25. Gabriel
gabriel
. . .
I step into the soccer house, tension pulling at my shoulders. I’m not sure what I’m walking into, but from the looks of it, Julio is waiting for me. If I know him at all, he’s already fuming about Adriana bringing Kenji. I honestly don’t know how I overlooked that. The guy’s denied anything going on between them for years but fuck—we all know there’s something. He made that pretty obvious with how pissed he was when he found out about the double date in the first place.
The air inside feels heavier than usual, thick with anticipation, like it’s charged and just waiting for the spark to ignite. My fingers tighten around the grocery bags as I scan the room, searching for the first sign of trouble.
But instead, my eyes latch onto her.
Cecilia stands by the staircase, wearing one of my hoodies, her smile hitting me like a shot of pure sunlight. Her eyes light up the moment they meet mine. I don’t even pause to think. I just react. Everyone and everything else in the room fades for a second. The bags of groceries I’m holding drop to the floor with a thud, and I close the distance between us in two long strides, sweeping her up into my arms.
She giggles, her legs latching around my waist as I lift her feet off the ground. Her laugh melts away the weight on my shoulders, and I tighten my grip on her thighs, pulling her closer. Cecilia wraps her arms around my neck, her body warm and familiar against mine.
“Missed you,” I murmur, pressing my nose into the curve of her neck. The sweet, familiar scent of her coconut shampoo fills my senses. Fuck she smells good.
“I missed you, too,” she whispers back, her breath warm against my skin. I hold her there for a moment longer, just breathing her in. The noise of the others talking dulls to a background hum, and I find myself just wanting to stay in the moment.
When I finally set Cecilia back on her feet, I lean forward and capture her mouth in a kiss. I mean for it to be quick, just a taste, but the second her lips meet mine, I’m gone. Her lips are soft. Her mouth so inviting. She tastes like cherry cola—sweet and fizzy, and before I can stop myself, I deepen the kiss, pulling her closer.
It’s not enough. It never is. This desire between us bordering on desperation. I really wish we weren’t about to have a house full of people right now.
A throat clears, and I pull back, blinking away the haze of Cecilia’s lips. I glance up to find Adriana standing nearby, Kenji right next to her. Adriana raises an eyebrow, amusement stamped across her features while Kenji offers a small wave.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Adriana says, though it’s obvious she isn’t. There’s a hint of something guarded in her smirk but if I had to guess, it has nothing to do with our impromptu PDA and everything to do with the read she has on Julio’s mood.
Kenji, on the other hand, looks relaxed. His hands are shoved into his pockets as he watches us with a smile on his face. The guy doesn’t look like he has a care in the world. I almost envy him.
I force myself to release my girl, nodding to Kenji. “Hey, man.”
Cecilia steps out of my arms, her delicate fingers slipping into mine, and I turn my attention to the real problem—Julio. He’s across the room, his jaw tight, nostrils flaring as he watches Kenji like he’s some kind of intruder. The tension is rolling off him in waves, heavy and hot.
I already know today is going to be a long day.
“Have you met everyone yet?” I ask.
“He hasn’t,” Adriana answers for him. “Some people have been too busy brooding to introduce themselves.”
I wince. Did she really just call J out like that? Adriana isn’t dumb—she knows exactly what she’s doing. But provoking Julio? Not the best idea.
“Julio, this is Kenji,” I say, keeping my tone casual, like introducing these two isn’t a recipe for disaster. “Kenji, this is Julio.”
Julio’s jaw clenches tighter, the muscle ticking in his cheek. His dark eyes narrow, but he grunts in acknowledgment. “Sup.” The word is clipped, cold. He’s not even trying to be friendly, not even a little.
Kenji, to his credit, doesn’t seem fazed. “Nice to meet you,” he says, sticking out his hand. “You’re the Captain, right?” Julio takes a beat too long to respond, but finally, he shakes Kenji’s hand—a little too firm, too aggressive. Typical.
“Yup,” Julio mutters, his expression unreadable. At least he bothered to respond.
Kenji’s smile doesn’t falter. “Sick, man. I’ve heard a lot about you.” The admiration in his voice seems genuine, but Julio’s expression doesn’t budge.
Before Julio can make shit any more uncomfortable, Felix bounds over, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “You gonna introduce me too?” he asks. Felix never fails to lighten the mood, even when shit’s about to hit the fan.
“Kenji, Felix,” I say, grateful for the interruption. “Felix, Kenji. There. You’ve been introduced.”
Felix grins wide, his gold chain catching the light. “Ah, you’re the hockey guy, right?” At Kenji’s nod he adds, “Don’t worry. We won’t hold that against you. For today at least.”
Kenji laughs, shaking Felix’s hand. “Thanks, man. Appreciate it.”
We make quick introductions to the rest of the guys, Atticus and Deacon trailing down from upstairs to join the group. The tension in Julio’s posture is impossible to ignore, but I do my best, focusing instead on keeping things moving.
“Felix and I grabbed the meat,” I say, pointing to the bags I’d unceremoniously dropped earlier. “J, why don’t you get the grill going?”
Julio’s eyes flick toward the bags, then back to me. For a second I think he might push back, but then he jerks his chin in a nod, turning toward the kitchen to get things prepared. At least cooking will give him something to focus on other than glaring daggers at Adriana’s date all day.
The doorbell rings, saving us from any more awkwardness, and my teammates start pouring in.
The tension eases as the house fills, the smell of grilling meat wafting in from the backyard. I grab a beer, crack it open, and take a long pull. Things are settling down. Good .
“You good?” Cecilia asks.
I nod and press a kiss to her temple. “I’m perfect,” I tell her. “You’re here.”
She smiles up at me, and I resist the urge to kiss her, barely. When the doorbell rings again. Layton—a junior who plays center back—opens the door and Adam and Asher walk in.
The sight of them pulls me up short. They’re here, standing in my house, and it feels … strange. Not bad, exactly, but not comfortable either.
My new stepbrothers are greeted by Layton and Atticus at the door before they spot Kenji and make a beeline straight for him. I exhale a breath of relief watching as Asher claps Kenji on the back like they’ve known him for years. I guess they kind of have, considering they all play hockey together.
I watch them for a second, the way they laugh and joke like it’s nothing. Like being here, in my home, isn’t at all a problem for them. A knot tightens in my chest. I wish I could explain how them being here makes me feel. I see Asher shove his brother’s shoulder jokingly and then Adam elbows him back. It’s playful and fuck—I don’t know. I think … I think I miss that.
“You invited them?” Cecilia says beside me, her tone cautious.
I grunt, taking another pull from my beer. I’m not much of a drinker, but today? I’ll make an exception.
Cecilia winds her arms around my waist, her warmth seeping through the thin material of my shirt. “I’m glad,” she says. “They seem nice.”
“Maybe,” I hedge, my eyes flicking back to them. “I’m going to make my rounds, say hello to the guys. You want to come with me?”
“Nah,” she tells me. “You go do your thing. I have Adriana.”
I steal one last kiss before heading toward the grill, where Julio’s flipping the carne asada with an intensity that borders on murderous. I offer him a beer, which he takes with a grateful nod, but his scowl doesn’t budge.
“Didn’t think you’d go through with it,” Julio mutters, his eyes flicking in the direction of Adam and Asher.
I shrug, taking a long swig from my bottle. “Yeah, well. Maybe I’m growing up.”
Julio huffs a laugh, shaking his head. “Proud of you, man. Letting them in, giving them a shot. That’s a big deal.”
I shoot him a sideways glance. “Maybe you should take your own advice,” I tell him, tapping my bottle against his. “You know, give Kenji a shot. He’s not that bad, and Adriana seems to like him.”
Julio grumbles something under his breath, flipping the meat with more force than necessary, and I roll my eyes. It’s the closest thing to agreement I’m gonna get from him today.
After a few minutes, I spot Asher making his way over to me. He looks a little awkward, like he’s not sure if he’s intruding, but I lift my chin, signaling him over. May as well get this part of the day over with.
“Hey,” Asher says, his voice casual, but there’s a cautious thread beneath his carefree demeanor. “Thanks for the invite.”
“Yeah. No problem.”
We stand there for a beat, the sounds of chatter and sizzling meat filling the silence between us. “I know—” His mouth twists and he tries again. “I get that this is probably weird for you,” Asher begins, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s a little weird for me, too.”
I take a slow pull from my beer, studying him. “It’s fine.”
He nods, but his expression is unconvinced. “Adam was really excited when we got your text. It meant a lot to him. You reaching out like that. So, I guess I, uh …” He stares down at his feet for a moment. “I just wanted to thank you. You didn’t have to reach out but … I’m glad you did.”
I glance across the yard where Adam’s laughing with Kenji, and something shifts in my chest. I get it. Asher cares about his brother the way I cared about mine.
“You look after him.”
Asher nods. “Yeah. I mean, he’s my baby brother. Wouldn’t you if you were in my shoes?” He winces as soon as the question leaves his mouth. “I didn’t?—”
“It’s fine,” I tell him. “Really.”
Silence stretches between us again.
“Sorry. I just,” Asher lifts his chin to the sky, searching for his words. “I know this can’t be easy for you. It’s weird as fuck for me.”
“Yeah,” I mutter, glancing back at Julio, who’s still glaring daggers in Kenji’s direction. “It’s weird as fuck for me too.”
He chuckles. “Well, that’s something at least.”
I match his grin and some of the tension between my shoulders dissipates. We stay like that for a while, each of us drinking our beers and watching the rest of the partygoers around us.
“He’s a good kid,” Asher tells me. When I give him a confused look, he clarifies, “Adam. He’s a good kid. He follows the rules. Never gets into trouble. That kid lives and breathes hockey, and he’s really talented. He sketches and is like, artistic and shit.”
I nod along to what he says, not really sure why he’s bothering to tell me any of this.
“Okay.”
“I just … he’s a good kid.”
“So you’ve said.”
Asher curses under his breath. “Sorry. Fuck.” He shakes his head, his mouth grimacing. “Look, can I be honest with you for a minute?”
Julio’s eyes lock with mine over Asher’s shoulder. He raises a brow in a silent question as if to ask, what is this guy’s deal?
I shake my head and return my attention to Asher because fuck if I know. Julio shrugs, turns off the grill, and piles a plate high with meat before taking it over to the outside tables where most of our team seem to have set up camp.
“Shoot,” I tell him.
Asher spends a few seconds glancing around and collecting his thoughts. “Adam really wants you to like him,” he says.
“Alright.” I mean, I can’t make any promises. I barely know the guy. But I invited them, didn’t I? I’m not trying to be a dick. I’d like to think I’m giving the kid a fair shake.
“He has this idea in his head,” Asher tells him. “Like the three of us can be real brothers. Or at the very least … I don’t know. Best fucking friends or something like that.”
I snort. I don’t mean to. It just sorta slips out.
“The guy doesn’t even know me,” I say.
“I know. But Adam is … he’s different. He gets attached to people easily and since your mom married our dad he just …” he grimaces. “He’s going to push his way into your life. Or at least, he’s going to try.”
“Why?” I ask. He’s got his brother. From the look of things, at least one parent that he likes. I don’t know what the deal is with their mom but they were groomsmen in their dad’s wedding so there’s got to be some sort of decent relationship there.
“Because family is the single most important thing to him,” Asher tells me. “And as far as Adam is concerned, you’re a part of ours.”
“Good for him,” I tell him. “But I already have a family.” I tip my beer toward Julio before pointing at the rest of my roommates and ending with Cecilia. “The one I was born into didn’t work out so I built my own.”
Asher nods, his expression contemplative. “I get that,” he says. “But I’m asking you to give my brother a chance. You don’t have to accept or even like me. I’m cool with where we currently stand. But Adam is sensitive. Just … tell me what it is that you need from me to give my brother a chance?”
My jaw clenches. I don’t like the position he’s putting me in right now. I’m not trying to be a dick but he’s not asking for any small favor. Allowing them into my life, into my family, that’s a risk I’m not sure I’m willing to take.
“Why me?” I ask. “He’s got a new mom he can go connect with. Why not focus his energy there?”
“No offense man, but your mom is?—”
“A piece of work.” I finish for him.
He huffs out a breath. “Yeah. I mean, my dad loves her so I guess there’s that. She’s just …” His lips press together and his brows pull forward as he mulls over whatever it is he was about to say.
“She’s selfish,” I tell him. “She might act like she loves your father and maybe she really does. But she does so because he offers her something of value. Money, or security, or maybe just the feeling of being wanted. I don’t really know. My mom has her own baggage I’m not willing to try and unpack. But her love comes with conditions. I’m assuming you’ve already realized this?”
“Yeah. It was fine at first. I mean she’s nice and all but it’s like nothing we do is good enough. She nitpicks the stupidest things and sometimes it feels like she’s trying to turn us into people that we’re not.”
I don’t bother telling him she’s recreating the family she lost. He’ll figure it out eventually.
“I don’t know what to tell you, man. She is who she is. I stopped trying to figure out her motives years ago.”
Asher sighs. “I get it,” he tells me. “But Adam was really looking forward to the whole big happy family thing, and since he’s not going to find that with your mom … “
“He’s turned his attention to me?”
He shrugs. “Yeah. I guess you could say that.”
My fingers tighten around the bottle in my hand. “I’m not looking to replace my dead brother,” I tell him.
Asher’s shoulders slump, and his expression falls with defeat. “Right. Yeah. Um.”
“But I’m open to considering friends.”
His head jerks up, dark brown widening. “Yeah?”
I nod. “Yeah. We can start with friends.”