Page 18 of The C*ck Down the Block

The two of them glared at Jules, but each shrugged, not really bothered. Flynn said, “This is the way.”

Gryffen repeated it as required. “This is the way.”

Hayes, who weirdly had a book on quantum physics in one hand, chimed in, “Gifts. Trixie likes unique things. Get her something nobody else would think of. “

“Like, hats for her chickens, or oh, arms. I saw those on FlipFlop. They’re hilarious. Trixie likes to laugh,” Isak suggested, while literally looking at his phone. Both he and Everett had ridiculously huge FlipFlop followings. I refused to even get the app on my phone.

Jules rolled her eyes, “Oh great, advice from the guy whose only relationship is with his online followers.”

Isak just shrugged. “Hey, they love me.”

“Guys, Chris needs to tell her how he feels.” Declan’s declaration caused a ripple of silence to spread through the lot of them. Jules sucking on the very end of her soda, very, very loudly, was the only sound in the yard.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Everett lean back in his chair, a bemused smirk on his face. As the family’s resident ladies’ man, who’d already told me what to do, he didn’t join in the chaotic brainstorming, opting instead to watch us flounder like a barrel of monkeys.

“Isn’t anyone going to ask Everett?” Hayes finally broke the silence, gesturing towards our silent brother.

“I thought we were saving the best for last.” Apparently he hadn’t let slip yet that I’d already spent all morning at his house going through almost exactly the same list of ideas they all had just mentioned.

Everett’s smirk through this whole convo never wavered. “He doesn’t need some game day style strategy.”

He looked me dead in the eye. “I already told you, just quit hiding your feelings for her. Trixie’s known you for years. Any attempts to be someone or something not a hundred percent you, will be as transparent as Flynn’s and Gryffen’s twin telepathy.”

The twins looked at each other and then flipped Everett off in perfect sync.

“Besides, we’ve all been waiting years for you to make your move. Now that you’ve admitted you’ve got feelings for her, we’re all anxious to push and shove you together, mostly to get you to quit looking like a sad fucking puppy whenever you think she’s not looking.” Declan raised his beer, saluting my years of misery.

Our family had always been tight. We had each other’s backs, and we cared for each other a lot. Family was everything. But more often than not in the past sixteen years, I was the one helping the rest of them, and I was more than a little overwhelmed seeing how they didn’t just say they supported me but were ready to band together to help me right back.

They all had punches in the arms and bruises coming from me. Except Jules, who’d get an embarrassing pinch on the cheek.

“All right, you cocky fucking Kingmans, this is by no means an actual plan, and I have no idea what I’m doing.” I had to pause just a second and clear my throat. “But with you lot conspiring for me, I can’t lose.”

I could and would probably fuck this up three ways to Saturday several times. I wasn’t used to letting Trixie see my feelings, but I was going to. The whole fake boyfriend for her reunion thing was just giving me the opportunity and excuse to spend even more time with her. I snagged Declan’s beer and raised it, but I didn’t have any words to express how these nosy assholes warmed my heart.

“For Trixie,” Isak said. He was such a softie in wolf’s clothing.

The rest of them, all suddenly serious, each lifted their own drinks. “For Trixie.”

Bring it on, high school reunion. The Kingman team was ready to play.

I was going to win Beatrix Moore’s heart or die trying. Ooph. My heart definitely skipped a beat. That had better not be a bad omen. I needed to go find my lucky socks to wear to this damn reunion.

PRACTICE MAKES FAKE PERFECT

TRIXIE

“Hold up,” Lulu’s face on my phone screen had me wishing I had just called instead of Facetiming her, “you asked him to be your fake date? Like you actually said the words fake date?”

“Yes. I don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal out of it.” It wasn’t a big deal. I mean, it shouldn’t be. We really were just friends. It would be fine. Just fine.

“I don’t understand why you didn’t ask him to be your actual date. He’s clearly into you. The entire Denver Metro area and anyone who follows celebrity gossip sites can see that.” Lu shook her copy of the Denver paper at me, even though I’d specifically told her not to go out and buy one after the reunion planning committee meeting.

Right. The photo that Rachel and Amanda threw in my face had become the shot seen round the world. I was definitely going to ask Chris how to deal with the media who were now stalking me. I had about a billion new friend requests on FaceSpace and way too many DMs. Someone had even left a voicemail requesting an interview and naked photoshoot.

My mom would be so proud. Ugh.

“Because we’re friends. It would be like if I asked you to be my date to the reunion.” Which I probably should have done anyway. The mean girls had taunted the two of us relentlessly about being lesbians in high school. If Lulu wasn’t already married to a lovely woman who I adored, and who she was pee her pants excited to bring to the reunion, I might have. It would have been less stressful than this lie I was getting myself tangled in.

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