Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Aaron
“Come fix this shit,” Rory says, sounding defeated.
“What shit?”
“The window is crooked.” He cusses under his breath, then I hear a loud thud, before his cussing grows louder.
“Stop being a baby.” I believe it’s Adley that says this followed by laughter. “Do you really think throwing a toddler fit is going to somehow magically make the window square and all happy in the world?”
“Woman,” Rory growls.
“Hello,” I say, reminding them that I am still here on the other end of the phone, yet they say nothing to me in return.
Instead they continue to hassle each other doing what they’ve always done.
It’s hard to believe the two of them are together, but truth is, they belong with one another.
Fighting somehow manages to bring them closer, it’s fucked up but it’s true.
“Keep giving me shit woman and I’ll have you on the floor and naked in two minutes flat.”
“Uh, no,” I yell out a little louder. “Do not do that shit!”
“You do know what talk like that does to me. You shouldn’t tease me,” Adley adds and I pull back the phone hoping I miss the interaction. I give it a few before placing it back to my ear and damn it if I don’t choose the worst possible time.
Adley moans, Rory growls, and I end the call.
Staring at the phone like it’s the devil I hear laughter from my side.
“Let me guess,” Lexi says, handing me a beer before giving Ben one. “The two of them are at it again?”
“Again?” I ask, immediately afraid of the answer.
“Jayden is at summer camp, so they have had a lot of free time on their hands. Remodeling the house has somehow managed to make them even more crazy than before and nine out of ten times that leads to clothes being discarded. I was on the phone with her this morning and Rory was bitching about some boards being warped. They started bickering, there was a sound like a glass shattering, and then let's just say I heard things I can’t seem to forget.”
I only stare at her.
“Squealing, moaning.” Lexi widens her eyes for emphasis. “If you get my drift.”
“I get it,” I hurry to stop her. “I don’t want to get it, Lex.” I give her a little nod. “Please, no more.”
She giggles, giving Ben a kiss before walking away. I notice the way he watches her walk away.
Immediately I think of Kendall and my stomach grows tight. Squeezing the beer bottle a little too tight, I release the hold and start picking at the label instead.
“How was your date?” I glance up to find my cousin smiling knowingly.
“Like a rectal exam.”
He chuckles choking on his beer.
“Her mom is a nightmare. Chelsea is wound so tight I swear I hear her squeaking as she walks.”
“So no second date then?”
“Her fucking mom and mine have already lined up some dinner at the Hollis’ for Thursday evening.”
“So make something up and tell them you can’t go.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.
“You do remember Mrs. Hollis?” I ask and he nods. “The woman will get in her car, show up on my front porch, and lecture me on manners.”
“So dragging her daughter along is the better alternative?”
I don’t answer because he’s right.
“Just tell your mom you aren’t interested,” he says, leaning forward resting his elbows on his knees.
The breeze is lightly blowing and the rustling of the leaves on the trees is all you can hear at the moment until he continues.
“Aunt Wynn will understand. She may have some kind of vision for your life but I’m pretty sure that vision doesn’t consist of you being miserable. ”
“It doesn’t matter anyway.”
“What doesn’t?”
I realize my mistake and quickly try to backtrack. “Nothing.” I clear my throat.
“Seriously?” Ben sits back again in his chair and glances back over his shoulder, ensuring we are alone. When he sees that Camryn and Lexi are nowhere to be found he turns back to face me.
“You honestly think that none of us know what took place with you and Kendall?”
“I...” I tilt my head trying to come up with the words. “There isn’t…” Fuck me. “It was…” This is Bennett. I can’t lie to Ben, or Brantley for that matter. The three of us were raised side by side like brothers, always together, sharing everything. We have a life-lasting bond. “Wait, how?”
He chuckles. “Get those woman together, some good alcohol flowing, and they get loud. I’ve heard way too many details about what you did to her, where, and when. I know more than I want or ever wanted to know about your anatomy.” He shivers.
I release a deep breath, unsure of what to say in response.
“My question is,” he continues when I say nothing more. “Is she the reason why you can’t get yourself to commit to dating this girl? Or is it something else?”
Knowing he can already read me like an open book, I figure there isn’t anything more I can do but say what I feel and have felt for weeks.
“Kendall’s always caught my attention. She isn’t like any other girl I’ve ever dated.
She’s fun and she has no problem standing on her own two feet.
She can be scary, her and Adley running head to head in that category.
To be honest sometimes the woman scares the hell out of me, but in the best kind of way. ”
He nods like he knows exactly what I am referring to.
“That night, it was like any other night, whenever she is around. Drinks, laughter, and a lot of shit talk, mostly from her. She captures my attention, makes my heart race, so yeah, I think she is playing a big role in where my head is and has been.”
“What are you going to do with that?”
“What can I do? To her it wasn’t anything but a good time that won’t be repeated. I was the guy that was there at the time to scratch the itch.” I shrug. “So I’m gonna push through, get over it and move on.”
Again Ben chuckles. “I can see that’s working real well for ya.”
“It fucking sucks,” I admit, tipping my beer back and emptying the bottle.