“Want me to grab plates?” I ask.
“Yeah, it would be nice if you made yourself useful.”
“Just a simple yes would suffice,” I reply just as Kelsey walks into the kitchen. She’s changed into a pair of shorts and one of JP’s shirts. There’s no doubt she probably wasn’t wearing anything under that robe.
“Lottie will be over in a second. I said donuts, and she ran. Not sure about Huxley, I heard him groan in displeasure when Lottie hopped out of bed.” Not surprising, Huxley is very possessive over Lottie. Then again, JP is also very possessive over Kelsey.
Me . . . well, I haven’t had anyone I care enough about in my life to be possessive over. Watching my brothers find girls and marry them, you would think that it would make me jealous, make me want to go off and find someone for myself, but I’m content. I don’t want to press to find love just because everyone else is. The way I see it, when that one special person comes into my life, I’ll know it, and I’ll never want to let her go.
The front door flies open and through the large entryway, Lottie’s voice echoes, “Donuts, get in my mouth!”
I look over my shoulder just in time to see Lottie charge in wearing a tank top and bike shorts. Her hair is a mess as well. Trailing behind her is a not so happy looking Huxley.
“Why the hell are we gathering so early this morning?” Huxley asks as he walks up to me and rests his hand on the island. “Is this about the job? I’m not getting into it with you. You can’t be around while the team conducts a thorough investigation.”
“It’s not about the job,” I say.
“It’s about Lia,” JP coos like a goddamn schoolgirl. I quickly direct a scowl in his direction, causing him to hold up his hands. “I didn’t say anything about you liking her.”
“No cooing either.”
“Christ, sensitive much?”
“What’s going on with Lia?” Lottie asks, her mouth full of a jelly donut.
“Well, since you’re all here, might as well tell you that Lia is engaged.”
“Aw, really?” Kelsey asks, clapping.
“Engaged? Wow, that’s great,” Lottie says.
“To Brian?” JP asks.
“The douche?” Huxley adds.
“Wait, why is he a douche?” Kelsey asks. “Do we not like him?”
“The boys don’t like anyone,” Lottie says, taking another bite.
“No, we don’t like him,” JP says and then turns to me. “How do you feel about it?”
“Not great,” I answer while taking a seat at the island and placing my head in my hands. JP sets a cup of coffee in front of me, but I don’t even bother touching it. “He doesn’t deserve her. He’s not good enough. And you should have seen the ring he got her. It doesn’t have one ounce of Lia in it. It’s as if he went to the most expensive and gaudy ring shop, said ‘give me the most expensive ring you have’， and then bought it. And worst of all, The Beave wants the wedding in five weeks.”
“Five weeks?” JP asks. “Jesus, that’s quick, although our wedding was quick too.” He smirks at Kelsey. “But that was to accommodate Kazoo’s schedule.”
“Yes, planning a wedding around a pigeon has always been a dream of mine.”
JP pulls Kelsey into his chest and kisses her neck. “You loved everything about our wedding.”
“I did.”
Pulling the attention back to me, I say, “And last night, when she told me, she cried.”
“Happy tears?” Lottie asks.
I shake my head. “No, sad tears, nervous tears, unhappy tears. There wasn’t excitement in her voice, and she kept asking me if I was mad. Why the hell would I be mad?”
JP and Huxley exchange looks while the girls look away.
“What?” I ask, seeing that some sort of secret conversation is happening between all of them that I don’t know about.
JP is the one to talk first. “Dude, don’t you think that a little part of Lia thinks maybe, just maybe, you would have made a move on her at one point?”
“What?” I shake my head. “No. We’ve never thought of each other that way. This has nothing to do with our relationship.”
“Does she know you don’t like Brian?” Lottie asks.
“I’ve never said I don’t like him, but she’s aware we don’t get along.”
“Maybe that’s why she’s asking if you’re mad,” Kelsey says. “You two are so close that maybe she’s looking for your approval.”