Page 58 of The Anaconda Downstairs

Ah, older brothers. What would we do without them?

I made my way to the couch, plopping down next to Hayes. His face was drawn, eyes haunted in a way I'd never seen before. It scared me more than I wanted to admit.

“Alright, little bro.” I injected as much cheerfulness into my voice as I could muster. “Time for some good old-fashioned distraction therapy.”

Isak queued up Mario Kart, and I watched Hayes closely. The reluctance in his movements, the tightness around his eyes, and the unadulterated frustration brewing just below the surface all showed that this went deeper than just cracking his head. He was scared.

I hated to see that in him. He was our little genius superstar. The best of us all. I might be able to give him love life advice, and had, but I didn't have a fucking clue how to fix this utter dread he was going through.

The best I could do, that any of us could do, was to be here for him.

It worked for a little while too. But I noticed the way Hayes struggled with the controller. His fingers fumbled over the buttons, his coordination off. Each time he died in the game, I saw the frustration building.

It was like watching a pot about to boil over. And when it did, it was explosive.

“Damn it,” Hayes growled, throwing the controller down. “This is pointless. I can't even play a stupid video game.”

I exchanged a worried glance with Declan. This wasn't just about the game, and we all knew it. I wanted to say something, anything, to make it better. But what? That I understood? I didn't really. We'd all had injuries, but, knock on wood or, rather, our advanced tech helmets, none of us had ever suffered a concussion. Plenty of pulled muscles, a few broken bones, and more scrapes and cuts than you could shake a stick at, but nothing that took us away from playing the game we all loved.

I certainly couldn't tell him that it would be okay. The words felt hollow, even in my own mind.

Chris was the one to speak up. “Hayes, it's okay. This isn't your first injury, kid, and it won't be your last. We've all been there. You're still healing. No one expects you to be at the top of any game right now.”

I admired Chris's gentle approach, the way he could find the right words when the rest of us were fumbling. It made me think of our mom, how she always knew exactly what to say to soothe our hurts, big or small. He was going to be a great dad someday.

But Hayes wasn't soothed. His laugh was harsh, bitter. “That's the problem, isn't it? I'm not at the top of my game. I'm not even in the game. I'm just fucking... useless.”

The rawness in his voice hit me like a tackle. I saw the tears welling up in his eyes, and suddenly, I was transported back to that hospital waiting room years ago, all of us huddled together, waiting for news about Mom. The same helplessness washed over me. What if we couldn't fix this? What if Hayes never fully recovered?

But then I caught Dad out of the corner of my eye. He'd know what to say and do. His voice cut through the tension. “Okay, boys, I think it's time to call it a day. Let me have some time with Hayes.”

As we filed out, I paused by Hayes, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “We're here for you, bro. Whatever you need.”

The words felt inadequate, but they were all I had. I always thought I was good at helping people with their problems, but I think I was simply good at the fun parts. No one came to me for anything really serious. I was the go to guy for... dating lessons.

And, suddenly, all I wanted was to see Penelope, to hold her close and remind myself of what really mattered.

Family. Love. The precious, precarious present.

I pulled out my phone and dialed her number, my heart already lighter at the thought of her voice. But she didn't answer. Probably just busy working. She and Kelsey were deep into their super-secret sneaky planning for announcing Kels’s next album.

So I sent her a quick text.

Sneak away when you can, and I make it worth your time *winky face*

We'd only been able to steal moments with each other in the past few days and... I missed her. Her reply was simply a matching winky face.

I trudged up the steps to my house, feeling like I'd just played a triple-overtime game. The weight of the day—seeing Hayes struggle, feeling so damn helpless—sat heavy on my shoulders. But as I pushed open the front door, all that weight lifted.

Penelope was there, curled up on my couch, smiling at me like she belonged there. Like she'd always belonged there.

“Pen,” I breathed, and suddenly I was across the room, pulling her into my arms.

She came willingly, her body molding to mine as if we were two pieces of the same puzzle. I buried my face in her hair, breathing her in, letting her presence wash away the day's tension. And then her lips were on mine, soft and insistent.

In seconds I had us both naked and slipped a condom on. I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in her. But my sweet Penny was still the slightest bit shy about letting me worship her body. She wasn't hiding it from me, she wasn't covering herself up, but the way her fingers fluttered at her side, and the way she held her shoulders forward like she wanted to wrap her arms across her body, were such obvious signs that I still had some work to do to help her believe she was the most beautiful woman in the world to me.

I felt privileged as fuck that she was comfortable enough to give this much of herself to me when it was so hard for her.

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