It's the middle of the day, we're in bed having cereal, watching daytime television — but not really watching, until I hear keys rattle in the front door.
"Shit!" I jump up, run to the dresser where I left my phone.
Get dressed, dude. We come bearing Chinese.
"What's wrong?" Bella asks. Her hair is fucked up, tied on top of her hair in a sloppy bun that keeps falling into her face. She sets her barely touched bowl of Lucky Charms on my nightstand, eyes questioning.
"Put some clothes on, my sister's here." Before I even finished my sentence, Alice and Jasper's voices waft through the apartment. Jasper says something that makes my sister chuckle, and I hear Pesephone's paws running to them, excited to see them.
"What?" Bella's eyes are wide and color drains from her face. Yeah, I thought we'd have more time, too.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" In about three seconds flat, little Doe gets out of my rumpled sheets. She rushes into my bathroom and the door almost snaps off its hinges as she lets it close behind her. I shake my hair, chuckle and walk to my closet.
"E, where are you?" Alice gets closer to my room and I want to stop her, but she's already here, hand over her eyes as she stands in the open doorway.
"Is it safe to look?" She asks, clearly amused.
"Why don't you call before you come over, like normal people do?" I turn around and slip on some boxers.
"Dude, I live here." She says, clearly annoyed.
"Yeah, sorry. It's fine, I'm dressed." I tell her, pulling on a pair of denim shorts. Alice peeks between her fingers before she drops her hand.
"It reeks of sex in here, brother. Where did you hide her? Didn't you get my text?" Her hazel eyes roam the room, scraps of clothing scattered on the floor — bottles of water and soda on every surface.
"She's in the bathroom," I start. "And yeah, I got your text. Hence why she's in the bathroom, cockblocker."
"Now you know what it feels like when someone comes raining on your sex parade." She smiles, and I know what she's referring to. The weekend I walked in on her and Jasper fucking on my couch. A shudder runs through me as I try to forget that particular memory.
"You haven't rained on anything, sis. We've had quite the parade." I cross my arms in front of my chest.
"Boy, you reek. Go freshen up and get New York. I want to meet her." Alice claps her hands excitedly before she turns on her heels and walks off. "You already have!" I yell behind her.
As soon as she leaves, I hear the bathroom door crack open. Dark hair curls around the white door as her head peeks out. "Is she gone?" Bella asks, eyes fluttering around the room.
"Yeah… but you're far from safe, Doe." I snicker. "She brought Jasper and dinner. So you better put some fucking clothes on before I bend you over." I run my palm up her naked back before I swat her ass. She yelps and slaps my chest.
"Help me, instead of just gawking at me. Hand me some undies." She tucks some hair behind her ear and starts rummaging through her bags until she finds a lacey contraption and pulls it up her legs. I take a deep breath to compose myself before I let her get dressed and meet my sister and best friend in the living room.
"So… you want a glass?" Jasper asks, retrieving a bottle of white wine from the takeout bag. I eye it suspiciously before I give Alice a dirty look.
"You brought alcohol? After what I fucking told you? After you watched me throw the rest of it out?" I arch a brow and keep my voice down.
"It wasn't me… I swear." Alice holds up her hands in defense. The both of us look at Jasper for an explanation.
"Hey, it was complimentary… we spent over ninety dollars on takeout. They threw in a free bottle of Chardonnay." Jasper explains and shrugs.
I run a hand through my hair. I know these guys wouldn't lie to me.
Sneakers walk closer to us and Alice looks up, breaks into a smile.
"Oh, hi!" Alice gets up and grabs my girl by the waist, pulling her in for a hug. I roll my eyes. Such a drama queen.
"H—hi," Bella looks at me from over Alice's shoulder, eyebrows raised.
"I know we already met, but let me tell you… congratulations on harvesting my brother's balls. You did a wonderful job, New York." Jasper cackles at his girlfriend's words. I just let my head fall back and let Alice have her fun.
"I'm Alice, by the way. I guess my brother forgot to mention his charming, clearly better-looking sibling." Alice throws her hair over her shoulder, acting like she's a big deal.
"I'd agree if I was into women… but unfortunately, being the sole proprietor of your Masen's balls, he kinda ruined me for anyone else." My eyes snap open at Bella's comeback.
"Masen, huh? I guess he was on the job when you two met? And wow, she's got fire, dude. You better keep her." Alice says slyly. Both Bella and I ignore the job comment, since I told her my sister doesn't know. Alice still thinks I'm a private investigator.
Bella eyes the bottle of wine on my coffee table before Jasper gets up, introducing himself and invites her in for a hug as well. She smiles and lets him hug her, and I'm not even jealous. He might be the perfect Miami surfer dude, but that wasn't her type anyway. I was her type.
We sit down and enjoy or Chinese food, and Bella can't stop saying thank you. I stuff an eggroll in her mouth just to make her shut up.
I watch her watch Jasper and Alice have some wine and she bites her lip, looks a little sad.
"What's wrong, baby?" I ask, putting a hand on her bare thigh. She seems to relax as I stroke her smooth skin, but the little frown is still there.
"I just… I feel like I'm a burden. Like you guys have to walk on eggshells around me." She starts. Alice looks at us mid-bite, curious. I've had this conversation with my sister, but I come up with an entirely different scenario now.
"You're not a burden, New York." Alice says. She smiles widely and warmly.
"I don't want you to change your life for me, babe." Big brown eyes stare up at me, make my tongue stumble and fall over my heart. It's word vomit, a fuckton of it.
"You want to grow old with me, right? Well, I'm making sure I last an extra few years for you. I'm retiring my poor liver," I smile. "Besides, you're too young and beautiful to be my widow. You'd be a prey to the sleazebags of the world." My own words scare me a little, and I see a glimmer in Doe's eyes that I noticed when I told her I loved her. But, she surprised me. Again.
"I wouldn't be your fucking widow, Masen." My baby has bite. She always has.
"What, because we're not married?"
She arches a brow at me and picks up a shrimp, chews it slowly, never once breaking eye-contact. Then, little Doe smiles. It's sweet, a dark glimmer in her eyes that makes it seem dirty. I have no idea what she's thinking, or what the hell made me say something like I just have.