Nolan looks over at Ellison, whose expression is impossible to read. “He’s mostly thinking about multiple ways to put you back in the trunk. Sounds like you were already in it once today.”
“For not long enough,” Ellison says.
Nolan laughs as he leans against the wall. “I really do appreciate that you guys aren’t put off by me. I know it’s hard to interact with someone you can’t keep shit from, but I promise I do my best not to listen, and even if I do hear something, I’m not going to tell anyone.”
“Really, wouldn’t it be for the best if someone told them what a monster you are? So they know what kind of person they’re letting into their lives? Because if they knew, they wouldn’t want anything to do with someone like you. You weren’t good enough then and you’re definitely not now. You don’t deserve this. Are you going to kill them all too?”
I look up and notice Nolan watching me. I smile at him and think, “Feel free to tell them that there’s a monster living rent-free in my head, but if you do, there won’t be a damn one of them protecting your baby brother from the men who want to cut his life short. You can’t do anything in here, now can you?”
His eyebrow lifts. “You’re right.”
“Hold on, you two can’t have a private convo without me. I have FOMO,” Landon whines.
“Well, Deus here was telling me that he was jealous of my attire,” Nolan says as he waves at his sweatpants. “And how he just wouldn’t look as good in them as I do. I feel quite underdressed now that I see Ellison.”
“Ellison sleeps and showers in his suits. I have proof,” I explain.
Ellison’s attention snaps over to me. “You have proof? Were you invisible in the bathroom while I bathed?”
“Not recently,” I assure him.
He looks skeptical.
Landon sighs. “Where the hell is Brandon? I’m getting impatient.”
“Do you think he’s having trouble getting his sex doll through security?” Nolan asks.
“I think she’d fit through the x-ray machine.”
I shake my head. “Not if her arms stick straight out.”
“You’re right. Maybe he had to deflate her to bring her in and is now wasting time inflating her,” Landon says before the door opens and Brandon comes in alone.
“Where the fuck is she? You better have brought her or I’m gonna be pissed, you hear me?” Landon asks, as though he has the energy to get pissed.
“She’s waiting outside but I just… I came in first to remind you guys not to embarrass me in front of her,” Brandon says.
“He… he thinks we’re the embarrassing ones?” Nolan asks, confused.
“Right? We didn’t really understand this either,” August responds.
“Pinky promise,” Brandon says as he holds his pinky out and isn’t pleased until every single one of us has made a pinky promise. He takes a deep breath, like he has to steel himself, and steps out of the room.
“Do we think someone is paying her?” Landon asks.
“I speculated that our mother was,” Nolan says. “I once read her mind when she was thinking about paying someone to go on a date with you, Landon. She really pitied your one-sided love for August.”
Landon’s eyes narrow. “It wasn’t one-sided.” He waves wildly at August. “He loves me.”
“Blink twice if you need help,” Nolan tells August.
Landon pries August’s eyes open so he can’t blink, which is the first thing Brandon’s girlfriend sees when she enters the room.
I think we’re all shocked when we discover that she’s a really cute woman who looks ridiculously normal and not at all made of plastic, silicone,orinflated. She hesitates, then smiles when she looks at us.
“Hi! I’m Paisley.”
“You’re already embarrassing me!” Brandon declares while he forces Landon to let go of August’s eyelids.
