Page 63 of Surrender
“Are you robbing the cradle, Colbie? How old is he?”
“Shut up,” Colbie responded. “He’s a few years younger than I am, but considering you’re almost ten years older than me, you’d think anyone my age young.”
“I’m just fucking with you,” Drew told her. “As long as he makes you happy, I have no issue.”
Colbie smiled at her brother. He’d always wanted what was best for her, and it wasn’t him, her sister, or their father she was worried about not accepting her relationship with Dallis. Though her mother might not come out and openly say anything, Colbie knew she would harp on her getting back with Will for a bit longer. Which meant she wouldn’t be accepting of Dallis at first.
“That doesn’t mean I won’t give him a hard time,” Drew told her with a smirk.
Colbie raised a brow. “Tell you what. I’ll take over what he’s doing, and the two of you can get to know one another.”
Colbie made her way to the kitchen, where Dallis finished putting away the items he’d gotten at the store. He turned to look at her as he closed the refrigerator.
“I believe Drew wants to do the obligatory big brother conversation with you.”
“Sounds like fun,” Dallis responded with a smirk, leaning down and kissing her.
“I’ll start on dinner,” she replied as he walked past her out of the kitchen.
Colbie washed her hands and glanced to the living room as Dallis took a seat. She wouldn’t actively eavesdrop, but she couldn’t be held responsible if they spoke too loudly and she heard them.
Colbie sat at her dining room table beside Dallis, across from Drew. They finished dinner about ten minutes ago and were sitting there talking and laughing. Colbie placed her silverware on top of her plate before reaching over and attempting to take Dallis’. He stopped her, grabbing her hand and kissing it.
“I got it, baby,” Dallis responded, taking hers from her, grabbing Drew’s and his own, and making his way into the kitchen.
Colbie could feel her brother looking at her, so she turned her attention from Dallis’ retreating back, to Drew.
“Dallis told me the two of you have been dating almost four months.” Colbie nodded and Drew inclined his head toward the ring on her finger.
“It’s just a Christmas gift.”
“I know. He told me,” Drew responded. “I like him, Colb. He seems good to you, and you seem far happier than you ever were with Will, and that’s all I care about.”
Colbie smiled. “I am happy. Which is insane because I was adamant about not being with him at first.”
“Because he’s younger.”
Colbie nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
She knew her brother wouldn’t judge her, but she didn’t want to tell him that Dallis was one of her students. At least not while he still was one. She would, however, come clean once he’d graduated.
Dallis returned to the table, and Colbie asked if the two wanted to watch a movie. However, Drew declined, said he had to meet a client early the following day and was just passing through.
Colbie and Dallis walked him to the door after he’d grabbed his gift bag, saying their goodbyes. Drew told Colbie with a smirk that he’d let her break the news to Cameron before he said anything.
When he drove off, Colbie closed the door and pulled Dallis over to the couch. She let him choose the movie since she’d forced him to watch all of her holiday favorites with her the day before. She was against his chest, and the movie was about to start when he spoke.
“So, your brother’s cool.”
“He’s a mess sometimes, but he, my sister Cameron and I are close.”
“I think he suspects that you were my teacher when you taught at Hamilton or that I was a student there when you did.”
“What?” Colbie questioned, sitting up to look at him. “Why would you think he suspects that?”
“Just the way he kept saying things, the questions he was asking.”
“Well, what did you say?”
