Page 172 of Defend Me

“I’m kidding. Jesus. Just… don’t bring any drug sniffing dogs around.”

He smiled and winked at me when it was clear Sen didn’t know whether to believe him.

“We should get going,” Brooks said.

He took the sides of my neck and kissed me, then pulled back and simply stared at me. Shaking his head, he came in to do it again. I clung to him tightly, even though we were about to spend an entire week together on avacation. It was still kind of crazy we were already doing trips.

I swore when he lifted me again. He held onto the back of my head and bit down on the side of my neck. The way he laughed was goddamn beautiful and it was impossible not to do the same.

“You guys are gross,” Sen noted. “But adorable.”

“Want me to pick you up like that?” Kai asked.

“Once they’re gone, yes. Carry me everywhere. I want to be your koala for the foreseeable future.”

The sound of a door closing made my head snap up. Suddenly, I was on the counter and Brooks was a few steps away with his hands in his pockets. Just past the entryway, there was a woman who had hair shockingly similar to his, just a little darker. With her deep olive skin and the way her lips and cheekbones matched Brooks’, it wasn’t hard to guess who she was.

“Mom,” he said, all traces of amusement gone. “Why are you here?”

Her eyes took him in from top to bottom, then scanned me and the others. I shifted my fingers so they were under my legs, adding some pressure to them. It helped the flood of anxiety, but it would be a lot better if Brooks wasn’t so far away. He was distant, and I had to remind myself that it didn’t mean anything. We’d all been caught off guard.

“You knew I was coming,” she replied. Her voice was kind, but it didn’t feel genuine. I wasn’t sure how I determined that. It could’ve just been my pre-established opinion of her.

On more than one occasion, Brooks had implied that he struggled more with his mom than his dad. When he talked about them, it was the mention of her that made him tense. He often said ‘they’ expect certain things from him, but any time he mentioned specifics things, he’d recall conversations with his mom.

It definitely didn’t make me eager to give her the benefit of the doubt. She’d have to earn my respect.

Brooks shifted. “You were supposed to be here this afternoon.”

“I changed my flight.”

“Why?”

She raised a ridiculously perfect brow. “Is it a problem?”

“No,” he said quickly. “Of course not.”

“Good.” Her gaze went to me again, then Sen and Kai. I could tell he didn’t like the way she looked at us.

“Where’s Dad?” Brooks asked as his gaze traveled past her.

“He was held up on a case and kept the later flight. He’ll be here in a couple hours, but I thought me and you could get breakfast.”

“Oh.”

“You must be his boyfriend,” his mom said, coming closer. She looked at each of us. “Well, one of you.”

No pressure, Tilian. I just had to introduce myself to Brooks’ kind of scary mom who I already didn’t like. There was no doubt in my mind now that she wouldn’t approve of me.

I smiled at her the best I could. “That’s me. I’m Tilian.”

“I’m Ava.” She held out her hand.

When it came to people like her, I wasn’t into handshakes or other outdated traditions meant to convey nonverbal messages- confidence, superiority, dominance, et cetera. I’d asked Brooks about the claim that he was able to manipulate situations and figure people out. I learned that there were an unnerving number of ways someone could read a person through simple things like handshakes.

What they did with their eyes, how they moved, and how much they touched themselves or the things around them could reveal the way they felt about certain topics or the company they were with. It was a way to figure out their likes and dislikes and from there, possibly identify strengths and weaknesses by methodically steering conversations to gather information. It felt like simple dialogue between two people, but it was a game. Always a fucking game.

There was no doubt in my mind Ava would be playing that game, probably on a much higher level than Brooks did. He, at least, cared and didn’t seek to use information to hurt people. I didn’t believe that was the case with her.

---