Page 64 of The Anaconda Downstairs

I took a deep breath, preparing to lay it all out for my brother. It was time for the truth, whatever the consequences might be.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to say. Declan waited, his usual impatience tempered by something I rarely saw in my older brother, concern.

“Pen asked me to give her... dating lessons,” I said the words, and even to me they sounded made up. “At first I didn't want to, because I knew how you felt all big brotherly for her. But, dude, she turned those pleading little puppy-dog eyes on me, and,fuck, well, I was dead. I'd have taught her how to fly to the moon and back. I'm telling you, Wiener the Pooh's got nothing on Pen when it comes to begging.”

Declan's eyebrows shot up. “Okay, so you're not sleeping with her?”

“Uh, well...” I rubbed the back of my neck and turned my face away. Maybe if I didn't look right at him, he wouldn't punch me directly in the face. I surreptitiously dropped my other hand to cover my junk. “Remember that night I fled my snake-infested house and crashed downstairs at yours?”

“God dammit. I knew all that noise wasn't Pooh having crazy dog dreams like Kelsey said.”

Here it came. I closed my eyes and tensed up my muscles, trying to predict where he was going to punch me first.

“Are you in love with her?”

Ooph. That was not the punch to the gut I was expecting. I peeled an eye open and looked to see if he was just suckering me into engaging so he could tackle me with my eyes wide open before he pummeled me into the ground.

He wasn't. Declan waited, studying me, seeing me better than I saw myself.

“I'm so fucking in love with her, I don't even know what to do.”

“I knew it.” Declan gave a little fist pump. “That's why you've been playing so damn good the past couple of games. Chris owes me money.”

“You bet on my love life?”

“Yeah.” The duh in his voice was loud and proud. “And it wasn't no five bucks either. I'm gonna buy Kelsey a new fucking car.But why the hell are you sneaking around like teenagers?”

I leaned back deeper into the couch and stared up at the ceiling. “Pen wants to keep it quiet. Said she wanted something just for us, away from the social media circus.” I paused, the nextpart harder to admit. “And now, with this Odin situation... she wants to fix it before we go public. She's afraid of the ridicule, the judgment.”

Understanding dawned on Declan's face. “Damn. Kels was right. She's been worried that Penelope's insecurities have been eating at her. She only posts super cheerful, positive stuff on the socials and Kelsey knew she was hiding something.”

I nodded, protectiveness for my girl prickling across my skin. “She's working on herself, Dec, and that's fucking hard. She's come so far, and I have to support her, but?—”

“You're not okay with hiding?” Declan asked, filling in the words I was having a tough time saying.

I opened my mouth to defend our decision, but the words stuck in my throat. Declan's gaze softened.

“Ev,” he said gently, “are you sure that's the only reason you haven’t told any of us about your feelings for Pen?”

I jerked back like he had actually punched me. “What the fuck do you mean by that?”

Declan leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “I mean… are you sure you're not hiding because you're scared too?”

Oh, shit. The denial was on the tip of my tongue, but something in Declan's expression made me pause. I thought about Penelope, about the depth of what I felt for her, about the reticence, honestly, the fear that had gripped me every time I thought of telling her... I made excuses not to say it.

“I love her, Dec,” I admitted quietly, the words carrying the weight of everything I'd been holding back. “I'm in love with her, and it scares the hell out of me.”

Declan nodded, no trace of surprise on his face. “Does she know?”

I shook my head. “I haven't told her. We've only been together for real since Christmas Eve. I'm not sure she feels thesame way. She's still so guarded sometimes, and I... I don't want to push her.”

“So you're both hiding,” Declan said, but there was no judgment in his tone. “You from your feelings, her from the world.”

Put like that, it sounded ridiculous. I let out a humorless laugh. “Some love guru I am, huh?”

Declan snorted, a hint of his usual gruffness returning. “You've always been better at dishing out advice than taking it, little brother.”

Ouch. I'd been prepared for a beating, but the kind of punches Declan was dishing out were hitting way harder than his fists. “I told her we need to come clean to the family at least. I hate lying to you guys.”

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