Page 13 of Borrowing My Bestie's Brothers

I wanted to be the one to make her laugh like that, then I wanted to grab the hose, just like Millie did, drenching my girl with the water, forcing her clothes to stick to her skin, outlining her form, right before I peeled them off. I wanted to know what else might make her laugh like that and cry, so I could avoid all the pain and only bring the pleasure. I wanted?—

“She’s the one, y’know?” Hayden’s words broke through my reverie, jerking me back to the room. I found myself nodding because I understood what he was saying all too well. “Millie’s ban doesn’t count once they graduate. When she’s an adult and I’m…” He shook his head sharply, struggling to find the words, and this was usually when I stepped in, speaking for him.

But I couldn’t right now.

If I articulated his need to feel her, see her, make Jamie his, I’d reveal something about myself that I had no business sharing. I loved my brother. Sometimes it felt like Hayden was the other half of me, and so fighting over a girl? That was never going to happen.

And not for one minute did I think we would need to.

I thought Jamie would graduate, look around and work out what she wanted, and then we’d be freed of this choice. She’d be the one doing the choosing. Instead, Hayden never dared say anything, because apparently he didn’t have the balls to unless she gave him some kind of sign. When he didn’t make his play, I couldn’t either.

Well, I was done with waiting.

“Mum won’t be here for a couple of days,” Jamie said, looking up as the sliding door opened again, announcing the fact that everyone was joining us. “There’s no need to go on dates until then.”

“Not unless you want to.”

Who said that? Oh shit, me. She met my eyes for just a second but they slid away far too soon, only my persistent stare dragging them back. I watched a small frown form and then smooth away, her lips parting, closing, then parting again, but right as she sucked in a breath to reply, Dad spoke up.

“So, Jamie, how’s life at the garage going? Brock’s not working you too hard, I hope?”

My head whipped around and I went to confront my own damn father, but he just smirked when he had my attention. Mum looked conspicuously at her plate, cutting into the meat with a smile I knew all too well, and Millie looked like she wanted a bowl of popcorn to munch from, not roast dinner.

They knew. Every damn member of my family knew what Millie had planned, why we’d all said yes, and they’d never said a thing.

“No, not too hard,” Jamie replied, grabbing her cutlery. “Though I guess I better say that in front of the boss.”

She could say whatever she bloody wanted, that’s what she didn’t understand, which is why I dragged out my phone. The conversation might be over, the chatter turning to what everyone had gotten up to this week, but I wasn’t done.

I don’t care when your mum gets into town, I wrote, tapping out a text to Jamie. Come out with me Friday night.

I felt my twin’s eyes burning into the side of my face, making clear what he thought, but I just shoved my phone back in my pocket, smirking when Jamie pulled hers out and glanced at it. That slight widening of her eyes, then one brief sidelong look was all I needed. I relaxed back into my chair and started to eat my food.

Chapter 7

Jamie

After Millie asked her brothers to be my fake dates, I’d been prepared to be horrified. I’d been prepared to be embarrassed, to buy the guys a slab of beer or a bottle of spirits of their choice as payment. I’d expected teasing, a poke in the ribs, something, but not this. I stared down at my plate and saw exactly the food I would’ve selected for myself, but eating it took real effort because I wanted to shove my plate aside and demand answers.

Starting with Hunter.

I’d read his text, then stared at the side of his face, silently demanding more details, but all I got was a sidelong look of amusement, his lips twisting into a Cheshire Cat smile. That at least was familiar. Hunter sucked up attention like it was a basic human need, so I shifted my focus.

Only to find Brock staring at me.

“Eat up,” he said, nodding to his plate. “You’ve been getting skinny.”

You noticed? I thought, but didn’t dare say anything, not when the topic of conversation shifted back to the goings on of the family.

I listened to stories about aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents, most of whom I’d met, and was thankful I didn’t have to make a comment. Instead, my fork scraped across my plate, shifting salad to one side, then another before a sharp look from Brock had me spiking a piece of beetroot and biting down. Sweet and tangy, the taste burst on my tongue, reminding me just how much I liked it, so I found myself going back for more and more until I’d finished my portion. Hunter smiled smugly, but Hayden just looked far too pale under his golden tan. That was enough for me to pull out my phone and tap out a reply to Hunter.

If I say yes, will you tell me why you guys are being so weird?

We weren’t supposed to use phones at the dinner table, so at twenty-eight years old, I felt like a kid passing notes in class. Hunter’s face lit up when he felt the buzz of a notification, using his parents’ moment of distraction to read it, then tap out a quick reply.

Whatever you want.

That helped loosen the tension in my chest. I looked surreptitiously up the table but saw Millie was bitching about the owner of the pub she managed again, so everyone else was distracted.

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