Micah’s attention flicked to me. “It’s a Stone gene.”
I glanced back at Knox, then forward at Keelan, taking in their golden-brown eyes.
“We have our mother’s eyes,” Keelan said, answering the question I was sure I had written on my face.
I felt Knox tense up behind me. I couldn’t remember a time Knox had ever mentioned their mother. Based on his reaction to Keelan speaking of her… “Well, it was nice meeting you, Micah,” I said quickly. “Gifts go on the coffee table in the living room.” I turned to face Knox. “Let’s go grill some food.”
Knox stepped aside so I could walk ahead of him.
Colt and Creed walked into the living room as we were heading for the backyard. As I was walking by, Creed grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall.
I glanced back at Knox. He watched us for a second before continuing on toward the backyard without me. “I was going to help Knox,” I said as I let Creed lead me.
“You can help him in a minute,” Creed shot over his shoulder.
The moment we walked back into Colt’s room, Creed spun around and picked me up by the backs of my thighs. My legs locked around his waist and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I faintly heard the sound of the door closing behind me. As he held me, Creed walked toward the door until my back met a chest—Colt’s chest. Colt’s hands went to my hips and Creed took another step forward, pinning me between them. I couldn’t breathe without my rib cage pushing against both of them.
“We need you to listen very carefully, because we’re about to have that talk you wanted,” Creed said, his eyes boring into mine. “You are our girlfriend. You wanted to know how this is done. To be honest, we don’t know.”
“You have to have some idea. Weren’t you in a relationship with the same girl before?” I asked.
They both tensed up. I hoped it was out of surprise and not out of lingering feelings they still had for Emma.
“My money is on Keelan,” Colt said behind me.
“That bastard does love to let shit slip,” Creed grumbled.
“You’ve also mentioned her,” I pointed out.
Colt’s hands moved up to my waist. “We cared for her, but what we have with you is different.”
“How so?” I asked.
“She was selfish and spoiled,” Creed said, his tone curt.
“Creed,” Colt admonished.
Creed looked past me at his brother. “She was and you know it.” Creed’s eyes flicked to mine. “I didn’t see the negatives—how she took and took from us. She never wanted to get to know Keelan and Knox.”
“She hated Knox,” Colt said. “And he hated her.”
“She didn’t understand our bond or what it was like to lose a parent. She was our girlfriend, but she wasn’t what we needed. I didn’t realize that until you showed up,” Creed said.
Colt’s arms wrapped around my stomach and hugged me from behind. “You’re the least selfish person I know, babe. Hell, you fight us when we try to do anything for you.”
“From the very beginning, you included Keelan and Knox,” Creed said. “You not only take Knox’s bullshit head-on and throw it back at him, but you understand why he is the way he is.”
“You slid into our lives like you were always meant to be there,” Colt said.
If they kept saying wonderful things like that, I’d start crying.
Creed leaned his forehead against mine. “So when I say I don’t know how this works…it’s because you’re not just what we need, but what Keelan and Knox need, too.”
I stopped breathing and I forgot how to blink.
“Well, Knox isn’t exactly on board yet,” Colt added.
Creed rolled his eyes. “After catching him this morning with her splayed before him like his personal buffet, it’s very obvious he’s in denial.”
That knocked me out of my shock. I really wished they’d forget that had happened.
Colt sighed. “He thinks he’s being a good brother.”
“He’s being a stubborn ass,” Creed snapped. “But let’s get back to the point we’re trying to make.”
Colt brushed his nose along my ear and whispered, “We know you have feelings for them, too.”
I was about to deny it, but Creed kissed me before I could. He pulled away with a smirk. “You aren’t allowed to be in denial like Knox. We see how you look at them. The only reason I’m not turning into a possessive caveman is because you look at us the same way.”