Page 1 of Perfect Storm
Chapter 1
May
“You’re sulking.”
Aidan Flynn looked up at his brother-in-law’s words.
Okay, Levi wasn’t his brother-in-law, not technically. Not yet, anyway. Aidan’s younger brother, Riley, and Levi’s oldest brother, Landry, weren’t even engaged, in fact, but the truth was they were the most married couple Aidan knew, ring or no ring.
Also, brother-in-law was easier and shorter to say than younger brother of his best friend. Butyes, thank you, Levi, he was indeed sulking, and if he had the opportunity to use three less words while in this atrocious mood, he was going to do it.
“No, I’m not.”
Levi flopped down on the couch next to him and smacked Aidan on the shoulder. “You sure fucking are, bro.”
Funny, Aidan had kind of thought he’d done a decent job of hiding his bad mood.
Not that he was sulking. Men did not admit to sulking. They experienced protracted periods of sadness-induced frustration.
“You’re annoying.” Leviwasannoying. Persistent, in that way he apparently believed was charming but was actually just plain annoying. When all four Banks kids were together, they were a lot to handle, but they also absorbed much of their own energy. Landry’s twin, Lyla’s, deadpan sarcasm negated much of Levi’s manic cheerfulness, and Logan’s chill energy meshed well with Landry’s way-too-responsible-adult, team-leader vibes.
But Lyla was in Atlanta, where she’d moved last year, and Logan and his boyfriend, Dylan, were spending the summer training in Miami, where they both played for the Piranhas.
So Aidan was stuck with only two out of the four, and since Landry was distracted by Riley—as he usually was now—it was up to Aidan to entertain Levi.
Or in this case, be harassed by Levi, who was apparently more observant than Aidan had given him credit for.
“Annoying but right.” Levi smacked him again. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Aidan said stiffly. The last person he wanted to discuss his sulk with was Levi Banks. He’d actually hoped he might talk to Landry about it. Landry had beenhisbest friend first, before he’d become Riley’s boyfriend, and even though he’d finally come around, happy that his brother and his best friend were so blissful, there was a part of him—a very tiny part, undeniably adding to his sulk—that wished it was still just him and Landry.
He could at least get a minute of his time to say,dude, I’m kind of going through it right now.
“We’ve got nothing but time.” Levi spread his arms. “You might as well tell me.”
Aidan really did not want to go into it. Thus why he had spent the last twenty-four hours, since Riley, Landry, and Levi had descended onto his Michigan summer house for a week on the lake, pretending like nothing was wrong.
“Why are you like this?”
Levi grinned, not even remotely offended. “Benefit of being the youngest.”
“Riley isn’t like this.”
“Which is shocking, actually, considering how much you tried to spoil him.”
Andyes, at one time, Aidan had been in serious contention for the Overprotective Brother of the Year award. He was being better. Hewasbetter. Ever since Riley had become the starting QB for the Condors and began dating Landry three years ago, Aidan had taken a step back. Riley was an adult now. He could make his own choices and his own decisions. Even though Aidan’s first and last and every instinct in between was to take care of him, toshieldhim, the way he’d shielded him their whole childhood, he wasn’t doing that anymore.
Of course, Levi was going to bring that up now, though.
“Anyway”—Levi was clearly not giving up without a fight—“I know you’re trying to hide it. Pasting on a very content smile and shit, but it’s clear you’re not okay.”
Great.
Aidan made a face. “If I said again that I don’t want to talk about it, would you leave it alone?”
Levi scoffed. “As if. You’re mybro.” He slung a huge arm around Aidan, like they might actually be brothers, which they were certainly not. Aidan was best friends with Levi’s brother andtheirbrothers were dating, or married, or exchanging blood soul pacts or whatever it was that they did these days. Not the same thing at all.
Aidan attempted again to change the subject. He shucked Levi’s arm off. And that wasnotas easy as it seemed, either. “How are you the biggest of all of you?”
