I immediately set Faith down, her feet touching the ground with a soft thud, but I kept my arm around her waist. I raised my chin, meeting his eyes with zero apology.
“You gonna put another forearm to my throat every time I kiss her? That’ll make for really awkward Christmases.”
Blake scrubbed a hand over his face, the sound of his palm against day-old stubble filling the silence. His shoulders dropped a fraction. The fight bled out of him like air from a punctured tire.
“You guys are really dating then?” The words came out resigned, like he was finally accepting gravity existed.
“What tipped you off?” I couldn’t resist the sarcasm. “The kissing? The declarations of love? Or the fact that she’s wearing my shirt?”
Faith pinched my side, but I caught her trying not to smile.
Blake’s jaw worked like he was chewing nails. “You’re serious about her?”
“Serious as a heart attack.”
“You know that’s the line doctors like the least.”
I smiled, slow and deliberate. “I know. That’s whyI said it.”
Blake glared at me, but there was something different in it now. Less murder, more resignation.
Meanwhile, Axel had materialized beside us like a chaos demon, his phone already recording. Ready to defuse tension with this sarcasm. “Awww, this is so cute! Brother-in-law bonding time. Go ahead, boys. Kiss and make up. Really lean into it.”
Faith bit back a grin.
“Axel, shut the hell up,” Blake snarled.
“I think you should hug it out,” Axel continued, undeterred. “Make sure you really commit. Maybe cry a little. This is premium content for the group chat.”
Blake shoved him hard enough that Axel stumbled back three steps, but the bastard just laughed, still filming.
Blake walked toward me, and every muscle in my body tensed. Old habits. I’d been on the receiving end of his protective-brother routine enough times to expect another wall slam or creative threat involving my anatomy and a cheese grater.
But instead, he stopped a foot away and sighed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He shoved his hands in his pockets. The universal sign forI’m not going to punch you.
Progress.
“You’d better treat my sister right.” The words came out gruff, forced through gritted teeth, like admitting defeat.
“Oh, he does.” Faith moved to my side, pressing her palm against my chest. The warmth of her hand seeped through my shirt. “Very, very well.” She looked up at me with a smile that was pure sin. “Last night, he?—”
“I will throw myself into traffic before I hear the end of that sentence.” Blake held up a hand like he could physically stop the words.
“I was just going to say, he made me dinner,” Faith said innocently. Too innocently. “What did you think I was going to say?”
“I hate you both,” Blake said flatly.
“Awww, baby brother, don’t be like that,” Faith teased. God, it was good to see her back to her old self.
“I’m older than you.”
“Chronologically? Sure. Emotionally? Debatable.”
Blake’s eye twitched.
“Awwww!” Axel was recording again, practically vibrating with glee. “Look at you two! So in love! Tell me, did you guys bond over your mutual desire to bang each other’s sisters? Was it like a pact? You take mine, I’ll take yours?”
“Shut up, Axel.” Dakota smirked, appearing beside him with the kind of timing that suggested she’d been waiting for maximum impact. “If you don’t, I’m going to tell everyone about the movie theater incident.”
