“He wasn’t. Not about you, anyway. This is me giving you a heads up that I’ll be there this afternoon since you clearly can’t give me a straight answer.”
If I clench my jaw any tighter, I’m likely to crack a tooth. “Noah. I mean this with all the love I can offer, but you are not responsible for my well-being. I don’t need you to drive up here just because I had a change in plans.”
The air of the call shifts, and I almost—almost—feel guilty for how that probably came across. He has always felt responsible for me, more than a big brother should have to. A soft clicking sound comes through the speaker.
“Wait, is that your blinker? Are you already on your way out here? You are, aren’t you?”
“Oaks.”
“No, you know what? Fine. Come and join the party.”
He sighs heavily. “I’m coming to check on Silas. It wasn’t as much about checking up on you as checking in on him.”
A knot of worry forms in my stomach as a billion possible scenarios flood my mind. “Why are you checking in on him? What’d I miss?”
“If you tell him I said anything, I’ll steal that Voltage sweatshirt you love so much.”
“Noah—”
“I’ll be there by dinner. Let Mom know, would you? Love you.” And he hangs up.
Without thinking, I push to stand before falling back into my seat with a yelp.
“Stupid freaking leg,” I mutter before hollering across the house. It’s a good thing my mama loves me so much, because I think I’ve yelled more in the last few days than I did in most of my teen years. “Hey, Mom!”
“Yeah, honey?” she calls from somewhere down the hall. She’s probably doing my laundry even though I told her not to.
“Big brother found out I’m here. He said he’ll be here in time to eat.”
She pops her head around the corner wall with a stack of shirts in her hands and a smile that makes a part of my soul happy. “How perfect. Two of my babies under this roof tonight. Do you think I should call Trace? See if he wants to join us?”
I swear I don’t mean to let the snort of laughter escape, but it’s out before I can stop it. Mama cuts her eyes at me, but I just push as much fake innocence into my expression as I can.
“From what I’ve heard, I think Trace would much rather stay where he is than hang out with us.” What I don’t tell her is that he’s holed up in a new bodyguard role with some modern-day princess and living in luxury while he does it. The last thing our mother needs to worry about is another loved one risking his life in the line of duty.
Mama saunters into the living room after dropping my clothes inside the bedroom door. When she perches on the arm of the sofa closest to me, I tense, waiting on whatever nonsense she’ll spew this time.
“That look scares me,” I stage whisper.
She laughs. “What look?”
“That one! The one that says you’re about to jump into my personal business at my expense and your own enjoyment.”
“Oh, stop.” She waves me off. “I was just going to mention how cozy you and Silas looked by the protein powder earlier.”
Ripping the pillow from under my arm, I bury my face in it and groan. “Mom. Please, don’t.” I doubt she can understand the words since they’re garbled by fabric and fluff.
“Honey, I know you ended things with him all those years ago, but that man loves you.”
Screw my heart for skipping a beat and my head for hoping.
Peeking over the top of the pillow, I study my mom and wonder if she’s guessing or if she has insight I don’t. “How would you know that?” I ask hesitantly.
“Why else would that man check in with me every week to make sure I don’t need anything and then ask for an update on you?”
Mom is delusional.
Rolling my eyes, I sit back up. “You were like a second mom to him, and he’s still one of Noah’s best friends. Of course, he’s going to check on you when we aren’t here.”
