Page 42 of From That Moment

“What?”

“I asked if your boss is okay with Paris working half days. Are you okay?” “Fine. Just out of breath. You’re faster than me.”

“I’ve always been faster than you. And I have better endurance. And I’m prettier.”

“Whatever you say,” I said, flipping him off.

“You’re an ass, but because you’re a hero, I guess you’re allowed to be.”

I cringed, hating that word.

“I need water, a shower, and coffee. And don’t call me that.”

“Why?” Nate asked.

“Because I’m not. Paris still got hurt.”

“ you were still there for her. Paris is one of us now. Even if she weren’t, you would’ve helped her, any of us would have, but you were there, and you did your thing. You protected her. She’s practically family now that Hazel’s going to be part of our clan.”

“And we always take care of family,” I said, walking into my house and going towards the fridge so I could chug water. I got down two glasses, poured a couple of waters, and chugged the contents while Nate did the same before we went for more.

“You know, we’ve always had a decently big family with the five of us kids and Mom and Dad, but now with Arden marrying, and Cross being with Hazel, things keep getting bigger.” Nate frowned and looked down at his glass.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just thinking about how some things have changed, and I felt like we weren’t really ready for it.”

“Why would we need to be ready for our siblings to get married? Mom and Dad have never once pressured us to get married.”

“You’re right. It’s just...I don’t know. Ignore me.”

“No, I won’t. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I guess I got a little light-headed from the run.”

I let him lie because Nate never got dizzy from his runs, but I poured him more water, and then I leaned against the counter, staring at my baby brother.

Nate was generally loud, like me. Cross and Macon growled more than we did and tended to be a little quieter. Arden was the mediator between the four of us, and we were her protectors. Though in the end, sometimes—or most of the time—she protected us, too.

Nate had his secrets. I didn’t know what they were, though. He was cagey on occasion, even though I didn’t think others noticed. Or maybe they did. Perhaps we were all so good at protecting each other that we let ourselves guard our individual secrets.

If he was hurting, though, he would tell us. And even though I like to needle him because he was my baby brother, I would let him have his secrets. After all, I was keeping my own.

Like the fact that I thought I liked Paris.

Fuck. I shouldn’t. Not only was she my coworker and part of the whole crew now, and dating anyone within the group would make things tricky and unmanageable, but it was also just wrong.

Allison had used Paris as her scapegoat to cheat on me and to push me out of the relationship that I was already trying to get out of on my own.

And I didn’t like the fact that Allison might’ve been right. Even in the vaguest sense of the word.

“I need a shower. You showering here?”

“Um, I know that you’ve been through a lot losing Allison and everything,” Nate began. I didn’t want to hear the end of that sentence, but I let my little brother go on.

“I don’t want to shower with you. Although you could probably get the places on my back that I have trouble reaching, that whole incest thing gets complicated.”

“Please, for the love of God, never ever say incest when it has to do with our family again,” I said, and Nate laughed.

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