“Yes, you did,” Evander says, then chuckles without humor. “It was my damn fault for falling for it, though.”
“Les wasn’t ready to find out about us then,” Micah says. I see Alessa’s brows furrow. “You left before I had a chance to fix it.”
“It’s too late now,” Evander replies.
“Why?” Micah demands. We can hear him moving again. “I fucked up. Let me fix it.”
“No,” Evander says sternly. “I told you the night I decided to leave, that was your only chance. You shut me out.”
“Everything with Les was going on…”
“Stop blaming everything on Les!” Evander yells, causing us to wince. “Take credit for your own shit, Micah.”
The stool from the island scrapes against the floor, and we haul ass into the living room, still listening.
“I’m trying to now,” Micah says, voice too close for comfort. We slide just to the side of the living room doorway, out of sight, and I can feel Alessa’s shoulders shaking with silent laughter. I feel like a kid listening to their parents argue. Evander and Micah are just around the corner from us. One wrong move and they would know we are here.
“I’m not falling for your shit again,” Evander answers. “I told you how I felt.”
“I didn’t know what to do! I’ve never had feelings for a guy before,” Micah argues.
“Neither have I,” Evander grinds out. “I should have never come back.”
“Then why did you?”
“Sure as fuck not for you,” Evander sneers, surprising Mateo and me. Evander is the most level-headed person I knew; whatever he feels for Micah is tearing him up to act like that. “Les convinced me to come back.” I peek at her face, and she smiles, letting me know he is telling the truth. “I also came back for my brothers. The world doesn’t revolve around you.”
It’s quiet for so long we think they walked away; when we start to step out, we hear a grunt and something hitting the wall by our heads. Concerned for Evander, I step around the corner when a groan hits my ears. A very sexual groan. Then the telltale sign of kissing.
“Oh my god,” Alessa whispers, hearing the same thing.
I feel Mateo’s shoulders shaking, so I look at him. His face is blood red, tears streaming down his face from trying not to laugh out loud. I am struggling from the thought of us being stuck here listening to my brother and Alessa’s uncle kissing on the other side of the wall.
“Goddamn it, Micah,” Evander says finally. “I can’t do this with you again.” Ten seconds later, we hear the front door slam.
“Fuck!” Micah yells. We wait, listening, then we hear another door slam further into the house.
“What the hell was that?” Alessa asks once she knows we’re in the clear. “Did you know about this?” she asks Mateo.
“Nope. I knew something was up, but he wouldn’t talk to me about it.”
“Micah hurt Evander?” she asks sadly.
I tuck her into my side. “Looks that way, baby.”
“Micah and Evander, though?” Mateo asks, “I had a feeling they were messing around, but I had no damn idea feelings were involved.”
I grab Alessa’s hand to lead her back outside when I see the huge t-shirt covering her up. She shrugs when she sees me looking. “Ryder covered me up as soon as I stepped out of the pool.”
“Good,” I reply with a chuckle. “Mateo told me about your little interlude with Holden while you were in there.”
She looks back at Mateo with narrowed eyes. “Big mouth.”
“You were just getting to the good part when your cop boyfriend blocked my view.”
“One, he’s not a cop anymore. Two, you’re lucky he didn’t shoot you,” Alessa replies, opening the door to take us to the back patio.
“That’s what I told him,” I say with a laugh.
