Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
“You didn’t have to come at six a.m.” I yawned as I opened the front door for Alice.
“Scott, Chett, and Aiden aren’t home yet.
” I blinked at Alice as she beamed at me.
“And why do you look so chipper and made up?” I frowned and leaned toward her.
“Are you wearing fake eyelashes?” I peered at her longer, thicker, and blacker-than-normal lashes.
“And hair extensions?” My jaw dropped open. “At six a.m.?”
“Shh, I just wanted to look good.” She blushed. “Go back to sleep.”
“I think not.” I headed toward the kitchen. “Let’s have some coffee and talk.”
“Okay.” She nodded and followed behind me. “Also, I came early to help you.”
“To help me?” I looked back at her incredulously. “How is waking me up before the roosters helping me?”
“In case you were in bed with Xander, he could leave your room before Gabby woke up.”
“Ugh, don’t even.” I made a face.
“You didn’t sleep with him, did you?” It was her turn to look shocked. “Liv!”
“Liv nothing.” I rolled my eyes and turned on the kettle. “I didn’t sleep with him again.” I took out two cups and yawned again. “And trust me, I never will again. He’s an asshole.”
“Ooh, what did he do?”
“What do you mean, what did he do?” I turned away from her and opened the fridge. “Milk and sugar?” I said into the fridge.
“You know I want both. Now spill it, Taylor. What did Mr. Tongue do?”
“His name is Xander,” I groaned as I took the milk out and turned around.
“He was Mr. Tongue first.” She grinned. “If I do recall, he was Mr. Miracle Tongue. He was the—”
“Enough,” I groaned again. “He is not anything to me.”
“What happened?” Her eyes lit up.
“I’ll tell you what happened on one condition.” I bit my lower lip and grinned at her.
“What condition?” She frowned and leaned forward. “I’m not sleeping with him as well.”
“I’m not asking that.” I rolled my eyes. “Tell me who you like.”
“What?” Alice sat back, her face growing pink.
“Do you like Aiden, Scott, or Chett?” I leaned on the countertop and stared at her. “Tell me which one of my brothers you like, and I will tell you what happened with Xander.”
“I don’t like any of them. What are you talking about?” Alice stuttered as she avoided my eyes.
I smiled to myself. Alice was such a poor liar, and she knew that I knew the truth.
I scooped some of the ground beans into the French press and then poured the boiling water inside the glass container and put the top on.
“Chett, Scott, or Aiden?” I asked softly as I turned back to face her.
“Let me think … I doubt it’s Chett. You’re not into blond guys, and he’s the blondest guy I know.
And you’re not into NASCAR, and he loves it.
Let’s see … so it’s between Scott and Aiden.
Hmm.” I stared at her as she glared at me, and I grinned.
“Both are hot, though they’re my brothers, so I feel icky, saying that.
Let me think … who do I think you’re after? ”
“It’s Aiden, okay?” She blushed. “And I just think he’s cute. I’m not after him.”
“You like Aiden?” I made a face.
Aiden was the eldest of all of us, and he was my bossiest brother. Out of all of my brothers, he was the least fun and sometimes felt more like a second dad to me.
“You don’t seriously like Aiden, do you?”
“I knew you would say that. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”
“It’s just … Aiden.” I made a face. “Imagine if you dated him and we had to go on a double date.” I shuddered. “It would be like double-dating with my dad; he’d be trying to tell me what to order and not to stay out late, and God forbid my guy kissed me or something.”
“Is the coffee ready?” Alice looked at the French press pointedly.
“Let me check.” I sighed and pressed it down before pouring the coffee into two mugs and turning back to her. “You’re not really interested in Aiden, are you?” I gave her a hopeful face. “Is this a bad joke?”
“How many bad jokes do you think are being played on you this weekend, Liv?” Alice laughed as she heaped sugar into her cup.
“And, yes, I like Aiden. And, no, he’s nothing close to being your dad.
He’s only twenty-eight, and he’s gorgeous, and funny, and sweet, and, well, yes, I have a small crush on him.
I have for a long time, if I’m being honest.” Alice took a deep breath. “You’d better not tell him.”
“What am I going to tell him?” I rolled my eyes. “He’d just find a way to lecture me.”
“So, now it’s your turn.”
“My turn to do what?” I took a sip of my coffee and coughed. It tasted gross. I must have put too much coffee and not enough water in the French press.
“What happened with you and Tonguey?”
“Don’t call him Tonguey. That sounds gross.”
“What he did with it wasn’t gross though, was it?”
“It doesn’t matter.” I looked around the kitchen. “He’s not into me.”
“I’m sorry.” She gave me an apologetic look.
“He’s not the father, you know. He hasn’t even slept with Gabby. Yet he still wants to marry her.”
“Does he love her?” Alice looked shocked. “And wait, what? They’ve never had sex?”
“I know. I was shocked as well.” I tried another sip of coffee and then put the cup down. “Let’s go to my room and talk there. I don’t want anyone to hear us.”
“Okay.” She nodded and stood up.
We walked to my bedroom, and I noticed she had left her coffee sitting on the countertop as well.
I closed the bedroom door behind us and then jumped back into bed. “You coming?” I asked her and patted the space on the mattress next to me.
“I don’t know if I should lie down.” She sighed. “I spent an hour flat-ironing my hair this morning, and what if my makeup smudges on the pillowcase?”
“Ah, come on, Alice. Your hair and makeup will be fine.”
“Fine.” She yawned and took off her shoes. “I guess … just for a little bit, while we talk.”
“Uh-huh.” I laughed. “You look tired. How much sleep did you get last night?”
“Two hours.” She yawned wider and longer this time. “I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep, and now I’m absolutely exhausted.”
“Oh, Alice.” I shook my head as she plopped down next to me. “Why didn’t you tell me that you liked Aiden?”
“Because I knew you would react as you’re reacting now.” She rolled onto her side and looked at me. “Completely over the top.”
“I was hoping you liked Scott.” I grinned.
Scott was my youngest brother and the one most like me.
He was happy-go-lucky and always up to something.
He’d gotten into so much trouble as a kid, and I’d loved him telling me all his tales.
I’d been the good child, but only because I always had my parents and Aiden on my back.
There were many activities and tricks I would have liked to get into, but never had the chance.
“Scott’s a goof. I love him, but he’s a goof.” Alice laughed. “He can’t stay serious for two minutes.”
“That’s why you should date him. You’ll always be having fun. Aiden, on the other hand? Ugh.”
I sighed, still remembering all the times I’d gotten in trouble due to him telling my parents I was up to something. And that was when I’d been a little kid. I hadn’t even been a bad teenager.
“I’m sure he doesn’t want me anyway.” Alice rolled her eyes. “So, don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried. I’m just—”
“Liv, do you want to talk about Aiden or Xander?” Alice interrupted me, and I sighed.
“I don’t really want to talk about either of them.” I made a face. “Xander’s a big jerk.”
“Why?”
“I kinda let him know that I wouldn’t be opposed to him no longer being engaged to my sister.”
“What?” Alice’s eyes almost popped out in shock. “You did not say that?”
“Well, not in those exact words, but basically, I told him that maybe he didn’t want to get married now that he had met me and he wasn’t the father of my sister’s baby, and basically, he looked at me like I was crazy and walked away.”
“Oh, wow.” Alice made a sad face. “He sounds like a dick.”
“He is a dick.” I closed my eyes, reliving my embarrassment. “And he has a small dick too.”
“Oh, really?” Alice’s voice was amazed.
“No.” I opened my eyes and looked at her. “He doesn’t really have a small dick,” I groaned and buried my face in my hands. “Why, oh why, did this have to happen to me? Do I have some sort of bad luck sign on me?”
“It’s not your fault. I mean, you did kind of know that he was an asshole after you guys hooked up at the church, right?”
“Yeah, I could tell he was arrogant, cocky, full of himself—”
“And yet you still went back to his hotel room.”
“Well, you know I’m only human.” I laughed and closed my eyes. “I don’t want to talk about him anymore. Let’s get a quick nap in and then deal with him and Aiden later.”
“That sounds like a plan to me.” Alice yawned again, her eyes closing as she snuggled into the pillow. “Night, Liv.”
“Morning, Alice.” I giggled, and we both drifted off to sleep.
“Wake up, wake up.” Scott’s voice bounded into my bedroom as he banged on my bedroom door and opened it.
“What?” I groaned as I opened my eyes slowly and saw my brother’s big blue eyes gazing down at me as he stood over my bed.
“Wake up, Liv.” He pulled the duvet off of the bed, and I growled at him. “Or should I say, wake up, doggy?”
“Asshole.” I jumped out of bed and glared at him for a second before laughing. “It’s good to see you too, Scott.”
“Come here.” He gave me a big hug and then looked down on the bed. “Who’s in the bed with you? Are you a lesbian now?”
“Scott!” I shook my head at him. “It’s Alice.”
“You and Alice are dating now?” He grinned as he wiggled his eyebrows.
“Don’t be disgusting.” I glared at him, and Alice moaned as she rolled over in the bed, still sleeping and oblivious to the noise in the room.
“Just checking.” He grinned and looked down at Alice in the bed. “Wakey-wakey, Alice.”
“Don’t wake her up.” I punched him in the shoulder. “She didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Why? What was she doing?” He licked his lips slowly, and I punched him again.
“Ugh, what’s that noise?” Alice opened her eyes slowly and then screamed.