Chapter 28
THEO
Imay not have known it at the time, but when I told Sienna I’d take an axe through the heart for her, I wasn’t kidding. I’m not sure where these strong feelings come from, but the more time I spend with her, the more these thoughts keep going through my head.
I’ve spent all day setting up the perfect date night for Sienna. Or at least, what I hope she’ll find to be the perfect date night.
“Thanks again for making a trip to the store for me, Leo,” I say as I finish packaging the sandwiches I made into the cooler.
When I approached Leo to help me make dinner, he said, “Even the most un-edible of foods made by you would be more romantic than any dinner I could whip up for her. Looks like I still have a few things to teach you, little bro.” I rolled my eyes, annoyed that he still saw me as a kid at times.
Nevertheless, he was probably right. I’ve packed Sienna and me a nice dinner of sandwiches, fresh-cut fruit, a couple of chocolate cupcakes, and a bottle of champagne to take with us tonight.
Leo throws his arm over my shoulders, squeezing me in a side hug as I pack up the last of the items into the cooler. “Not bad. I would’ve cut the fruit into little hearts, but it’s a good start.”
“Oh fuck off,” I say through a laugh, shrugging him off me.
“Where’s my sandwich?” Alex says, joining us in the kitchen.
“In the fridge.” I tilt my head toward the fridge behind me.
Alex goes to open the fridge, and at the same time, Leo looks at me with a question written on his face.
“All I see is lunch meat, sliced cheese, and half a loaf of bread.”
“Exactly. Make your own damn sandwich.” My response makes Leo erupt with laughter, while Alex launches toward me to get me into a headlock.
“Alright, I think I’m in the mood for a knuckle sandwich.” Alex tousles my hair as I struggle to get out of the headlock he has me in. Damn him and his fighter strength. At least I have better abs.
“Knock it off, you two, before you break something,” Roman’s voice booms as he enters the kitchen from the back porch, where he had been lounging for the day.
Alex and I separate but not before I give him a little shove. Turning toward the mirror that hangs just between the living room and the kitchen, I straighten out my rumpled clothes and hair. I catch Roman approaching me through the mirror.
“Surprised to see you actually planned something,” Roman says with a smirk on his face, indicating that he’s joking. Regardless, the comment still irks me.
“Ha ha,” I say as I continue fixing my hair.
“You going to be safe tonight?” Roman crosses his arms, asking me a question he doesn’t usually ask my brothers. I clench my molars at his question.
“Yes, Dad, I have condoms if that’s what you’re asking.” I finish running my fingers through my hair and turn toward him.
“Don’t call me that, Theo. You know that’s not what I meant.” His eyes squint slightly, the muscles in his jaw mirroring mine as they tick.
“We’ll be fine. You do realize I’m a fucking adult, right?
I know how to take care of myself. You don’t have to baby me all the time.
” And if you hate being called dad so much, then stop acting like one and just be my fucking brother for once.
Once again, I’m too much of a coward to say the words I’ve thought for years.
Roman has always treated Alex and Leo as his brothers.
A luxury I have never been awarded. For some reason, Roman can’t seem to get it through his head that I’m an adult and should be treated as his equal.
While I appreciate everything he’s done for me, I don’t need the parent angle from him anymore. I just need a brother.
“Theo.” He drops his arms, and his mouth opens like he’s going to continue, but he shuts it, a wave of anger crossing his face before he continues. “Just fucking be careful.” Then he storms upstairs to his bedroom, ending the conversation.
I look toward my brothers, both of them doing a terrible job of pretending they weren’t listening in on the conversation.
“He needs to get laid,” I say.
My brothers don’t get a response in before we are all interrupted by a voice at the bottom of the stairs.
“Gentlemen, the moment you’ve been waiting for…” Beth announces, motioning her hands upward toward where Sienna descends.
The moment my eyes land on Sienna, something in my chest tightens, as though it can only be relieved by being closer to her. Listening to the feeling in my chest without hesitation, I walk toward Sienna, meeting her at the bottom of the stairs.
Sienna’s warm brown skin is radiant and glowing, as the sunset light shines on her from the windows. Her pinned-back curls showcase her slender neck and collarbones that I’m compelled to kiss and nip at every time they are exposed. Two small braids frame her face, decorated in small gold accents.
The real killer? The fucking sundress. The shade of yellow perfectly accents the gold she’s adorned her body with and complements her skin tone.
The dress drapes over her, hugging her breasts, caressing her waist, hanging off her hips, and stopping just short of her mid-calf.
I’m afraid her overwhelming beauty will send me to an early death if I don’t touch her soon.
Someone clears their throat next to me, and I see the bouquet I picked up for Sienna out of the corner of my eye. I know it’s one of my brothers, but I don’t care to see which one before taking the bouquet and shoving them away.
Handing the flowers to Sienna, I say, “You look stunning. As always.”
She hesitantly takes the bouquet from me. “Thank you,” she says softly. “These are gorgeous. Are these—”
I interrupt her with my response, too excited for tonight. “Angelica, yes. And the other ones are roses, but I’m sure you already knew that.” My tone comes out shakier than I intend, but the sight of her smile instantly calms my racing heart.
She raises a brow at me. “I didn’t know you knew so much about flowers.”
“I don’t. But I saw the name at the flower shop and thought they were perfect.” Breaking a small piece of white angelica flower off its stem, I tuck it behind her ear.
I can’t hold back at the sight of Sienna’s smile. Pulling her in by the waist, I’m barely able to suppress my moan at the softness of the sundress fabric at my fingertips as I press my mouth into hers. She kisses me back with a passion that I feel deep within my bones.
A whooping and hollering starts in the kitchen. Sienna tries to pull away from the kiss, but I keep her close, only removing a hand from her waist to flip off our audience.
After a few moments have passed, I pull away. “Ready to go?”
Sienna nods her head, a moment of hesitation crossing her face that contradicts the passion I felt come from her during our kiss.
“You okay?” I ask, checking to make sure I haven’t done anything to make her uncomfortable. We’re in uncharted territory, after all.
“Yeah, but”—she lowers her voice—“Roman looked upset when he passed me on the stairs. Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. Just being a grumpy asshole as usual.” I wave off her concern about my brother.
As she nods her agreement, I grab the cooler from my brothers. We head out the front door, and I make sure I leave a kiss for Mom on the way out.
I pause when I notice Sienna gives a small wave to the photo before closing the door behind her. I’m at a loss for words on how perfectly she fits in with us. Even joining in on the strange habits we’ve developed over the years.
I think, in many ways, Sienna is a breath of fresh air I’ve needed for a long time. I might’ve lied when I told Roman I met a woman who was helping me be more responsible, but it wouldn’t be a lie now.
I’d do anything to be worked into Sienna’s plan. That is, if she’ll have me.
After a short drive, we arrive at our destination. A secluded opening among the trees, just uphill a little way from the lake house. With no houses for miles around, my brothers and I claimed this spot the moment we found it years ago.
In the middle of the opening, I set up a picnic blanket with a pile of pillows and blankets. I’ve downloaded a few movies on my tablet to ensure Sienna can have her pick.
As we approach the blanket, Sienna is quiet. She doesn’t seem eager to sit yet, so I remain standing with her. She’s been quiet since we arrived, and a wave of doubt rushes through me as I worry this doesn’t meet her standards.
“This was my brothers’ and my hideaway growing up.
We would hike up here, sometimes racing to this spot, and hang out for hours.
” I take a few steps toward a nearby tree.
“We carved our initials into this tree, officially marking our territory…and when I put it like that, it sounds so ridiculous.” I laugh. Sienna stays quiet.
“I figured we could eat the delicious, two-star meal I’ve prepared for us.” Opening the cooler, I show off the mediocre sandwiches I’ve prepared. “We could throw on a movie, and once the sun sets a bit more, the opening provides the best view of the stars.”
Sitting down on the picnic blanket, I motion my hand up toward her. She tentatively grabs it, sitting down next to me. A wave of relief washes over me when the breeze sends her strawberry scent my way.
Not letting go of my hand, Sienna looks up at the sky. “It’s perfect. Thank you, Theo.” Placing a hand on my cheek, she pulls me in for a kiss.
The sky has changed from the purple-orange hue it had when we first arrived to pitch black, with only the moon and stars lighting the area around us. We’ve been here just long enough to watch a movie and let the food settle in our stomachs.
In my head, I pat myself on the back for making it through the movie without making a move on Sienna. I’ve kept a respectable distance, only holding her hand or putting my arm around her. But I’d be lying through my teeth if I said I haven’t wanted more.
The way she sits sideways on her hip causes her dress to ride up slightly, revealing her leg through the slit. I can almost see the lace of her underwear, and it’s been driving me mad. I missed half of the movie staring at her thigh.