Page 111 of Shutout
“Nothing.” I wave the words away. “I can see a nurse glaring our way, so can you all please go home?”
“Come.” Maddie herds her husband and my mother, since they’re closer. “Let’s wait at the lobby.”
My mom motions at Dad. “We have to go settle the bill, Arturo.”
“Ah, verdad.” Dad cringes and I wish a black hole would swallow me. Luz and I have eaten into any hope of our parents ever retiring. I guess now only me, since she’s officially on Max’s insurance.
Brooke collapses on the tiny, squeaky chair after they’re out of sight. “Wow, for a second I thought I was gonna land on the bed right beside yours.”
I slide the oxygen mask back down and lean back on the bed. “Did you forget you’re bigger than my brother again?”
“Yep. He’s scary as hell.” Why is there a sheepish expression on his face? “He and I used to scare off any creeps around you pretty good in middle school and even in high school.”
“You didwhat?” I gape. “Are you two the reason why I could never get a boyfriend?”
“Maybe?” he squeaks.
Sarcasm drips all over my words. “So it wasn’t because of my food allergies? Or my taste in music? Or even my hips?”
“Nope, no, and hell no.” He hunches over to rest his elbows on the mattress. “Liv, I’m serious. Are you going to be okay when I’m not around? I can still stay. They haven’t?—”
I squeeze his lips between my fingers until they look like aduck’s bill. “I’m not going to be the reason you can’t live your life. And my allergies won’t stop me from living mine, so zip it.”
“Fine.” He breathes the word out from the side of his lips. Shaking his head, he frees himself from my grip. “But you’ll let me know if something ever happens.”
“Of course.” I run my hand down the lapel of his tux, trying to fix it up. “Just like you’ll also let me know if something happens to you, right?”
“Yes.” He tilts his head. “But you’ll watch my games too, right? I can only play my best when I know you’re watching.”
“I’ll watch every damn game even if it kills me.”
Brooke presses his lips to hold back a smile. “So basically, we’re going to be worried to death about each other the whole time.”
“Exactly.”
My fingers stretch apart as he slides his in between. “All right. We’re doing this.”
CHAPTER 37
BROOKLYN
“We’re doing this?” I ask and I’m afraid to admit my voice shakes.
“Not if you don’t want to.” Liv makes our arms swing, joined by our hands as they are.
Taking a deep breath that fills up my lungs with icy air, I make a conscious decision to shut my fears out and just go for it. I ring the doorbell to my dad’s house.
“I’ll be here every step of the way,” she says beside me.
My chest explodes with a burst of something, and the only way to release it is by capturing her face between my hands and pressing my lips to hers. Liv makes a humming sound from her throat that makes my heartstrings thrum. I savor her lips slowly, mine working in tandem with my tongue to map her silky softness.
Of course, that’s when the front door opens.
“Eww.” No doubt that’s Lee.
Olivia’s and my lips make a loud smacking sound as we separate. As greeting to my half-brother, I say, “Hey, twerp. Is your father around?”
“First of all, you’re the twerp.” I give him a shit-eating grinthat seems to annoy him further. “Second of all, he’s your father too. And third of all—or just third? Whatever—and third, it’s Christmas,you twerp. Where else do you think Dad would be if not home?”
