Page 19 of Tangled Hearts
I let my head fall forward, resting my forehead against the steering wheel. I don’t even have words for the dread that coursed through mewhen my phone went off last night. I had spent ten minutes typing and deleting a text message to Silas about my day, and part of me had panicked when it dinged from the shitty hotel end table. I was just sure that Si had caught me typing and was responding to ask me what the fuck. What Iwasn’tprepared for was a text message from Eli. Nor was I prepared for the conversation that followed.
Despite my best attempts to fight it, my lips curl into a smile. He’s so damn adorable. I know I shouldn’t think that, but as long as I don’tverbalizeit, we should be okay, yeah?
Although, didn’t I actually kind of already do that? Not really. Not in so many words. I can’t do this. A knock on my window catches my attention, and I’m met with concerned green eyes. Fuck me. Eli taps the window, so I roll it down and plaster on a fake smile. “Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
I nod quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Eli eyes me warily. His eyes bore into mine, and I have to resist the urge to look away. I’m not about to be intimidated by someone eight years younger than me. Finally, he grins. “Do you like boba?”
Was that English? “What is boba?”
He slow blinks at me. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
What’s the right answer here? Am I about to get yelled at again? I smirk at the idea. “No. I’ve never heard of it.”
“We have to fix that.” He steps back, gesturing to the bakery. “Out.”
“Out?” I ask, slightly perplexed.
“Yeah, we’re going inside to get boba.”
I can’t do that, can I? What would Holden think? Probably nothing because he doesn’t know you’re a fucking idiot who thinks his nephew is the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen. Probably still not great to tempt fate. “I can’t.”
His face falls, and I want to take the words back, but he recovers quickly. “Oh. Of course. Sorry, I’ll just—” He stops talking mid-sentence, looking around like he’s not sure what he should be doing, and then he takes a quick step away from my car.
Fuck. “Wait,” I mumble. I push the door open and roll up my window. “We can get boba, I guess.”
His eyes light up. “Really?”
Oh God, I think I’ll do anything he asks me to, and that’s going to be a real fucking problem. “Yes, really. But I hope it’s better than coffee.”
He rolls his eyes. “It’s so good. Just you wait.”
I walk back inside the bakery, with Eli in front of me. He heads straight to the counter and gives Mia a bright smile. At least I’m assuming it’s Mia, based on Holden and Eli’s description. They talked this place up so much I knew I had to give it a try.
Mia smiles back at Eli and then shifts her focus to me. “Back so soon? Everything okay?”
Eli looks between the two of us. “You didn’t tell her who you were?”
Uh, no. I shake my head.
Eli gasps. “Nicolas!”
“That’s not my name,” I try to interject, but Eli rambles over me, grabbing my arm and pulling me closer to the counter.
“This is Nic. Holden’s brother. I can’t believe he didn’t tell you who he was.”
Mia’s eyebrows shoot up, and she turns to me in surprise. “Holden’s brother? This is new. I’m so out of the loop these days.” She gives me a slow once-over, like she’s taking in all my features, then she nods. “Yeah, I should have known. Must be something in those genes. You boys are too pretty for your own damn good.”
My ears are burning in embarrassment. “Can’t believe you didn’t tell her,” Eli says under his breath.
I shrug. “It didn’t feel important.”
Eli turns sharp eyes on me. “Of course it’s important.” There’s a little heat in his voice, a little fire burning in his gaze. “Family is everything, Nic. Everything. You can’t just go around pretending you’re not a part of it.”
I’m not, though. Doesn’t he see that? Holden and I may share blood, but blood doesn’t make a family. Whattheyhave makes them a family. I have some shared DNA. He has a whole life, a friendship, mutual understanding and love. Maybe I’ll get there one day, but I’m not family just because two people made a couple of kids.
