“Why would you ask me that?” I grab the closest item, which happens to be a Terror stress puck, and throw it at him.
Annoyingly, he grabs it out of the air. “That’s a no, then.”
CHAPTER 19
FLIP
Ipull my hoodie over my head and toss it on the couch because I’m hot. “What if she says no?”
“What if she says no,” Dred repeats.
“Not helpful.” I continue pacing. Tally’s read my message. But she hasn’t responded.
“Dude, sit the fuck down. You’re going to wear a hole in the rug. It’s Meems’s favorite, and it’s actually irreplaceable.”
“I can’t sit down.”
“It’ll be fine,” Dred says in that patient, all-knowing way of hers.
“You don’t know that!”
“Don’t fucking yell at my wife,” Connor says calmly, eyes dark and menacing even as he presses a kiss to Dred’s temple.
“Calm down, both of you,” she orders.
“I am calm, darling,” Connor assures her. “I was merely issuing a warning.”
Everly whirls into the living room like a human tornado. Her twin follows like a summer breeze. “What’s all the ruckus about?” She hops behind Connor and Dred, puts them both in a headlock and rubs her face on their hair like a cat.
Victor observes the affection with a pleased smile.
“Flip asked Tally on a date, and she hasn’t responded yet,” Connor explains.
“Tally as in Tally Vander Zee? The coach’s daughter?” Everly’s eyes light up.
“That would be the one,” Dred confirms.
“She’s still in university,” Victor says.
Connor coughs to cover a laugh.
“She’s graduating this semester,” Dred explains.
“So she’s what, like, twenty-one?” Victor presses.
“She’ll be twenty-two this summer.” Connor side-eyes Everly.
“And you’re twenty-what?” Everly asks.
“I’m thirty.” I’ll be thirty-one before Tally is twenty-two.
“Ooohhh. The big three-oh.” Everly climbs over the back of the couch, wiggling between Connor and Dred. “But that’s less than a decade. Hollis is twelve years older than Hammer, and Roman is, like, ten years older than Lexi, right?”
“That’s correct.” Dred allows Everly to link their arms so the three of them become a human chain.
Victor deposits himself on the other side of Dred and does the same. They make a cute family.
“Why does it feel like less of a difference with Lexi and Roman?” Everly asks. Her head bobs from side to side, touching Connor’s shoulder, then Dred’s, like she’s channeling a windshield wiper.
