I gave her a teasing nudge. “Compared to you, yeah.”
Bee shoved me. “Don’t you dare, Nash.”
“Speaking of food, are you hungry?” I asked, part teasing, part serious.
“For the love of—” Bee began, but conceded with a defeated sigh. “Yeah, of course I am.”
“Good, let’s feed you, then.” I smiled.
Bee smiled back. “Your favorite thing to do,feedme.”
“What kind of brother would I be if I let you starve?” I hooked her arm in mine once more.
When our mother died, it’d fallen to me to take care of Bee. Our father was a busy man—very loving—but very busy. It was my responsibility to fill the role my mother left vacant.
Besides, my father was never quite the same after losing my mom; they’d loved each other as though they were two halves of the same whole. I didn’t want to see Bee suffer because of his sadness. I wanted things to stay the same, full of love and optimism.
For that reason, Bee lived with me and had since, having the entire floor above the parlor floor to herself. I enjoyed being the older brother and taking care of her, and I suppose that part of me was what drew me to the neighbor, too.
Something about the mysterious beauty screamed for love and attention, and this part of me longed to take care of her. Perhaps it’s what I’d inherited from my father, a need to provide and nurture. He’d been a very caring husband, and I’d learned a lot from that.
Real men took care of the women in their lives. A woman’s strength grew fierce when she was fed, supported, and secure. Women deserved a pedestal to stand on. Any self-respecting male like myself would pounce at the opportunityto bring light to those eyes and a smile to her face, and treat her like the sun to their moon.
I could tell that being in her orbit was a gift worth working for, and that’s exactly what I planned todo, now more than ever.
CHAPTER 10
Sybil
I woke the next morning to the unwelcome sound of my doorbell camera. It wasn’t actually morningper se,but near noon.
Bill leapt up at the sound, running down the three floors to the door. His barking filtered up the stairs, but ended soon enough as he resurfaced at my bedside moments later. Bill’s warm breath billowed across my face, and I grimaced, reaching for my phone and pulling up the doorbell app.
I replayed the previous feed, sitting up straight with a groaned,“Noooo.”
Nash had been there, his form appearing on my porch and then leaving. It was hard to tell for sure, but it appeared as though he’d left a paper bag on my doorstep and vanished without a word. Was this some kind of trick?
“Pleasedon’t be a dick pic in a bag,” I whispered.
Now darkly curious, I peeled the warm covers away, the cool air pouring over me. Sliding out like a cold sausage from its packaging, my bare feet hit the floor. Reaching for some sweatpants, I pulled them on before plucking Mr. Beans from the bed and plopping him over my shoulder like a rag doll.
“Come on, Mr. Beans. You need to protect me since Bill won’t.”
Bill let out a series of yips and yowls in protest, as if he understood me.
I descended the antique stairs I loved so much, reaching the door and unlocking it before whisking the paper bag inside. Taking it back toward my kitchen, I set the unassuming bag down on my counter with a plunk and stared at it, pacing with Mr. Beans.
He purred, a low rumble vibrating against my ear. Warm, wet drool dripped, a cold, sticky trail down my neck.“Gross,Mr. Beans.”
Bill sat dutifully beside me, ears perked and eyeing the bag. He licked his chops as though he knew there was food inside.
“Is it food, boy?” He seemed to know better than I.
I set down Mr. Beans on the counter. He stepped toward the bag, rubbing his drool jowls across the edge of it several times.
“What if it’s a glitter bomb?” I asked Bill.
Bill only tilted his head, his animated eyes blinking a few times. He scooted about on his haunches. I could see he was trying hard to sit still and behave, but couldn’t manage it.
