16. Kiley
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
KILEY
My brother is looking at me funny.
It’s Christmas morning, and like every year, Keegan, Zander and I sleep over at my parents' house the night before so we can all be together on Christmas Day to open presents. While I love traditions, it’s getting a tad annoying to have to schlep over all of Zander’s presents to my parents’ house in a CIA stealth manner so he doesn’t see them.
I try to get most things delivered and wrap them here on Christmas Eve as soon as he goes to bed, but there are still some things I pick up in person that I have to hide.
I barely noticed Keegan because we’ve been watching Zander play with his new presents for the last twenty minutes, so my sole focus has been on him. I thought everyone else’s attention was on Zander as well, but every time I glance at my brother, he’s watching me.
He’s squinting as if he can’t see me very well, yet I’m literally sitting across from him. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?” I finally ask.
“What’s wrong with your face?”
I’m taken aback by his question. “What do you mean? Is there something on it?” I start wiping underneath my eyes, thinking maybe my mascara has run.
“Yeah, there’s something on it. A lot of it. Why are you wearing a full face of makeup at eight a.m. on Christmas morning?”
Keegan has never said anything before about my makeup, so I don’t understand why he is now. “Because I felt like it?”
“Keegan, a lady doesn’t need an excuse to wear makeup if it makes her feel better about herself,” our mother chimes in, and I nod, grateful she has my back. Our father is sitting next to her, a confused look on his face as he glances between us.
Keegan shakes his head. “I don’t buy it. Kiley rarely wears makeup unless she’s going to work, and even then, it’s minimal.” He rubs his chin while looking at me, still deep in thought over my motives for wearing makeup. “You’re also fully clothed.”
I scoff. “Of course I’m fully clothed! I’m not going to be naked in front of my family.”
He rolls his eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant. Fully clothed, as in you aren’t wearing your pajamas like the rest of us.”
I look down at myself, not understanding why he even cares. I’m wearing a red sweatshirt that has the word “joy” in gold cursive on the front and blue jeans. “I wanted to get dressed. What’s the big deal in that?”
“You’ve always stayed in your pajamas, even after we drive home because we usually go back to the apartment and continue watching Elf for the gazillionth time.”
“I want to watch Elf!” Zander pipes up while playing with his new car set.
“We will when we get home, Z.” I stare at my brother in awe that he remembers what I’ve worn every Christmas morning for the past five years now. “What’s your point with all of this scrutiny because you’re sounding like a jerk.”
He huffs. “My point is something’s up with you. You’re… happier and care more about your appearance.”
I laugh. “Are you serious with this?”
“What’s the matter with her being happier and sprucing up more?” my dad asks in curiosity. “Not that she needs any of that.” He points to my face and waves around his index finger as if it’s a wand. “She’s a natural beauty.”
“There’s nothing the matter with it per se; it’s just uncharacteristic of Kiley.” He turns to me and narrows his eyes. “Have you met someone?”
I shake my head at him. “You’re being ridiculous! When the heck do I even have time to meet someone?”
“Well, then if you haven’t met someone, it’s got to be someone we know…,” he tapers off and his eyes go wide. “Oh my God, I’m an idiot.”
“Yes, yes, you are,” I agree, which makes my parents laugh. “You’re an idiot for making a big deal out of nothing.”
Keegan gawks at me. “No wonder you’re all dolled and dressed up. Jax will be here in a couple of hours. This is all for him. You like Jax Morrow.”
“Jax is coming over?” Zander asks, but I don’t answer him.
With all eyes bearing down on my appearance, I can feel my traitorous body lying by the heat that is creeping up my neck and into my cheeks. “No, I don’t,” I scoff with a fake laugh. “How can you even say such a thing?”
He’s nodding as if he doesn’t even hear a word I’ve said.
“This all makes so much more sense! You’ve stopped scowling and bad-mouthing him.
Your cheeks get rosy when he glances your way.
You’re so much nicer to him and…” He stands up in excitement and almost flips the coffee table over with his knees. “You almost kissed last night!”
“What kiss?” my dad demands at the same time I yell “We did not kiss!”
My brother gives me a wicked smile, and I want to kick him in the balls. I know which almost kiss he’s referring to, and it wasn’t the one under the mistletoe. “You’re an asshole.”
My mother gasps. “Language, Kiley!”
I look over at Zander, and his mouth is hanging open in shock. “You said a bad word, Mommy,” he whispers and I have to bite my cheeks to keep from laughing like a maniac at how stupid this all is.
“Yes, I did, and I’m sorry for saying a bad word to Uncle Keegan.”
He deserved it, and I’m secretly not sorry.
“Is this true, Kiley? You have a crush on Jax?” my dad questions, and I’m about to lose my shit on all of them, especially my brother.
I stand from where I was sitting next to Zander and put my hands on my hips.
“No, I do not have a crush on Jax.” I flat out lie to my dad because after last night, I might have a teeny, tiny crush on him.
Okay, who am I kidding? It’s more than just tiny, but I’m trying to deny it with every fiber of my being.
I look at my brother and point my finger at him.
“As for you, I have zero reasons to hate Jax anymore. He’s single-handedly saving our family’s business.
I misjudged him and his character and have since apologized.
In a couple of days, he’s going to be my new boss, so of course I need to have a good relationship with him. ”
“What about that kiss?”
I stop pointing my finger at my brother and turn to my dad.
“That’s entirely almost your fault. If you had not encouraged the staff to put up mistletoe, then we wouldn’t have been talking under one.
Jax was a gentleman and did not kiss me.
” Even though he almost did outside and I almost begged him to do so…
for the second time! My parents don’t need to know what transpired outside in the alleyway.
“I bet you wanted him to kiss you,” Keegan teases, and my mom throws a pillow at him.
“Leave her alone, Keegan. You’ve caused enough trouble.
” My mom stands, and everyone focuses on her.
“Who Kiley may or may not like is none of our business. She’s also right in that she needs to be nice to her new boss, which also explains why she would’ve gotten dressed since he will be coming over today. ”
“Doesn’t explain the makeup,” Keegan mumbles, and I want to smother his face with that pillow Mom threw at him.
“Enough, Keegan,” Dad warns, but when he turns to me, he has questions in his eyes that I know he’s not going to ask out loud.
“We’re closing the door on this conversation.
” My mother looks at me and winks, meaning this conversation is nowhere near done in her mind.
“Zander, you need to clean up all this torn wrapping paper and throw it in the garbage, and then we can turn on Elf.” She looks at Keegan.
“Everyone should get dressed since we’re having a guest over today. ”
Keegan groans, and I stick out my tongue at him, feeling immense satisfaction that not only was he told to get dressed, but he gets to be tortured again with that movie.
I follow my mom into the kitchen, and we start taking the food out of the fridge that we prepped the night before. We get to work on our meal for brunch, but I know the questions will be coming soon.
After about five minutes of working in compatible silence, my mother finally speaks. “So, you and Jax, huh?”
I sigh while I work on cutting up potatoes. “Mom, there is no me and Jax in any romantic way whatsoever. There’s only a professional relationship, and that’s it.”
“But you like him?” She lowers her voice and glances at the doorway to make sure my father or Keegan aren’t walking in.
“What does ‘like’ even mean?” I question. “I like him as a person, and he’s a good-looking man. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t find him attractive.”
“But this seems so out of the blue considering how you used to feel about him.” She looks at me and then it dawns at her that whatever I may be feeling is not “new.” “Something transpired between you two in the past, didn’t it?”
I briefly glance at the doorway and decide to tell her. “Remember when I went to St. Louis for that bachelorette party a couple of months ago?” I ask, and when she nods, I proceed to tell her what happened.
When I’m finished, she sighs in a whimsical, romantic fashion with a dreamy smile on her face. I shake my head and point the knife I’m using at her. “Get those romantic ideas out of your brain, Ma.”
“Kiley,” she starts in a serious manner. “There’s some sort of invisible string pulling you two together. I know it! Can’t you feel it?”
I roll my eyes at her. “That’s called lust, Mom.”
She giggles. “Well sure, but I think there’s more to it than that.”
I shake my head. “It’s pretty simple. He’s hot and I’m horny. End of discussion.”
She takes her hand towel and flicks it at me. “It’s more than that. I think you intrigue him.”
I shrug even though my heart feels like it skips a beat at her thought. “Maybe, but he won’t act on anything because of Dad.”
“What do you mean?” she asks with a frown.
“I’m off-limits because of his respect for Dad. Besides, getting involved in even a casual fling would just be messy with him living in Canada for part of the year.”
She scrunches up her nose. “Why do you young people make everything so complicated? Do you really think I thought your dad was going to be more than a casual fling?”
I stop cutting and stare at her. “Yes, it was love at first sight for you.”