossed his arms over his chest and huffed out a breath. “I don’t wanna go back home. It’s boring there. I wanted to walk on the beach.”
“Oliver, don’t say sucks. That’s not nice,” Jenna scolded.
“Well, it does,” he whispered, ducking his head.
“I don’t care. You’re not allowed to say that word.”
“Fine. This is stupid.”
“You aren’t allowed to say that either,” she snapped, sounding on the verge of losing her temper. “Do I need to take away your iPad privileges?”
Oliver looked up at her, quickly shook his head, and muttered, “No, ma’am.”
I decided to cut in before the poor thing said something out of panic and got his iPad privileges taken away. I felt bad.
“You don’t have to reschedule. We didn’t have plans tonight. We’d be happy to watch them,” I told Jenna, seeing her smile then looking over at Brian to confirm and watching his brows lift in surprise. “Right?”
He stared at me, face stuck in that expression.
“Right?” I probed.
“We didn’t have plans?” Brian asked incredulously. “’Cause I thought we were sorta in the middle of somethin’—”
“That can be pushed back until later,” I cut in, bringing my hands to my hips. “Obviously.”
He cocked his head.
“Not sure it can, babe.”
“It totally can.”
“You understand what I’m dealing with right now?”
“Um, should we step out?” Jenna asked hesitantly.
“No. Please stay here,” I replied, eyes narrowed as they sliced back to Brian.
Brian narrowed his back.
This was so not the time or place to have this discussion, and seriously, how painful were blue balls anyway? I was certain men played that shit up.
“Really?” he asked.
I nodded hard. “Really.”
Brian looked to the ceiling and breathed in deep.
“Well, it was a good run. Sweet while it lasted.”
He was talking about our relationship.
“Very funny,” I quipped, catching the smile he was fighting before looking between the kids. “You two wanna hang out here for a while?”
“Yes!” Oliver punched his fist into the air and jumped off the floor. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
Olivia shook her hips with a little dance, then cutely high-fived her brother.
“Are you sure?” Jenna asked, concern in her voice. “I don’t wanna put you two out.”
“You won’t be. Go enjoy yourself. We got this.”