Page 22 of Left on Read

A truck pulled up in front of my house, and two Rivers got out of the cab. He’d brought his brother? A third man climbed out of the truck. He was big and tall like the twins, only he had a bunch of facial piercings. It looked like he had his eyebrow, nose, and the corners of his lips done.

My gaze slid back to the twins as they bent their heads and spoke to each other. They were so identical it was a bit of a mind fuck.

River and his brother were mirror images of each other except for their hair. It was the same length and style, but one of them wore it pushed back and the other let the longer part flop over to the left side.

That was the only physical difference I could see from here, but there might be some more subtle ones up close. They even dressed the same, just one was wearing a black hoodie and jeans, and the other had on a navy hoodie with his jeans.

That was River.

I didn’t know how I knew, but something about him felt familiar. I watched them for a few more seconds. It was his smile and the easy way he chatted with his brother and the third guy. Zane didn’t have that same bright and easy smile, and his body language was a bit reserved.

Not wanting to seem like a creeper, I pushed my front door open and stepped onto the porch.

“Hi!” River beamed, shooting me an exaggerated wave that would have looked sarcastic on anyone else, but on him, looked excited.

He was excited to see me?

No, he was excited to finish his good deed and get his money. I needed to remember why he was here.

“I hope it’s okay I brought them with me. The unit is heavier than I thought, and I wanted to make sure we got it inside without busting up your walls—or you,” River said, bounding up the walkway toward me.

“Yeah, that’s fine. I mean, my walls and I appreciate it.”

River grinned and motioned to his brother and the third guy. “That’s my brother Zane.”

“Pretty sure he figured that one out on his own,” Zane teased, shooting River a cheeky grin. Huh. Imagine having siblings who ribbed you and didn’t make you feel like shit after. What a concept.

“Oh yeah.” River chuckled. “I always forget we have the same face. That’s Noah. He’s Zane’s boyfriend and my brother from another mother.”

“Nice to meet you.” I tried not to stare at Zane and Noah as they greeted me back.

They were all so big and handsome. I felt wholly inadequate standing in their impressive shadows.

“Is it okay if we bring it in?” River asked when I didn’t say anything.

“Oh, right.” I shook my head to clear the cobwebs. “I’ll get the door.”

The boxes were big and awkward looking, but the three of them managed to get them inside the house and up to my tiny den in two trips.

It wasn’t until the boxes were laid out on my floor that I realized I was in over my head. Getting the shelves was only step one. Now I had to find someone to install them.

“You okay?” River asked.

“What? Yeah. Fine.” I turned to face him. “Cash. Right.”

He tilted his head and studied me. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah.” I smiled, or at least tried to. “Just realizing I didn’t think this through.”

He glanced down at the boxes while I got his money out of my wallet. “Do you know anyone who can help you with these?”

“Not really. My friend might know some guys looking for extra cash who can do this sort of thing. If not, I can always hire a handyman.”

“I can help you.” River took the bills I held out to him and snickered. “It’s kinda funny how we went full circle with this.”

“You want to help me put it together?” I blurted.

His expression fell. “Sorry. I’m really bad at reading rooms. I tend to overstay my welcome and get on people’s nerves.”

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