Page 12 of The Sweet Spot

Maddox wasn’t wrong this morning. The penthouse is too big for just me. There used to be five of us rooming together. And as of a few weeks ago, it’s just me now. Gracie’s here for the summer, but she’s going back to London after we get her rehabbed. Maybe I just need to put a positive spin on this. Maybe... it was meant to be.

Whatever.

There aren’t enough cinnamon rolls in the world to help convince myself of that bullshit today. Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow.

We stop at the coffee shop on the first floor of our building, and I try to prepare myself for the rest of this shit show of a day. Two large coffees, one bacon, egg, and cheese bagel for Callen, and a banana for me later, and the two of us head upstairs.

Might as well get this over with.

“You really not going to talk to me?” Maddox grabs my elbow as I walk past him with my last armful of clothes dangling from velvet hangers. A girl’s got to have some vices, and one of the very few I have is designer clothes. It just happens to be a very expensive vice.

We’ve been at this swap for hours, and as I’ve packed things up, it’s become even more obvious that I really didn’t need this much space. Not anymore.

But still . . .

Knowing the place was too big and knowing I lost it in a bet are two totally different beasts. Kinda like my cousin. And I’m not happy with either thought at this particular moment.

I lock my eyes on Maddox, glaring daggers, then slowly drag them between the two of us, down to where his hand holds my elbow, silently demanding him to let go and feeling immensely proud of myself for not stomping on his foot like I desperately want to do. Mentally, I may revert back to a five-year-old, but physically, I stand my ground, refusing to give him any ammunition.

“You’re going to have to talk to me at some point, Brynnie.”

“Do. Not. Brynnie me.” Fury runs rampant through my veins.

I don’t know who I’m more angry with. Him, my mom, or myself.

He presses his palm flat against the wall, blocking my path. “I won the bet, fair and square. What do you want from me?”

I lose the internal battle and throw an elbow into his side, then walk by. “I wanted you to tell me what you knew when you found out and not have used it against me in a bet. That was a shitty thing to do, Madman.”

“Brynn . . .”

I walk away, leaving him behind.

I’ll get over this. He and I have made a million bets in our lifetime.

But I sure as hell won’t be getting over it today.

My family owns this building, and half my cousins and I moved in once we moved out of our parents’ houses. So between my family and the twins’ family all helping, we get everything moved pretty quickly.

As quickly as you can pack up an entire penthouse.

But they’re all giving me a pretty wide birth.

No one ever said the Kingstons were stupid.

And anyone who’s ever met my mother’s generation should watch out. Because my cousins and I, the second generation of Kingstons, are even closer than the first. We put our parents to shame. That’s probably the only reason I haven’t already castrated Maddox.

Stupid family loyalty.

Grace has been quiet throughout the day. She knows I’m hiding something, but she won’t push it. I’m pretty sure she’s hiding something too, so I’m just going to go with it.

Hours later, once it’s just Gracie and me in the guys’ old condo, which I still refuse to call our new condo, I decide rage-cleaning may be the best way to channel my anger. It’s either that or going to Crucible, Dad’s gym, to sweat it out, and cleaning feels more productive.

“You’re really not going to spill the beans?” Grace asks from the other side of the modern kitchen that looks like it’s barely been used for anything other than takeout in the years since the guys moved in.

“Listen,” I stop her as I yank my green and pink rubber gloves up to my elbows and dump out the cleaning supplies on the shiny black granite counter. It’s masculine and cold and not at all like the pretty white and gray marble we’d picked out for the penthouse years ago. Stupid counter. “It doesn’t matter. What matters now is that this is the new condo, and I’m so excited you’re here with me for the summer, Grace. Now grab a pair of gloves and get cleaning. This place smells like Callen’s dirty gym socks.”

I was always the neat freak out of the five of us. I like to keep my life organized, and if my house is unorganized, my life feels chaotic. And I hate chaos.

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