Chapter 21
21
Ezra
“How long is this hike?” Kane questions when we pile out of the car.
“Are you whining already?” Millie asks. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those sullen teenagers.” She bumps him with her hip.
“You two are something else.” Chuckling, I take the lead on the trail.
We trek in comfortable silence for several minutes, soaking in the beauty of the white butterfly ginger and birds of paradise lining the dirt path. Eventually I clear my throat and peer over my shoulder at Kane. “How’s driver’s ed going?”
“You’re taking driver’s ed?” Millie jumps in. “Gosh, I totally failed my driver’s test the first time.”
Kane laughs, and she playfully punches him in the arm.
“I definitely wasn’t driving at fifteen or sixteen in New York City,” I say.
“Me neither,” Millie agrees. “Are you taking any other classes?”
“Yeah, math,” Kane says. He doesn’t elaborate, and we fall into silence again .
Coming clean to Kane is the right thing to do, but dang if I’m not nervous about telling him that my marriage is fake. What if he’s angry that we lied to him? What if he doesn’t want to live with me if Millie isn’t part of the package? He lost his mom, and while no one could ever replace her, would he be upset if he didn’t have a female figure in his life again?
My mom has been the one constant in my life, and I can’t imagine not having that relationship.
Millie comes up behind me and laces her fingers with mine, then gives them a squeeze. It’s time . She tips her head back, locking eyes with me. Her irises are even greener against the lush, tropical backdrop.
I squeeze back and nod to a bench several yards ahead, beneath a banyan tree. We stop, the need to rehydrate the perfect excuse, and sit on either side of Kane.
“Hey, buddy.” I try out the endearment Millie uses for him, but it feels foreign and forced. I clear my throat and try again. “We have something we want to tell you.”
Kane rubs his palms against his thighs, swallowing audibly. “Wha—what is it? Is it something with Rob? Am I not going to live with you?”
“No, no, no, it’s nothing like that,” Millie chimes in, her voice sweet and reassuring.
A modicum of tension drains from his body, but his knees still bounce.
“You know how we told you we’re married?”
“Yeah?” He blinks at me, his lips parted.
“We’re, uh. Actually, we’re not.” I hold my breath, my heart hammering in my ears. This is it . This is where he calls me a liar and refuses to trust me ever again. I’ve failed him before I’ve even had a proper chance.
With a giant exhale, Kane takes his hat off and rakes his fingers through his messy hair. “That’s it? ”
“What do you mean, that’s it ?” Millie asks.
He drops his head back. “Dude, I already knew that.”
Air whooshes from my lungs. “What?”
“I didn’t know for sure, but I figured.”
“How?” Millie shifts on the bench, her hands pressed to her knees.
“C’mon. You didn’t know your own damn last name.” He elbows me.
Millie peers around Kane, and when our eyes meet, we break into a fit of laughter.
“There were other things too,” he continues. “You didn’t know her taco order. Or that she sorta eats Jewish.”
“Kosher,” I correct.
“Yeah that.” He winces. “Sorry. Kosher .”
Millie squeezes his knee. “You’re very observant for fifteen.”
“Perks of being a wallflower, I guess.”
My heart is still beating wildly, but now in excitement rather than panic. “So… you’re not mad?”
“Nah, man. We’re cool.”
“ Cool , huh? Did you hear that, Mills? I’m cool .”
He barks out a laugh. “That’s not what I said.”
Millie wraps an arm around his shoulder and pulls him in for a hug, but at the concerned look on his face, my heart sinks.
“What’s wrong?”
“So you guys aren’t married, but are you together?”
Millie releases him and looks at me. I stare dumbfounded right back.
“Um…” I mean, I’ve given her one and a half orgasms in the past week. That’s gotta count for something, yeah?
“We’re not.” Millie’s abrupt answer is a dagger straight to my heart.
“M’kay” is all he says.
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t be in your life. ”
Her words nearly bowl me over. A warmth that has nothing to do with the heat of the day blooms in my chest as I observe her while she talks to my brother.
“How about as an honorary cool aunt?” She nudges him.
“Yeah, sure,” Kane replies, though his tone is subdued.
Millie and I look at each other helplessly, but neither of us says more.
“Let’s go.” I pat my brother’s knee and hop up. “I’m dying to see this waterfall I’ve heard so much about.”
As we make our way down the trail, the whooshing sound grows progressively louder. A glimmer of silver peeps through the rainforest, and as the bamboo thins out, we’re met with the most gorgeous sight. The three of us stand in wonder at the majestic veil of water that plummets with relentless force into a clear, natural pool. The force of the waterfall causes the ground to vibrate beneath us, and the mist in the air creates tiny rainbows in all directions. As awe-inspiring as the view is, I can’t help but stare at Millie, who’s fixated on the scene in front of us, her face lit with fascination.
She kneels and dips her finger in the water just as two tiny neon green-and-yellow birds swoop by. “Did you see that?” The grin on her face is brighter than the Hawaiian sun.
The three of us stand at the water’s edge, my hand brushing Millie’s as I wrap an arm around my brother. “Who’s ready for a swim?”
“Me.” In a rush, Kane tosses his shirt aside and kicks off his shoes. “C’mon, Millie.”
“Yeah, c’mon, Millie ,” I echo, pulling my shirt over my head. “We had a deal.” I waggle my brows.
“Get in the water,” she commands, no doubt fighting the urge to roll her eyes.
I raise my hands in submission. If she’s stripping down, I’ll do whatever she wants .
Except tear my eyes away.
I’m waist-deep in the cool water when she finally slides her thumbs under the elastic of her athletic shorts and shimmies them down her thick thighs. Next, she grabs the hem of her tank and lifts it over her head. With her arms lifted and the shirt covering her face, she stops, her whole body tensing.
When she spins, her movements jerky, panic jolts through me. Shit. Something’s wrong. I climb out of the water quickly, nearly slipping on a rock and landing on my back in the process.
“Help me,” she shouts, her words muffled by the fabric of her tank. “I’m stuck. I can’t—I can’t breathe.”
“Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you.” Keeping my tone even and calm, I slip my fingers beneath the shirt. She’s sweaty, and the stretchy fabric is plastered to her skin, but with a strong tug, I pull it over her head.
The only problem?
Her bathing suit top comes off with it.
My instinct is to cover her, so I press my body against hers to prevent passersby from getting a peep show.
“Ezra?” she pants, still worked up.
“Yes?”
“Why is your naked chest against my tits?”