Page 162 of Love Thy Brother
Rubi grinned. “You’re feeling better, then?”
“What makes you say that?”
“Your dickhead chip has reactivated.”
Couldn’t argue with that. I kissed him again, then shifted so I could face him properly. “I feel like I could get up. Take a shower. Maybe leave the house before I start hating yours as much as I wound up hating mine.”
“It’s not my house, Riv. If we’re gonna live here, it’s ours.”
He was immovable on that. But that meant my house was his too, and he didn’t seem as keen on that.
Thinking of my Porth Luck terrace made me reach for my phone. The muscles in my arms ached with a dull throb, but it was nothing like the pain I’d brought home from the hospital. I ignored it and swiped the screen.
The messages I’d expected from Nash were ready and waiting, but there were new ones too.
Orla.
Cam.
Even Saint.
Goddamn. “You told them?”
Rubi winced. “Not exactly. I bottled it and made Nash do it, but he waited till Cam was holding the baby, so it panned out. Pretty sure he lost a bollock for keeping it from your sister, though.”
Guilt ate at me. Nash didn’t deserve my sister’s wrath. Like Rubi, everything he did was for the good of someone else.
“Hey.” Rubi rubbed my forearm. “Don’t feel bad. It was my decision to keep it quiet for a few days, and he agreed with me. Cam’s only upset because he thinks he let you down by not being here.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Nah, he just loves you. Can’t promise he won’t be kicking the door down later, though.”
“Nash put a new door on my house last night. It’s fucking pink.”
Rubi’s half-smile expanded. “I know. It was the only composite one he could source.”
“Of course it was. You gonna paint the window frames too?”
“I’d paint the fucking sky for you, Riv.”
I rolled my eyes, scrolling through the rest of my messages. Abuse from my sister. Two words from Saint.
Saint:get better
I sent a middle finger emoji to Orla and a thumbs-up to Saint.
Cam got actual words.
River:I’m fine. He’s fine. Can I see you later?
Rubi got up to make tea. He came back as Cam’s reply buzzed through.
Cam:I’ll find you x
“You think he’s been up all night?”
Rubi set mugs on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed. “Depends. If Alexei’s out and about, he might’ve waited up for him, but the elders are pretty domesticated these days. If they were all home, they’d have had an orgy after dinner and gone to bed early.”
