My fingers tighten around the bottle in my hand. “I’m not looking to replace my dead brother,” I tell him.
Asher’s shoulders slump, and his expression falls with defeat. “Right. Yeah. Um.”
“But I’m open to considering friends.”
His head jerks up, dark brown widening. “Yeah?”
I nod. “Yeah. We can start with friends.”
CHAPTER 94
GABRIEL
Istep into the soccer house, tension pulling at my shoulders. I’m not sure what I’m walking into, but from the looks of it, Julio is waiting for me. If I know him at all, he’s already fuming about Adriana bringing Kenji. I honestly don’t know how I overlooked that. The guy’s denied anything going on between them for years but fuck—we all know there’s something. He made that pretty obvious with how pissed he was when he found out about the double date in the first place.
The air inside feels heavier than usual, thick with anticipation, like it’s charged and just waiting for the spark to ignite. My fingers tighten around the grocery bags as I scan the room, searching for the first sign of trouble.
But instead, my eyes latch onto her.
Cecilia stands by the staircase, wearing one of my hoodies, her smile hitting me like a shot of pure sunlight. Her eyes light up the moment they meet mine. I don’t even pause to think. I just react. Everyone and everything else in the room fades for a second. The bags of groceries I’m holding drop to the floor with a thud, and I close the distance between us in two long strides, sweeping her up into my arms.
She giggles, her legs latching around my waist as I lift her feet off the ground. Her laugh melts away the weight on my shoulders, and I tighten my grip on her thighs, pulling her closer. Cecilia wraps her arms around my neck, her body warm and familiar against mine.
“Missed you,” I murmur, pressing my nose into the curve of her neck. The sweet, familiar scent of her coconut shampoo fills my senses. Fuck she smells good.
“I missed you, too,” she whispers back, her breath warm against my skin. I hold her there for a moment longer, just breathing her in. The noise of the others talking dulls to a background hum, and I find myself just wanting to stay in the moment.
When I finally set Cecilia back on her feet, I lean forward and capture her mouth in a kiss. I mean for it to be quick, just a taste, but the second her lips meet mine, I’m gone. Her lips are soft. Her mouth so inviting. She tastes like cherry cola—sweet and fizzy, and before I can stop myself, I deepen the kiss, pulling her closer.
It’s not enough. It never is. This desire between us bordering on desperation. I really wish we weren’t about to have a house full of people right now.
A throat clears, and I pull back, blinking away the haze of Cecilia’s lips. I glance up to find Adriana standing nearby, Kenji right next to her. Adriana raises an eyebrow, amusement stamped across her features while Kenji offers a small wave.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Adriana says, though it’s obvious she isn’t. There’s a hint of something guarded in her smirk but if I had to guess, it has nothing to do with our impromptu PDA and everything to do with the read she has on Julio’s mood.
Kenji, on the other hand, looks relaxed. His hands are shoved into his pockets as he watches us with a smile on his face. Theguy doesn’t look like he has a care in the world. I almost envy him.
I force myself to release my girl, nodding to Kenji. “Hey, man.”
Cecilia steps out of my arms, her delicate fingers slipping into mine, and I turn my attention to the real problem—Julio. He’s across the room, his jaw tight, nostrils flaring as he watches Kenji like he’s some kind of intruder. The tension is rolling off him in waves, heavy and hot.
I already know today is going to be a long day.
“Have you met everyone yet?” I ask.
“He hasn’t,” Adriana answers for him. “Some people have been too busy brooding to introduce themselves.”
I wince. Did she really just call J out like that? Adriana isn’t dumb—she knows exactly what she’s doing. But provoking Julio? Not the best idea.
“Julio, this is Kenji,” I say, keeping my tone casual, like introducing these two isn’t a recipe for disaster. “Kenji, this is Julio.”
Julio’s jaw clenches tighter, the muscle ticking in his cheek. His dark eyes narrow, but he grunts in acknowledgment. “Sup.” The word is clipped, cold. He’s not even trying to be friendly, not even a little.
Kenji, to his credit, doesn’t seem fazed. “Nice to meet you,” he says, sticking out his hand. “You’re the Captain, right?” Julio takes a beat too long to respond, but finally, he shakes Kenji’s hand—a little too firm, too aggressive. Typical.
“Yup,” Julio mutters, his expression unreadable. At least he bothered to respond.
Kenji’s smile doesn’t falter. “Sick, man. I’ve heard a lot about you.” The admiration in his voice seems genuine, but Julio’s expression doesn’t budge.
