Page 166 of The Plan

“So it’s okay when she does it? No, this is payback for telling you about what’s his face.”

“You don’t even remember his name,” August snickers.

“Exactly, so shut up and stop calling her names.” Sire sends Lis a glare, and she only flips him off.

“Yeah! I’m allowed to… to mingle.” Sage sounds like she’s also trying to convince herself.

Sire walks in and flops beside me on the couch just as August pulls Hazel on top of his lap.

“Who are you mingling with?” Sire wraps an arm around my waist and lays on my stomach.

“Who even says mingling anymore?” August rests his head on Hazel's shoulder, rubbing his hand up her leg.

Both boys are still in their uniforms, and they look exhausted. I can only imagine how badly their coach yelled at them for the stunt they pulled at today's game. Instead of bringing it up with them, I turn to Lis.

“Why do you keep bugging her about this guy?” I remember she was also teasing her at my housewarming party the other week.

“When we were younger, the boys literally did not let her date. I mean, they beat up the guy she lost her virginity to.” I look down at Sire in shock, and he has his eyes closed with a small smile on his face. “So whenever she’s seeing someone, I make it a thing to rat her out at the amusement of their anger, but she does it to me, too. Sire just fucking babies her.”

I feel Sire shaking his head under me. “I do not baby her, you just take shit too far. All she did was tell me you had a guy over, and you’ve been calling her names for weeks.”

“Yeah, because you and August came to my apartment and scared him away, and it was her fault!” I don’t know if this makes me happy I’m an only child or sad I missed out on teasing a sibling. Hazel’s the closest thing I have to a sister, and she never let me tease her like this.

“Y'all are annoying,” Hazel mumbles, then tells August she’s ready to leave, but he only smiles at her.

“Be nice.” He leans in to kiss her, but she moves her head and gets up from his lap. I can’t help but laugh at how ridiculous theyallsound.

“Be grateful we stopped beating up yourandher boyfriends a long time ago,” Sire voices.

August laughs softly and turns to them. “Sage’s last one was actually decent. That new guy you had over did not wash his hands after using the bathroom and was mean to you.”

“Wait until you meethernew one,” Lis mumbles, and Sire picks his head up to look at her. When I glance at Sage, she looks like she looks beyond worried, so I quickly put her out of her misery and save her from her siblings.

“She’s joking.” I turn Sire’s face back to me. “What was that on the field today?”

He lets out a sigh, but August answers instead. “Walker is such a fucking bitch. That’s what happened.” Hazel is back with my first aid kit and picks up his head to clean the cut on his eyebrow. When he winces, she shakes her head at him and swats his hand away when he tries to stop her from touching it.

“He always wants to fucking talk shit. I’m going to knock his damn teeth out the next time I see him,” Sire adds, and they both look like they’re getting mad all over again.

“Don’t you think this rivalry between you guys is getting old? It’s been what? Six years?” I move Sire’s hair from his face and notice a bruise starting to form on his cheek.

“Seven,” they both correct me at the same time. I can’t believe we started college that long ago. I tell Sire to go and get ice for his face, but he shakes his head, too lazy to get up.

“I have to go.” Sage grabs her bags, but she has a weird look on her face. She waves us bye, and I move Sire’s arm from around me to walk her out.

“You okay?” I tilt my head to the side, and when she looks up at me, she looks so hurt. I start to wonder if Lis bugging her really did upset her, but she didn’t seem this bothered five minutes ago.

“Yeah… I just forgot I need to film a video today, so now I won’t be able to post it on time.” She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes like usual.

“Okay…” I open the door for her and step out. “If you’re worried about your brother finding out about Mr. Chocolate andPeanut Emoji, just know I’ll make sure to tell Sire to leave you alone, and he’ll tell Lis to fuck off.”

She laughs lightly and looks a bit more hopeful. “I don’t really care that Lis was being a pain. She’s just getting me back for snitching on her, and she thinks Sire is soft with me.” She shakes her head with her pretty smile. “She makes sure to be a headache and a half with me to make up for Sire ‘babying me.’” She does air quotes, but Sire really is a lot softer with her than he is with his other siblings.

She laughs again and already seems better, so I start to believe her when she said she was upset about not being able to post her video. I know she takes her job seriously.

“Well, hopefully, you can film and edit the video tonight.”

“Yeah.” She hugs me goodbye, and I wait for her to get in the elevator. She turns her phone back on as she waits, and the second the screen lights up, a few messages come in, and she gets another call.

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