Chapter 6

Okay, part of me feels like shit because of the way he ran away like I pounced on him. I kind of did, so maybe I shocked him? I want to regret making a move, but I can’t bring myself to feel anything other than … happiness.

For a moment there, he seemed at war with himself and let his walls down. He kissed me back. That much I’m sure of.

It makes me wonder what’s wrong with me. I’m pretty convinced he’s attracted to me, and I don’t really look that bad. So why?

The whole day I try to scrub him off my mind. I don’t have work, so I have plenty of time on my hands. But even after deep-cleaning the whole apartment from top to bottom, I realize it’s only 5 PM.

Fine, I’m destressing in the best way I know how—by baking cupcakes. I do a quick check of my pantry and decide on strawberry shortcake cupcakes. It’s a good distraction, but after realizing I made enough to feed at least seven people, I sigh and think about what to do with the extras.

I’ll keep a dozen, of course, but I don’t know the other people on this floor yet, so it might be weird to knock on their door and offer these sweet treats after more than a week since moving in.

Then, it hits me.

I almost laugh out loud when I realize I’ve been thinking of bringing some to Alec all along. It’s a good excuse, isn’t it? I made too many, so why not share? I can hear Mom yelling, ‘Go girl!’ at me.

Alec munched on a cinnamon bun during our breakfast date—yes, I’m calling it a date from here on out—so I figured he had a sweet tooth. Then again, gifting him these cupcakes could also be a way of apology for how I behaved last night.

I don’t regret the kiss, but stumbling and slamming on his door? Yep. That memory deserves to be buried so far in the back of my mind.

I continue to debate with myself if I should do this. Will he think I’m starting to get incredibly clingy to him? After the way he ran like the devil was on his heels, I’m not sure what he thinks about seeing me.

Oh, well. I’ll never know unless I try.

When he opens the door, Alec pins with a look that confuses me. Is he guilty? Angry that I’m here? Or exasperated that I won’t stop badgering him?

Or wait…

What if he actually has a girlfriend and she’s visiting him? Jealousy eats at me, coiling hot in my stomach. I never really asked him, right? I just assumed.

Oh God. Maybe that’s why he’s been distancing himself, and I’m essentially forcing myself on him.

Then, a male voice calls out from inside, “Who’s at the door, Alec?”

Hmm. Maybe not a girlfriend, then. A boyfriend?

Another guy drapes an arm over Alec’s shoulders. He’s about two inches shorter, with curly brown hair that reaches his eyebrows. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that they’re related, especially with how similar their eyes look.

The guy beams at me, and it’s so genuinely warm that I can’t help but smile back. “Hello. I’m Jasper, Alec’s brother. I don’t believe we’ve met.”

My cheeks burn, and my words stumble over one another as I shift my weight from one foot to the other. “H-hi. Oh, uh. Uhm, my name’s Zara from downstairs. I, uh, accidentally baked too many cupcakes. I’ve never been good at making just enough sweets for me. I always overbake. Not sure if that’s even a word, but I thought Alec might like some.”

Jasper’s smile only broadens at how flustered I look and sound. But he squeezes Alec’s shoulder and raises one bushy eyebrow at him. “Cupcakes, huh? I didn’t know you liked sweets, brother.”

Alec rolls his eyes and opens his mouth to say something, but another guy breaks them apart and flicks his eyes from one to the other. “She brings cupcakes, and yet none of you had the manners to let her in.”

Oh my God. As if two hot brothers aren’t enough, I’m seeing another exact duplicate of their eyes. This time, it belongs to someone with light brown hair, neatly styled —the longer hair on top swept forward and the short hair tapered on the sides—and a five o’clock shadow.

He presses his lips into a thin line as he stares at Jasper and Alec, but he cracks a smile when he finds my gaze. “I’m Jameson. I apologize on behalf of these rude idiots, Zara. I promise you, our mother taught us better than that. Please come in.”

He shoves Jasper behind him and Alec in front, so I awkwardly shuffle between these tall men, feeling small and out of place. Of all the times I could’ve dropped by, I chose the time they were having a family gathering.

Turning to Jameson, I give him a soft smile. “I really just came here to drop these.”

He takes the box from me and gives it to Jasper, who immediately opens it and dramatically inhales the smell. “God, this smells good.”

“The least we can do is offer refreshments. We have a sweet tooth, so consider this some sort of bribe for you know, when you accidentally bake extras in the future.” Jameson winks, and I have to tamp down the urge to giggle and blush like a schoolgirl. “Take a seat, Zara.”

I sink onto the nearest sofa and almost yelp when I shift my gaze and find one more guy on the other end. He doesn’t say anything, but he gives me a sharp, tight nod before frowning at whatever he sees on his phone. His black hair is cropped close to his scalp, and he’s clearly the biggest among them—taller and wider by far than Alec.

Jasper points an empty cup at him. “He’s Justin, my twin.”

“Twin?”

Surprise must have shown on my face because Jasper chuckles. “I know, right? How can someone who looks like him share the same womb at the same time as me?”

Justin ignores Jasper, which earns him another chuckle. “See? Among the four of us, you have two grumps and two charming men. Our parents strove for balance, you see.”

Jameson has a hint of a smile before he asks, “Tea or coffee?”

“Oh, uhm. Coffee.”

“We have Americano, macchiato, latte, cappuccino.”

In the presence of these guys, I even forget how I take my coffee. Fortunately, I didn’t forget my own name. “Latte. No, wait. Americano. No, it’s too late and I might not be able to sleep. Just cappuccino, please.”

“Am I going to throw you into another round of confusion if I ask what kind of milk you prefer?”

“Alec keeps different milks?” I throw an accusing stare at him, just as both Jasper and Jameson roar with laughter.

“Oh, you assholes.” Alec glares at his brothers, but while that may have intimidated others, it has the opposite effect. Jasper and Jameson glare back, then laugh again.

I feel myself relax. I’ve only just met them, but I already feel comfortable around them, except Justin. He doesn’t really talk that much, but when Jasper sets the cupcakes on the coffee table, he grabs one and shoves it into his mouth. The biggest compliment is probably him grabbing two more.

Alec sits across from me, but his eyes never leave my face. When Jasper stands in front of him and motions for him to move beside me, Alec’s lips flatten before he ambles toward me and slumps beside me, putting himself between me and Justin.

My entire body tenses as I remember how it feels to kiss him. Alec stiffens too, and we both sit side by side, our backs ramrod straight, not talking to each other. All he has to do is reach out and grab my hand and I’ll melt into a pile of lusty mush.

Jameson notices the tension because he shifts his gaze from me to Alec and back to me. “This is seriously good, Zara. Is this what you do for a living?”

I lift the cup of coffee and take a sip before answering, “No. Just something I like to do in my free time.”

“You should open up a bakery,” Jasper says between mouthfuls of cupcakes.

“Can you at least swallow before talking? It’s disgusting.” Alec frowns and grabs one cupcake from the plate. He finishes it in two bites and turns to me. “It is good.”

My insides lurch, and I hide my smile by sipping more coffee.

“So how did you meet my brother?” Jameson asks. He’s the only one not stuffing his face with the cupcake. “Not because you’re neighbors because I’d bet Alec here doesn’t make friends with his neighbors.”

Two pairs of blue eyes stare at me intently, and I feel so conscious of their attention. “He helped me carry my books when the elevator broke down.”

“Has the elevator ever worked?”

“It did when I first moved here.”

“Damn. I keep telling him to move somewhere else, but he likes it here.” Jameson tilts his head to Alec. “Why do YOU like it here?”

We all look at Alec in unison, who pinches the bridge of his nose. “I just do. It’s peaceful and quiet.”

“Maybe because the elevator’s not working?” Jasper raises his eyebrows and wiggles them, making me laugh.

We chat for an hour more before Justin stands and stretches. If I thought he was huge, nothing could prepare me for how massive he looked standing. He may be just a bit taller than Alec, but he’s as wide as a door. “Okay, I’ve seen enough of your faces for today. Let’s go.”

One by one, we file out of Alec’s apartment. Jasper keeps on chatting with me about anything and everything. He even asks about my job and if I like the hospital I work at. For the first time, I feel envious of Alec. I’ve always wanted siblings.

I move to walk downstairs when Jameson touches my arm. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Zara. Thanks for the cupcakes again. Alec will walk you to your door. He’s just cleaning up our mess.”

“See you next time, Zara. Your cupcakes were really good. If you decide to open a bakery, I’ll be the first in line.” Jasper takes my hand and kisses my knuckles before he strides toward Jameson, who’s waiting by the stairwell.

Justin just tips his head to me without smiling. “Nice meeting you, ma’am.”

I don’t know how to respond so I just bobble my head like an idiot.

As I stand in the hallway waiting for Alec, I can still hear their chatter—mostly just Jasper’s and Jameson’s. Man, they’re so fun to be around. I can imagine how their holidays are.

“Hi. Just had to throw the wrappers or else I’ll come back to a house full of ants or worse.” Alec smiles apologetically and locks the door behind him.

Now that everyone’s gone and it’s just him and me, I feel the now-familiar thickness in the air between us, wrapping around us. This raw need for him isn’t funny anymore. I feel like I’ll die if he doesn’t kiss me again, but I’m so confused about what he feels for me. Does he want me, too? What did that kiss mean to him? What do I mean to him?