“Mrs. Aldridge, it is so good to see you,” Yates, the polite bastard, greeted. “I was just telling Dahlia that my parents are extending an invitation for dinner tonight.”
Damn him.
“Oh, how wonderful!” Her eyes flashed to Stratton, who offered her a small, awkward smile. “Stratton! Sorry honey, didn’t see you there. How is your grandmother? I’m so glad the three of you are hanging out together, just like when you were little. I miss those times,” she said wistfully. “Dahlia, honey, you don’t have plans tonight, do you?”
The boys blinked as I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, loving how hyper my mom could get. She was a complete extrovert, and she literally fed off being around other people. At parties, you could practically see her getting high off the energy of it.
“She’s doing good today,” Stratton answered, unable to help his instinct to be polite despite the topic making him tense. I smoothed a hand through his hair, hoping that it would calm him. My mom didn’t comment on the action, if she noticed.
“Be sure to tell her I said hi and let me know if she wants me to come over to help around the house. I’m always next door, and I know you kids are busy celebrating being done with school,” she called out happily before walking back inside, not waiting for an answer on my plans for the evening.
She knew I didn’t have any.
“What are you doing, Yates?” I scowled, trying to not smile at the frown that slipped onto his face. “I can’t eat with you sitting across from me.”
“Too bad,” he chuckled, walking backward towards his car before calling out, “Just wait until you hear what my dad’s idea is tonight. You better get used to spending time with me, bunny.”
What the hell did he mean by that?
His car pulled away, revealing King and Dermot crossing the street, causing Stratton to stiffen slightly. I continued to run my hand through his hair and didn’t move, remembering his insecurity about King. I didn’t care what I had to do to bring Stratton back to us, I would make it happen. King offered Stratton a speculative look while Dermot moved his confused yet curious gaze from Yates’s car to my hand in Stratton’s hair. His green eyes flashed with something that had me nearly arching my brow, because call me crazy, but it almost looked… envious? Interesting.
I needed to remember to introduce him to everyone—I’m sure he wanted to meet all his new neighbors.
“King,” Stratton greeted, his voice filled with tension. “Good to see you made it back stateside.”
“It’s nice to be back,fully.” King’s voice was filled with warning as his eyes flashed to the limited space between Stratton and I.Oh lord.Can we say overprotective?
“Dermot!” I chirped, walking down the steps after squeezing Stratton’s shoulder. “It’s so good to see you again.”
I was ignoring the staring contest behind me as Dermot looked at the two competitive men for a moment before seeming to shake himself of some thought and looking back down at me. And let me tell you, it was quite the distance. He had to have been 6’5’’, right? I mean, that seemed extreme, but the man was very large. I loved it.
“You as well, lass,” he rumbled. King snapped his head towards his cousin, giving another look I didn’t fully understand. What the heck was going on with him today? I didn’t get the feeling King was even upset, not really. He just seemed… on edge? Like he was annoyed about something. Or with someone? Honestly, that could be completely incorrect. He just seemed a bit off.
“Well, brother, I didn’t get an invitation to his little party, what about you?” Immediately, a smile broke onto my face as I turned towards Sterling’s voice, setting my gaze on my two other best friends.
“Can’t say I did, brother,” Lincoln admitted softly.
I was already in Sterling’s arms upon his twin’s answer, wrapping mine around his muscular waist as he dipped his head and lifted me up. A squeak and small laugh escaped my throat as I ran my fingers through his warm cinnamon-colored hair that contrasted his azure blue eyes, which were watching me with amusement and affection. I knew they had just gotten back from practice, because they both smelled freshly showered.
Sterling’s strong jawline had a slight scruff on it, and the shirt he wore, despite being clean, had paint on it, his jeans and tennis shoes equally as worn and colorful. No matter how much money you had, an artist was an artist… and artists were sometimes messy as all get-out.
“You and you,” I pointed out to his fraternal twin, Lincoln, who wrapped a hand around my waist while smiling at me, “have an eternal standing invitation to hang out.” It was true, and Lincoln knew it. His white-blonde hair, almost sugar-like in coloring, had slight golden red undertones to it, but his eyes matched his brother’s almost exactly. Lincoln’s polo and brightly colored shorts, though, were a far cry from his brother, and while the first wore contacts, the second wore a pair of dark rimmed glasses that made him look like a blonde Clark Kent.
This right here? This was my favorite look on them. I’d seen them dressed to the nines, but nothing was better than this.
Wait, that’s a lie. When we had a movie night and they were in hoodies and athletic pants, that was equally as wonderful. I mean, I couldn’t count the amount of times I’d fallen asleep between them in their home movie theatre in the basement of their property. I’m just saying, there was totally an opportunity missed there.
“Lincoln. Sterling.” Kingston offered an authentic smile as they did that weird guy hug. I wasn’t fully focused on anyone but the twins, though, at the moment, as per usual when I was with them or within a few feet of them, even. I felt a bit enamored by their presence.
Despite their rugby practice schedule, we had seen one another almost every evening this summer. I mean, to be fair, it was an easy task, considering they lived just on the other side of Stratton.
Speaking of which, my gaze snapped to the side as someone shifted in my peripheral. I frowned, watching as Stratton walked back towards his house, his hands tucked into his pockets as he seemed to think about something. I was sprinting across the yard as I hurried to reach him, grasping his forearm and pulling so that he would stop. He turned with a surprised arched brow as I kept my hold on him.
“Where are you going?” I demanded, feeling hurt he would just walk away without a goodbye.
“Didn’t want to interrupt the reunion,” he offered, looking exhausted despite his attempt to be sarcastic. “Figured it was a good time to dip out.”
“Why? You don’t need to. You’re my friend, Stratton, and you know they consider you the same. Come hang out with us, you haven’t in forever,” I pointed out, making it very clear that I wanted him there.