Page 1 of Flaunt
1
Banks
“Do you want to hear my idea or not?”
Milk drips from the edge of my brother Maddox’s spoon, splashing into the bowl of cereal below. “No.”
“Oh, come on, Mad. This is a great one.”
He scoops a heaping pile of Fruity Pebbles into his mouth, chewing deliberately. The crunches echo around his kitchen like he’s trying to make a point.He makes the point. But that doesn’t mean I have to take it.
“They’re plastic spiders. Fifty in a bag. And—”
“Banks,no.” The spoon hits the bowl with ading. “I’m married now. I can’t risk life and liberty every time you want to fuck with Jess.”
A slow smirk slips across my face. Maddox pales.
My shenanigans used to be split evenly between our brothers Jess and Moss. They have never been directed at Foxx.Well, aside for one or two that didn’t end well for me. I was forced to abandon Moss as a target when Brooke moved in. Jess moved Pippa in, so he’s notas funto mess with anymore. That only leaves the last Carmichael standing as a target—Foxx.
“I don’t even want to know,” he says, holding a hand in front of him.
Too bad. “Not Jess.” My smirk grows larger. “Foxx.”
“You’re out of your fucking mind.”
“It’s time.” I move out of the way as Maddox takes his bowl to the sink like a good little husband. “We’ve never done anything to Foxx.”
“Because we don’t want to eat through a straw.”
“Whatever. He probably feels left out.”
Maddox lifts a brow. “Really, Banks?”
“I knowIfeel left out now that you and Moss and even Jess have all decided we don’t need to be the fearless foursome anymore.”
“We were never the fearless foursome.” He shakes his head. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m bored,” I say, opening his refrigerator and taking out his last can of Dr Pepper. “And lonely. And I have a lot of time on my hands these days.”
“Well, I don’t. I have a real estate office to run and a wife to enjoy.”
I crack open the drink and stare at my brother. “Ashley ruined my life.”
“No, she didn’t.” He laughs.
“Yeah.She did.”
Maddox looks at his phone and motions for me to wait.
I take a sip of my soda and gaze around Maddox’s kitchen. We had a lot of good times here. Late-night pizzas, football parties, and one wrestling match that almost ended in a trip to the emergency room.Thank God for Jess’s skills with permanent glue and silver tape.
But that’s all changed now. Everything is changing. No one wants to have fun anymore.
Everyone grew up.
Fools.
“Sorry about that,” Maddox says, slipping his phone into his pocket. “My appointment got moved up thirty minutes. Love when that happens.”
