Chapter 26 #2
Tav backed up, letting his sister pass him before he fell into step behind her.
Amara took in the apartment, her neck craning this way and that before she headed right to the big windows lining one side of my living room.
I remembered all those nights ago when her brother had done the same thing.
I could still picture his silhouette in the dark.
“Wow,” Amara said. “Pretty nice place.”
“Thank you,” I answered.
Tav stood near her, but not too near, his gaze never leaving her in a way that might have been unnerving to anyone else. But she didn’t seem to mind. She turned to face him finally, really taking him in.
Tav had tried to look nice for her, I could tell. His hair had been slightly tamed, but he hadn’t had the time to dry it. “D-Did you sleep okay?” he asked.
“I did. It’s so quiet compared to my other apartment.”
Tav nodded. “Yeah, you’re right on the street.
” As soon as he said the words, his body locked.
So did Amara’s. Tav blinked. So did she.
His lips parted, and it took everything in me not to come to his rescue.
He hadn’t asked me to. He puffed out his cheeks and blew out a breath.
“I, uh, I checked on you and Holden a lot.”
Her head cocked. “Check on us or spied on us?”
He chewed his lips. “Both.”
She nodded. “Okay, thanks for being honest about that.”
“I’ll be honest about everything, Mar.” He was the picture of openness, this Tav, not anything like the cagey one I first met. His body language was loose, his handsome face without a mask. “I just don’t always know where to start or what to say.”
“I know.” She reached for him, and her hand hesitated in the air before she lightly patted his biceps. “I once knew you better than anyone. And I can still read you.”
He smiled, leaning into her touch. “Yeah, okay.”
She let him go and knelt, placing her hands on Holden’s shoulders. “Remember all I told you about Uncle Tav? Well, this is him. My brother. Your uncle.”
Tav mimicked her position, dropping his big body into an immediate squat. He smiled identical dimples at the boy who watched him closely. “Hey, little man. I’m so glad I can finally meet you.”
“Where’ve you been?” Holden frowned slightly. “Mommy said you were gone.”
Tav swallowed, and his smile went wobbly. “I, uh, I was on a long trip. But I’m back now.” His eyes shifted to his sister before returning to Holden. “She told you about me?”
The boy immediately held out one hand, palm flat. He made a fist with his other hand and slammed it down on his palm. “Tavin the Gavel!”
Tav made a strangled sound in his throat, and I covered my mouth with my hand, because I wasn’t sure what my face was doing, all I knew was that it was doing something weird, and my throat hurt, and I felt a tightness in my chest that burned.
Amara’s head was down, her hair covering her expression, and her shoulders shook. She hastily swiped at her face before lifting her head, eyes wet. “He knows a lot about you, Tav.”
Tav hadn’t moved yet, still watching Holden’s little hands. But then he shook himself and smiled. His eyes shone. “Yeah, that’s me.”
“Mommy said you hate watermelon. And I hate watermelon too.”
“Tastes like soap.” Tav wrinkled his nose.
“Nasty ol’ soap.” Holden howled as if this was incredibly important to him.
Tav stood and held out his hand. “Want me to show you something cool?” He glanced at Amara, who also stood and nodded.
Holden immediately grabbed his uncle’s hand and bounced on his feet with a fist pump in the air. “Yeah!”
Tav led him toward the door of the gym, and they walked inside. I didn’t follow, and neither did Amara. Tav’s deep voice murmured as he described the different equipment, and Holden chirped excitedly in answer.
I felt Amara’s gaze on me, and I gestured toward the kitchen. “Would you like a coffee?”
She nodded with a careful dip of her chin. “Sure.”
I made her a coffee, asking her if she wanted creamer or sugar—only a bit of vanilla creamer—before sliding the blue mug in front of her.
She perched on a stool at the island while I stood across from her.
My coffee was cold, and the second cup was making me jittery, so I ignored it.
She took a sip from her mug and eyed me over the rim. I eyed her back.
“You don’t like me, do you?” she asked.
“I don’t really like people.”
“But you like my brother.”
I leaned forward. “I like your brother the most.”
She pulled her lips between her teeth and let them out. “What do you like about him?”
If anyone else asked me, I might have told them to fuck off, that I didn’t owe them an explanation.
But for his sister, I could be honest. I gestured around the lavish apartment with the million-dollar view.
“He makes everything matter.” Her mouth opened, and her eyes widened slightly, like she hadn’t expected that answer.
But I wasn’t done. “He’s surprisingly witty.
He eats like a caveman, and I find it disgustingly endearing.
He gives great hugs. The best. And I don’t even like hugs.
He has dimples when he smiles. They used to be more rare, but now he’s free with them, and I still treasure every one like it’s the last. He makes a mean omelet.
He sleeps deeply with his face smashed on the pillow like an elderly cat.
Sometimes I check to see if he’s still breathing.
He kisses like he would die without it,” I sucked in a breath. “And he’s good. He oozes goodness.”
The light smacks of tiny fists on a heavy bag filled the silence left by my words. Tav laughed. Holden shouted something, and then his little feet came running out of the gym.
Amara swiped at her face with the heels of her hands as Holden launched himself at her. Tav looked between us, sending me a confused look, but I gave him a smile. Everything was okay.
He joined me at the island while Holden told Amara all about the gym and all about how Tav let him hit the heavy bag.
Amara smoothed his hair off his head as he talked and she asked him questions, but the boy’s attention shifted quickly when he spotted the leftover food from breakfast on the table.
He chomped on a piece of bacon, sending crunchy bits flying all over the countertop before spilling Amara’s coffee all over the floor and making it worse by falling in the puddle of brown liquid.
Amara’s bright eyes met mine. “Tav’s not the only caveman in the family.”
And that made me laugh out loud.