Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Annie

I shouldn't be enjoying their bickering as much as I am. I probably also shouldn't be joining in like I'm part of the family, but it's impossible not to. Their relationship is very similar to the one I have with Suzie and falling into the same rhythm with her older brother, Ethan, is easy.

"So, jackass, how many hearts have you broken since the last time we spoke?" Suzie asks as she reaches across the console to jab at the buttons on the radio her brother had expressly forbidden her from touching.

Instead of smacking her hand away or snarking back at her, like I'd expect him to, as he'd done many times before on the numerous video calls I'd witnessed, he blushes instead.

"Oh! What does that face mean?" she teases.

Instead of responding to her, he looks up through the rearview mirror at me, his eyes searching for some kind of support. I completely understand. Suzie can be a bloodhound when she wants info on something. Unfortunately for Ethan, I am just as curious as she is, and won't be helping him out with this one.

"I think lil' ol' Ethan has a girlfriend," I sing-song instead, drawing another deep blush from the man in question.

"Oh!" Suzie squeals, hopping up and down in her seat like a bunny rabbit. "He does, he does, he does! Tell us, Ethan!" She grabs his forearm and squeezes it before pulling her feet up in front of her to hug her legs.

Ethan leans back against the headrest and lets out a gruff groan before taking a deep breath. "So, maybe I don't have a girlfriend. Let's just say I have a boyfriend instead."

The silence in the car is heavy. From what I know about Ethan, he's pretty much the perfect definition of a ladies' man. Which means this is a big moment for them. I sit back in the seat as far as I can, trying as hard as possible to make myself small.

Not that I need to. In true Suzie form, she takes it like the queen she is. "Ooh! What's his name? Have I met him? Is he hot? Will I get to meet him now that he's your boyfriend?"

"Oh my goodness, Suzie!" I interrupt her word-vomit before she can overwhelm her poor brother. "Take a breath and give the man a chance to answer a question, will ya?"

She sends a thankful wink my way before wiggling her butt into the passenger seat, settling in for a deeper conversation.

"You know him. Have known him for ages." Ethan's one hand comes off the steering wheel as he rubs at the back of his short-cropped hair. "It's been going on for a few months now, but we've been keeping it quiet. We were, uh, going to tell the dads over Christmas, so keep it quiet until then, yeah?"

I don't know who he's talking about, but from the delighted, yet surprised expression on Suzie's face, she has taken a guess. "No! For real? That's fucking awesome, E!"

Completely in the dark, and not wanting to interrupt their moment, I sit back and watch their interaction instead.

Suzie's blonde curls bounce around her head and her blue eyes are alight with excitement for her brother. His looks match hers to a tee, just in a much more masculine shape. And I can tell from just the set of his shoulders that he's relieved to have gotten the news out and that it went so well.

"How did it happen? When? Come on, E! How did you keep it quiet for so long?"

Ethan focuses back on the road, but this time when he talks to his sister, all the previous snark is gone, replaced with a fondness that warms my heart and makes me thrilled for him, and the guy he's talking about.

"Well, I guess, he's been crushing on me for some time. As he should."

Suzie smacks his arms at this, but nudges him to continue telling his story.

"We'd been working a lot of long hours and often ended up either at his place or mine working into the mornings and then passing out together on the couch or our respective beds. One morning, I woke up cuddling him like a lovesick teenager. He took that as some kind of sign that I returned his feelings and kissed me. I freaked out, ran away and didn't talk to him for two days. I also couldn't stop thinking of the kiss and how much I liked it until I realized it was my best friend giving it to me. So once I stopped being a pansy, I called him, we talked and we tried and now we're thinking about buying it."

Amid his story, I realize he's talking about his childhood best friend, Cole. I haven't ever spoken to him or even met him via a video call like I had Ethan, but I've heard of him a lot. They grew up together and started a fairly successful construction company together. They buy cheap, broken-down houses, fix them up and then flip them for a nice profit.

"What do you mean, buying it?" Suzie freaks out.

He shrugs now, no longer looking embarrassed or sheepish. "Exactly what you think it means. I asked him to marry me. That's why we have to tell the family over Christmas."

Suzie's quiet. For once, her brother has done the impossible. Not willing to let his big declaration go unacknowledged, I lean forward.

"Congratulations, Ethan!" I clap him on the shoulder before sitting back again, the smile on my face so huge.

My love life might have gone to shit the last two months, but it's always nice to have the reminder that other people out there are finding their happily ever after. It makes it even better that it's in such unlikely places. It gives me hope that there's something out there for me. Something with someone special that won't cringe at my needs and won't make me feel like a tremendous burden.

And maybe even someone who knows how to keep my more excitable tendencies under control.

A girl can dream, right?

"Thank you, Annie. I still can't believe he said yes and will put up with my bullshit, but he already agreed, so he can't take it back now." He smiles at me through the rearview mirror and it's super easy to return the gesture .

"How the hell have you kept it a secret from Lorcan and Monty?" Suzie asks, referring to their parents.

"It's been way too easy," he responds, looking at Suzie with a deep furrow on his brow. "I wanted to talk to you about that. It feels like something is up with them. They're distracted, constantly bickering and haven't noticed anything . They even walked in on us right after we'd been making out and didn't pick up on the vibes. It's fucking odd, Suze."

"Shit. That's not good."

My thoughts ran right along with Suzie's sentiment. Obviously, I didn't want her parents to be fighting or on the outs with each other. But I really didn't want that to be happening while I'm staying with them.

"Suzie," I start, but before I can say anything else, she holds her hand up to silence me.

"Shut it, Annie-babe. You're coming to stay with me. And if I have my way about it, you won't be leaving for a good long while." She gives me a hard look. "If push comes to shove and things are too weird at home, then we move into the pool house or go to the cabin at the lake. We won't be able to get any work done down there, but at least we can have a proper break."

"Ugh!" I exclaim, throwing my head back. "Fine."

Both Suzie and Ethan laugh at my theatrics.

After their laughter dies down, Suzie looks over at her brother, her face growing red before she voices her turmoiled thoughts.

"So, when last have you heard from Peter?" Her tone is soft, betraying her emotions even more than her body language does.

Ethan snuck a quick look at her before answering. " Oh you know, we talk every other week. He's been real busy with his new job."

"Oh." It was Suzie's only reply.

My heart breaks for her. It's been almost two years since they broke up, and even though she pretended to move on while in London, it was painfully clear that she was still hung up on her highschool sweetheart.

Taking pity on her, I change the subject to Ethan's wedding plans.

Throughout the rest of the drive to their house on the outskirts of the burbs, brother and sister engage in chatter, occasionally drawing me into the conversation. My heart fills with warmth at the inclusion. Growing up as an only child was lonely at times. Okay, that's a lie. It was lonely all the time. Because as much as my parents supported me financially, they were very involved with each other. I was an afterthought. And now I'm not even a thought at all.

Refusing to give into the dark thoughts, I bring my attention back to the siblings in front of me, just in time to notice us pulling into a large, tree-lined driveway. The large Victorian mansion is nestled amidst lush greenery and towering oak trees. Elegant white columns complement the red brick exterior and a wrap-around veranda. It's exactly the storybook house I pictured Suzie growing up in and I'm very excited to be staying in it with her, for at least the next couple of months.

As we pull up to the huge front door, my gaze lands on them.

I mean, I've seen them on video chats. I have. But nothing I've seen there has prepared me for the absolute perfection standing on the top step at Suzie's front door.

Holy fucking shit. I'm in trouble.