Page 45 of Shattered Rhythm

“Are you serious, Jax?” Chase cuts in with a laugh, interrupting Jaxon. “I know River is pussy whipped, but now you are too?”

River glares at him, and I can sense his anger building up. I’ve never seen him so standoffish towards Chase, and it raises my hackles. I take a step closer, standing directly next to River, and confront Chase.

“Jealous?” I ask him, presenting a united front with my twin.

“Jealous? Of what? Pining after the same girl my brothers are too?” Chase responds with a bitter laugh. I glance at River, who is still glaring, then at Jaxon, whose eyebrows are furrowed as if he’s lost in thought.

“Have you seen the girl we’re talking about, Chase? She’s funny, kind, strong, loyal, and not to mention the hottest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. Sharing her with my brothers doesn’t sound like a hardship to me.”

River nudges me gently with his shoulder, and I turn to him. His smile is reassuring, and I can’t help but smile back. Jaxon’s voice cuts through the moment, rough and serious.

“No one is sharing anyone,” he says. “Let’s not talk like that. We don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. She needs friends, and we want to be that for her because we care about her. I think a girl like her would run for the hills if she knew what you guys are thinking about doing with her. It would never work anyway. She’s a nice girl, but we’re not going to risk our family for that, you hear me?”

I glance at River, who’s already looking at me. We both understand the gravity of the situation and stay silent.

“You guys do whatever. I’m out,” Chase states, and I furrow my brows in confusion.

“What do you mean? Don’t act like you’re not into her just as much as we are.”

“I can admit she’s intriguing, but that only confirms that I’m not interested,” he says with a chuckle. “I’m not committing to anyone.”

“Sure, whatever,” I reply. “River and I are going out to buy some blankets and nachos. Can you open the door for her if we’re not back in time?” I ask him since I know Jaxon will be busy with his cooking once he starts.

“Sure, if I’m still around later, but I have a hot date tonight,” Chase announces, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Idiot,” River mutters under his breath.

“At least I’ll be getting lucky tonight, little brother,” Chase replies before putting River in a playful headlock, despite River being larger than him. I intervene, pulling my twin out of Chase’s grasp and pushing him towards the door.

As I walk away, I call back to Chase, “Sure, go ahead and convince yourself it’s worth it while you imagine Liv in that other girl’s place.”

* * *

Chase

Jaxon’s nervous energy is palpable as he busies himself in the kitchen, preparing snacks for their movie night. It’s unusual for him to go all out like this. For us, it’s usually just homemade popcorn and that’s it, but tonight, there are nachos with cheese sauce, sweet and salty popcorn, and an array of chocolates and gummy bears. River and Ryder are back from their hunt for blankets, all in the hopes that Liv likes to cuddle while watching a movie.

As I watch their efforts, I find myself contemplating their behavior. It’s a stark contrast to the way they used to be, but I don’t mind it one bit. If someone had told me a month ago that Jaxon would be excited about movie night with the twins and a girl they barely knew, I’d have laughed and called them crazy, but here he is, acting all nervous and shit.All because of her.

I love it for him. I just hope they can figure their shit out because it’s clear that all of them have a thing for that cute, funny, and fierce woman, but that could end badly.

The twins told me what Liv had said to them yesterday. I had already noticed the tension in the air after Ryder’s comment, and I can’t help but feel annoyed with him for it. I can’t deny that I had stood them up a couple of times in the past because I was hooking up with some girl in the locker room shower, so I can’t be angry, but I feel like shit that it made Liv feel bad, especially because she isn’t just another easy conquest for me.

Also, because I won’t go there.I can’t. The guys would kill me if I hit it and quit it with her, and I don’t know if that would even be enough for me this time. Normally, a display of jealousy like that from a girl I haven’t even slept with would be a major turn-off, but with Liv, it feels different. It’s nice to know that she cares, and that alone is a red flag. So I’m gonna skip their movie night, removing myself from the situation. I have a date tonight, in the hopes that hooking up with another chick will get Liv out of my mind.

The doorbell rings, and I go to the door, opening it with a wide smile.

“Hello there,” I say.

“General Kenobi!” Liv responds with a grin, and I chuckle.

Since when do Star Wars quotes make me hard?

“You guys going to watchRevenge of the Sithtonight?” I ask, stepping aside to let her in. She takes off her shoes, and I take her into the living room.

“Oh, I don’t care what we watch. I’m just excited to experience the magic of your ‘nearly a cinema’ living room. I’ve heard it’s the best in the city,” she says, winking at River. He stops fussing with the blankets and walks over to her, pulling her into a hug.

“Happy you’re here,” he whispers against her hair.

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