Page 33 of Only You
I feign shock, covering my heart with my hand and gasping exaggeratedly. “Take-out pizza for dinner?”
Phillip sits down on the couch, next to Kieran, sifting through a laundry basket on the floor, and I see I interrupted laundry time. He tosses a sock at me, and I catch it with a laugh. “We do pizza nights sometimes.”
Not often. Phillip is all about healthy, balanced meals. It’s the social worker in him.
He huffs and starts pairing socks together after I toss it back to him. “Fine. It’s been a long week, and I caved.”
I grin and take a seat in one of the chairs next to the couch, giving a nod to him. “Don’t feel too bad, social worker. We all fail sometimes.”
He chuckles at me. “Shut. Up.”
I laugh with my head tilted back, loving giving him shit.
“You’re in a good mood,” he observes.
“I’m always in a good mood,” I say, looking over at him and watching him methodically pair all the different kinds of socks. Why the hell do they make socks in so many different colors and patterns? Mine are white with gray soles, and it doesn’t take me nearly as long to match them.
But I notice the smaller socks have different patterns, some with solid soles, and some just with different colors on the heels. I don’t get it. But whatever floats their boat, I guess.
“What’s up?”
I decide to just tell him. It’s not a secret anyway. “I have a date. Tomorrow.”
His eyes light up with intrigue now. “Really? With who? Do we know her already?”
I smirk. “Not a her.”
His eyes go ever brighter. “No. Way.”
Kieran seems to perk up now, listening in. That kid is smart and always observing, but he doesn’t say anything. Phillip drops the laundry and scoots closer to the edge of the couch, fully enthralled. “So?—”
But then the door swings open, and Cason and Kellan come through it with pizza in hand, both laughing at something. Probably giving each other shit. Braylen hears the door and rushes in, screaming, “Pizzzza!”
Raegan ambles in, her phone in hand, and it’s chaos because that’s exactly what this life Phillip and Kellan have created is. And I know they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Hey, man. Hungry?” Kellan asks, kicking the door closed behind him.
“Kellan.” Phillip stands up from the couch and reaches for the pizza, taking it from Kellan’s hands. “Tatum has a date.”
Now Kellan’s full attention is on me, as is most of the rest of the brood. Braylen is already opening one of the pizza boxes Cason placed on the table and is helping himself. “You do?”
“I do,” I say, striding into the kitchen with them all on my heels as I sit down next to Braylen and playfully take his plate, acting like I’m going to eat his food. He squeals, and I give it back to him. He huffs and then hands me my own plate.
No one else makes a move to get their own pizza though. They all stand around the table, watching me. “What?”
“What do you meanwhat?” Cason says. “Spill. You’re totally going to bang my principal, aren’t you?”
“Bang?” Braylen says, his nose scrunched up.
“Cason, shove some pizza in your mouth,” Kellan says, handing him a plate.
“Is it Remy you’re going on a date with?” Phillip asks, taking a seat across from me.
My chest flutters with excitement, just hearing the question. I feel light and giddy in a way I’ve never experienced before. “It is.”
Raegan groans. Cason laughs and then fake gags. Kellan and Phillip are beaming. Kieran looks bored, and Braylen is just digging into his pizza.
“Congratulations,” Kellan says as he slaps me on the shoulder and then takes a seat next to his man.
