Chapter 15
Chapter fifteen
Rory
“You’re to blame for this mess of people in my space,” Declan said, looking as delighted as ever. His arms were crossed in front of him, and he gave me a level stare, currently barring me entry.
“Come on, it’s not even more than a family brunch,” I said, mirroring his stance. “Besides. I need help.”
Declan heaved a sigh. “Fine, but I’m not offering advice.
I’ll make some tea and then I’m keeping my distance.
” With that, Declan turned and disappeared inside his house…
that I happened to have invited our siblings to.
Only a handful had answered my emergency text, but it was more than Dec liked to have over.
His preference was one. Maybe two if he was feeling gracious toward his boyfriend.
When I’d left Wyatt’s apartment, my head was full of bees.
I’d never been in the closet—or closed off in the bedroom—so having to hide made my gut churn.
And then Wyatt had turned me upside down with the whole mention of a “date.” Did he want to keep me in the dark or not?
Did he realize dates were public things? That eventually Harper would find out?
I’d wanted to blurt the truth to her every time I saw her, so if we continued this any longer, I’d need to tell her and soon. I wouldn’t survive otherwise.
I ran my fingers through my hair, regretting bringing my siblings into this, even though I needed advice. Because for the first time in…well, ever, I was contemplating going on a date with someone. Wondering over our future when I’d figured I’d never have one that involved a partner.
Declan’s house was already brimming with more noise than he preferred, but I wasn’t a total asshole—I’d kept it to just family and okayed it with Noah and Dec ahead of time, even if Declan had grumbled.
I couldn’t have everyone over to my house because August worked with Harper too, so my brother would just have to deal.
I turned the corner, and Ollie and Cor waited in the living room with Noah.
True to form, Declan had vanished into his kitchen to prepare tea, probably just for himself.
“Where are your significant others?” I asked, peering around as if I’d catch sight of Liam or Felix.
“Over at Felix’s brother’s,” Cor explained, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. “They’re doing a game night tonight.”
“But I sure as fuck wasn’t going to pass up on this,” Ollie said, cupping the back of his head, his arms bent as he rested on the couch.
Noah shook his head. “Dec’s going to kill you, Rory. You know he needs like a week’s notice before people descend here.”
“Psh, we’re not people,” I said, taking a seat on the ground and leaning against the coffee table.
“You know we have chairs, right?” Noah gestured to the recliner on the opposite side of the room.
“I’ll be shifting somewhere else in a second,” I commented.
“Classic ADHD kid,” Ollie teased.
I snorted. Not wrong. Whether I was on meds depended on where I was at in life, but honestly, I’d found my shit easier to manage ever since I’d left school and started working at the shop. Piercing allowed me the variety I needed, the constant change and movement that kept my brain calmer.
“Okay, but you gathered us here, so I need to know what’s going on.
” Ollie was golden-retriever eager, which I expected.
Cor had always been the chill one in the family, and Declan just removed himself from the equation in most instances.
However, Dec had already showed up on the opposite side of the room, leaning against the doorframe and sipping a cup of tea.
Ugh, why had I gathered my brothers here? Right, because all of them were in successful relationships, and here I was, on the precipice of considering one.
With someone I shouldn’t have touched in the first place.
Vomit.
“Before I start, don’t judge me,” I said.
“Too late,” Declan said from across the room.
“Do you really think anything you say is going to faze us?” Cor asked. “We’ve had to sit through far too many lurid details of your hookups.”
“You know if you tell us before Ais gets here, she’ll murder you,” Ollie mentioned.
“Yeah, but if I wait any longer, I’m going to walk right back out this door.”
“I’m not cleaning up any blood today,” Noah proclaimed. “Just saying.”
I tapped my head against the side of the coffee table, somehow sitting in a slouch next to it at this point, as if I was trying to meld with it.
My ass was slightly sore, but I savored that because the marks on my cheeks reminded me of every filthy thing Wyatt had done to me last night.
And getting fucked by a guy with a Prince Albert? Fuck yes. Already, I wanted a repeat.
“So I might actually want a relationship with a guy,” I blurted out.
Ollie gasped, and Noah’s brows shot up.
“I take it back about not being fazed,” Cor said, blinking at me. “I’m definitely fazed.”
“Rory Harriet Brannon,” Aislin’s voice sounded from the other room. “Did you start telling everyone what was going on without me?”
I rolled my eyes. “Not like I got far.”
“Rory wants a relationship,” Declan said, sipping his tea. “You’re updated.”
“Excuse me?” Aislin screeched as she burst into the room. Clearly I wasn’t the only theatrical kid in the family. “Don’t tell me you’re abandoning me? Mr. I Could Never Settle Down.”
“This is true,” Noah said. “You’ve said that about a thousand times.”
“Okay, but what’s the issue here?” Cor asked. “Because if you guys are already dating, we know you’re enough of a dramatic bitch to drop into the next family brunch with your boyfriend.”
“Rude,” I said. “Accurate, but rude.” I stared at the wood grain of the coffee table before flopping onto the carpeted floor and throwing my arms overhead. “Ugh, so he might be my coworker’s dad.”
“And by might, you mean definitely is,” Declan clarified.
Ollie let out a whistle. “When you pick ’em, you pick ’em.”
“How’d you even meet?” Aislin asked, lying down on the floor beside me. She flicked me in the side.
“I gave him a Prince Albert,” I said, a grin rising to my lips. No matter what happened between us, I’d never fucking forget that evening at the shop.
Cor and Noah groaned.
“Okay, so the coworker is the issue here?” Aislin assessed. She’d always been the smartest of the bunch. “Harper, right? How would she feel about this? I’m assuming her dad’s single.”
“Yeah, been divorced for a bit, so that’s not an issue.” I scrubbed my palms against my face. “But he’s newly bi? So who knows if the glitz is going to fade after a few hookups. I’m fun for a stint, but then they’ve got to deal with the rest of me.”
The last bit escaped without me meaning it to, and I let out a groan. Not in front of the vultures—i.e., my family.
Aislin jabbed me with her pointy elbow. “You don’t seriously think that, do you, Rory? That we’re dealing with you?”
“I’m a lot,” I said, the words ones that had followed me my entire life, from grade school and beyond. Maybe home was a safe space, but so many guys had told me to tone it down through the years.
“Bullshit,” Cor said, his voice coming out harsh.
“Ror, do we give you too much shit?” Ollie asked.
Goddammit, I’d invited the feelings parade. My eyes burned, and I scrubbed at my face. “Not you guys, okay?”
“It’s easy to feel different out there,” Declan said by the doorway, and my heart squeezed tight.
Out of all my brothers, he’d know the best. “But with the right person, you’ll just be…
you.” His gaze lingered on Noah, and my chest twisted.
I was so damn exultant he’d found his person, but I never thought I’d feel jealous about that too.
This feelings shit was getting way out of control.
“Okay, if we keep on this train, I’m going to have to bust out the story about the pussy I pierced yesterday,” I muttered. “And it’s a doozy of a story too.”
“Are you looking for advice here?” Cor asked.
I scrunched my nose. “I guess, yeah. I’ve never done the relationship thing before, and I’m out of my depth. Is this even worth chasing?”
“Coming from someone who didn’t piece together that I was bi until post-divorce, I’d say hell yeah, worth it,” Ollie responded.
I snorted. “Well, of course you’d say that. You and Liam were pretty much the ones who were married throughout most of your relationship with Josie.”
“Here’s the real question—do you feel like he’s worth chasing?” Aislin asked.
Ugh, why the fuck had I gathered my siblings together?
“Why am I not drunk for this?” I moaned, squeezing my eyes shut. “This is torture.”
“You asked for it,” Declan responded. “Quite literally.”
“We could all close our eyes while you’re talking if it makes you feel any better,” Noah suggested.
A laugh escaped me, and I opened my eyes again. They already knew the worst. “Look, the guy’s making me consider a fucking relationship. Yeah, he’s worth chasing. But…how the fuck do I find out if he even wants more?”
“You could try using words,” Declan commented, in full snark queen over me using his house as a meeting site.
I lifted my middle finger in response, not budging from my comfortable spot on the ground. “Like you and Noah did?”
“Eventually, yeah,” Noah said. “Honestly, if I’d been straightforward with your brother, we would’ve been together ages earlier.”
“You said it,” Declan said.
It had taken me a full-ass month to even broach the tattoo convention with Owen at work, so how long would it take to muster up the courage for this? A goddamn year?
At that point, Wyatt would’ve moved on with some hot chick closer to his age who didn’t know his daughter. My gut churned.
“Did he tell you he only wants a fling? Or that the fact you know his daughter is a dealbreaker? Or that he’s struggling with his bisexuality?” Cor asked, being annoyingly reasonable.
“No.”
Aislin flicked me in the side again, lying next to me on the floor. “Talk. To. Him. Dumbass.”
“How rude,” I said, flicking her back. “I have so many other things I’d rather be doing with my mouth.”
Ollie laughed, and Cor let out a groan, and just like that, the heaviness that had been weighing me down floated away.
And maybe that was something to hold onto.
I pushed up from the floor. “Since you’re all here, I might as well share the story about the pussy piercing. Also, are any of you queasy about shit?”
“Hard pass,” Noah announced. “Babe, can I join you in making tea?” he called to Declan.
“Is that your euphemism for sex?” Aislin asked, also coming to a seated position.
“Out. I want all of you out of my house,” Declan grumbled.
No matter what happened with Wyatt, at the end of the day I’d have these people to help me pick up the pieces. My family had been a safe place for me my entire life, a refuge, and I knew deep down it would continue to be.
I had to clutch onto that, because the thought of putting myself out there and getting crushed terrified me. The whole-ass reason I didn’t do emotions was because the second I let them bubble to the surface, they quickly spun out of control.