Page 116 of The Blind Date

"You two argue like an old married couple, and you're not married yet. Old, on the other hand..." Cillian laughed from the back seat.

"Just because I'm hungover doesn't mean that I won't be able to beat your ass for that comment," Cedric snorted, shooting his brother a glare through the rear-view mirror. "I am not old!"

“I thought you said you weren’t hungover!” I huffed, turning my accusatory glare at him.

"I'm not hungover,” he protested, his eyes wide as he spared me a sideways glance before quickly returning his attention to the road. "I was just threatening my brother.”

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to beat my ass, old man,” Cillian laughed, taking great amusement as Cedric and I bickered back and forth. “Speaking of old, when do you plan to break the news to our parents?”

Cedric shrugged and spared me a brief look. “Sometime this weekend.”

“Probably tomorrow," I added. "If we tell our parents today, it'll distract them from the big game tomorrow."

“Wouldn’t telling them today give them the encouragement and push they need to bring it home tomorrow?” Cillian asked, rubbing a hand under his chin.

“Perhaps, but it could also take their eyes off the prize,” Cedric said, and I nodded in agreement.

Knowing our parents, they would start celebrating early. They would get so excited and optimistic that it would take their attention away from their big game tomorrow.

“Fair enough. It’s your choice, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Cillian shrugged. “But I guarantee you, you're going to have a hard time hiding this from them." He pointed to us, referring to our relationship we had been keeping on the down-low, but he had discovered when he walked in on me sleeping on his brother on the sofa this morning, the both of us rather scantily dressed.

“I don’t think it’ll be that hard,” I said.

“How are you going to explain why you’re sharing a room?” Cillian countered, a raised brow cocked at us both.

“We’ll just say that I’m sharing a room with you,” Cedric said, but even I wasn't convinced that that would work. Our parents were great at sleuthing. Together as a quartet, they were so much worse.

“But what about when they ask me about it? Knowing Mum and Dad, they’re definitely going to ask.”

“When they ask, you’re going to cover for me.”

“And why would I do that?” Cillian grinned, mimicking his brother, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

Cillian had his brother just where he wanted him.

“Because I’ll be paying for your hotel room,” Cedric groaned, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.

“That’s all?” His brother asked, pushing the boat out farther than he should.

“We’ll throw in a free dinner,” I chuckled, impressed with Cillian’s bargaining skills. There were definitely a few things that I could learn from him, especially when it meant I could get my way more often with his argumentative brother.

“That’s a deal I’ll shake on,” Cillian grinned and reached out to take my hand, agreeing to the terms of the deal before his brother could change his mind.

I planned to nap on this road trip to make up for the hours of sleep I lost last night, but I was rudely woken up not long after by the loud slamming of the car door. I watched through tired, squinted eyes as our designated driver rushed out of the car and into the petrol station we had just pulled up at even though the tank was still nearly full.

I blinked and turned to glance over my shoulder to the back seat.

"My dad’s hangover cure?" I asked. “When I used it last time, it made me pee a lot.”

Cillian nodded and laughed. "Between you and me, I think it might have given him a lot more than a full bladder."

"I didn't need to know that,” I groaned, and the bridge of my nose scrunched in distaste. "You think Cedric will be able to continue driving?"

"With the way his stomach keeps making all those noises, I highly doubt it,” he snickered.

"I hope you have your license on you.” I whipped out my phone, googling my insurance company.

"I do. Why?"