Page 77 of The Love Penalty
“I’m doing breakfast in bed.” I pinch some cheese and pop it in my mouth.
Casey wanders back to the kitchen with a knowing smirk. “I take it you’ve still got the Hawaiian Hottie in your bed, then.”
“Yep!” I grin. “She stayed.”
“Nice.” Casey nods, his eyes sparkling with a tired smile.
“She loves me.” I keep grinning like a happy chimp.
Casey’s eyebrows pop high. “She told you that?”
“Basically.” I nod.
His eyes narrow, and I can tell he’s about to ask for deets, but he’s interrupted by Baxter, who walks into the kitchen with a scoff.
“Love,” he mutters, rolling his eyes as he fills up his water bottle. “You guys are all so whipped.”
Casey snickers and shakes his head. “Just wait, man. Someone’s gonna catch you by the balls one day, and you’ll be powerless to stop it.”
Baxter’s unimpressed frown flatlines, and a flicker of something—holy shit, is that emotion?—scampers over his face before quickly disappearing.
I blink at him, but he just gives me a cautious side-eye before muttering something about a run and shoving earbuds in.
The front door thuds shut, and I turn to Casey with a mystified frown. “Did you see that?”
“Yeah.” He yawns again. “Maybe? I don’t know. I’m still half asleep.”
“He’s definitely been in love before… or he’s in love with someone now but maybe can’t have her… or him?”
Casey shrugs again, then whistles. “Fezz, come. Come on, boy.”
Scampering paws pad back into the living area and he races up to Casey, his little tail going a mile a minute.
I turn away from the cuteness because I don’t want to like that puppy who probably shouldn’t be here. And when he does shit like putting his little paws up on Casey’s leg and looking at him with those big doe eyes, it’s hard to not fall hard for the guy.
“Well, enjoy your breakfast, Romeo,” Casey mumbles, picking up the pup and patting his head while walking for the staircase.
“I will,” I tell myself, a giddy smile busting over my face again. “She loves me.”
As the toast is cooking, I race outside and manage to pluck a flower off one of the bushes running along the side of the house. We do the worst job of maintaining these, but it’s early spring now, and even though we neglect most of the plant life on the property, this hedge just keeps on giving.
Arranging the tray, I place the flower on the edge of it, then neatly set it with cutlery, a mug of steaming coffee, and the best fucking omelet I’ve ever made. It looks awesome. Even Rachel would be proud.
I strut back to my room. It’s impossible not to. I’m feeling on top of the world right now. Nudging open the door with my toe, I’m struck still for a moment, taken by the beautiful picture before me.
Lani is sitting up in my bed, the sheet wrapped around her boobs. Her black hair is tumbling over her shoulder, and a small smile is tugging at her lips as she thumbs through an old photo album.
Aunt Carla gave it to me for my twelfth birthday, and it’s always been a treasured keepsake. The album is filled with pictures of me and my cousins—Halsey and Harvey—growing up together. They’re only vacation pics, since they lived here and I grew up on the East Coast, but I would always spend a large chunk of time with them during every break. Sometimes my parents would send me out here, just to give themselves some space from the active toddler who then became the whiny five-year-old who went on to become the argumentative eight-year-old who wouldn’t shut up. I was the pain-in-the-ass (let’s face it) unplanned son they never really asked for.
But Uncle Hayes and Aunt Carla welcomed me with open arms. They basically made me one of their own, and I always used to wish I’d grown up with them instead. I wanted them to be my parents. I wanted Harvey and Halsey to be my brother and sister.
Lani glances up and notices me standing there, a smile stretching across her face the second she sees me. “You made me breakfast?”
“Hope you like eggs.”
“I do.” She nods, and I walk the tray over with a proud smile.
She lets out a soft laugh and pats the bed. I place the tray down where she told me to and nestle in beside her, resting my chin on her shoulder.