Oliver’s steadiness isn’t loud or demanding. It’s simply there. Quiet and unwavering, wrapping around me in a way I didn’t realize I needed.
His chin dips until the rough line of his jaw brushes my temple, his mouth close enough for me to feel the warmth of his breath.
“I don’t understand how you do it,” I say. “How you make everything else disappear.”
“It’ll all be fine,” he murmurs, stroking the back of my neck. “We’ll figure it out together. I promise.”
The craziest part is that I almost believe him.
Once the doors slide open, we’re met with the hush of the penthouse. Muted light spills from the recessed fixtures above, washing everything in warm gold. It’s calm and sterile all at once.
If I keep moving, maybe I can convince myself the ground isn’t still shifting under my feet.
“We should probably figure out what to do for dinner,” Oliver says, tone easy, like this is just any other normal night.
“My vote’s for Chinese,” Kia pipes up immediately. “Extra eggrolls. Never mind, just get the family pack. Don’t judge me.”
Oliver grins. “Who said you get a vote?”
With a snort, she tosses her blonde hair over her shoulder. “I get a vote in anything that involves my stomach.”
Their easy back-and-forth draws a reluctant smile from me. The bond between them is effortless, the kind only siblings can share. I’ve never had someone who understood me without needing an explanation. Maybe my parents’ marriage would’ve been easier to weather if I hadn’t faced it alone.
“How about us? Do we get a vote too?” a deep voice rumbles from the living room.
I freeze. Every muscle locks tight as the hair at the back of my neck prickles.
Who the hell is that?
Panic shoots through me as my ears strain for any hint of movement.
I catch Oliver’s steady, unruffled profile, and something inside me falters.
A beat of silence stretches before a man steps into the light.
Not only is he blond with broad shoulders that strain against his shirt, he’s also muscular and way too handsome for his own good.
Oliver closes the distance in a few easy strides before pulling him into a solid embrace. The hug is quick but genuine, the kind that speaks of easy familiarity and years of having each other’s backs. The resemblance between them is obvious. They have the same chiseled jawline and piercing blue eyes, though this man’s features are rougher, more lived in.
It hits me that this must be one of Oliver’s brothers.
A petite blonde drifts toward them. Oliver immediately folds her into his arms before pressing a kiss to her cheek. Her perfume is delicate and floral, the kind that lingers without overpowering. There’s something familiar about her bright smile and the graceful confidence she carries herself with.
Oliver turns back toward me with a grin that tugs at his mouth. “This is my older brother Hayes, and his wife Ava.”
Ava’s lips curve as she lifts a hand to wave. “It’s nice to meet you. Oliver’s been a lot quieter than usual lately; I was starting to wonder who managed to pull that off.”
Barely am I able to nod before Oliver steamrolls ahead. “And this,” he says, gesturing toward me, “is Rina?—”
Heat rushes to my cheeks as I lift a hand in protest. “Please don’t introduce me as the future mother?—”
“Of my child,” he finishes smoothly, that infuriating grin widening as he cuts me off.
My glare only makes his eyes glint brighter with amusement.
“It’s nice to meet you, Rina,” Ava says again, biting back a chuckle.
Hayes studies me before nudging Oliver with his elbow. “So, you’re the woman brave enough to take him on. You’ve got my respect.”
