Page 33 of Made For Me

“Wow.” She chuckles. “Is someone feeling neglected?” It’s my turn to laugh. “Does someone need a hug?”

“What do you want?” I ask her, pulling out the chair before I sit in it. “I’m assuming you do want something.”

“You would assume right for once.” I shake my head. “I’m coming down today,” she says and my eyebrows pinch together.

“It’s the middle of the week.” I lean back in the chair, rocking back and forth. “You usually grace us with your presence on Friday and then leave on Sunday.”

“I know,” she huffs, and I hear the sound of her slippers flop from her side. “But something is going down in the family,” she adds and my stomach gets tight.

“Who told you?” I ask her, not willing to say anything if she doesn’t know anything.

“No one told me shit. All I know is Dad was due back yesterday and this morning, or maybe last night, Mom hightailed it out of town.”

“Maybe they are just here visiting.” I admit nothing.

“Negative,” she replies, and I can hear the sound of her Nespresso machine. “There is something going down and I think it’s big.” She gasps. “What do you know?”

“I don’t know anything.” My palms get sweaty. “Why would I know? I always find out things in passing.”

“Oh, please,” she huffs.

“I literally found out that Erika was pregnant when you asked me to pass the salt,” I remind her.

“That was one time.” The sound of her laughter fills the phone. “Besides, you’ve been gone for so long.”

“Oh, here we go.” I shake my head, taking a sip of the protein drink. “I was gone for four years, but if you ask anyone, it’s been eighty-four years. I’ve been back longer than I’ve been away.”

“He needs a hug and a pep talk.” She sighs deeply. “This is a lot of effort on my part to just ask if I can stay with you.”

“Why don’t you stay with Mom and Dad?” I ask her and roll my lips, knowing exactly why she doesn’t want to do that.

“Never again in my life,” she retorts, and now my laughter is filling the phone. “Who still has sex at their age? And in the middle of the day.” Yup, there it is, she forgot her phone at the house and turned back and found them doing the nasty in the living room.

“What about Cooper?” I ask her.

“He’s got a million kids,” she jokes. “And before you ask me about Franny, I just don’t want to. The two of them seem to be in a race to make it in the Guinness book of records for how much one can have sex. It’s like five times a day at this point.”

“Eww, there are things that you should tell me and things you shouldn’t. That is one. I work with him and she’s my sister.”

“Well, he’s very light on his feet since his balls are always empty. So can I stay with you?”

“No,” I say and she laughs.

“I am going to book my flight and send you the details.” She ignores the fact I just said no. “See you tonight, little brother.”

She doesn’t even wait for me to say goodbye before she disconnects and I look down at my phone to see if Julia texted me. I don’t know why it bothers me, I’m also not in the mood to sit down and think about it. “Look who it is.” I look up and see Cooper coming into the room. He is dressed exactly like me, but he has a baseball cap on his head backward. He sits down in the chair in front of my desk. “So what’s new?” He leans back in his chair and I just stare at him. “Romeo.”

I roll my eyes and avoid looking at him. “What did Dad tell you?”

“Dad didn’t tell me anything.” It’s almost like he is singing the words to me. “Why, is there something he should have told me?” I can’t help but glare at him. “He didn’t mention you driving somewhere.”

“Oh, dear God.” I shake my head. “Of course you would get that logic.”

“Who doesn’t get that logic?” he asks, and Dylan sticks his head into the room.

“Is this a meeting?” he asks before he walks over and sits down in the chair next to Cooper. He looks at me and then at Cooper. “What happened?”

“If I say stay in your lane or get out of the car?” I try to repeat the words Max said. I mean it’s the only fucking thing I heard all night long. “Do you know what that would mean?”

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