Page 21 of Hello Tease

Nine o’clock,and all of the younger kids were asleep. My house looked like a tornado had gone through it, but it was more than worth it for all the fun we’d had. After eating pizza for supper, we did an ice cream sundae bar and then had the world’s biggest prank battle for an hour and a half.

I sank into the couch across from Fletcher and Maya, who were curled under a blanket watching “Is It Cake?” I don’t think I’d ever been this tired in my life, and I’d survived the police training academy and ran a marathon a few years back.

Fletcher pressed pause on the TV and said, “Holding up okay?”

I let out a chuckle. “The Icy Hot on the toilet seat was a bit of a surprise.” Maya cackled next to him, and I got up, going to tickle her. As she squealed and giggled, I said, “Iknewyou were the mastermind behind that one.” Her dog, Graham, gave me a warning yip, and I backed up just so he wouldn’t wake the kids.

“Ha ha,” Maya said and stuck out her tongue. “I’ll sic my guard dog on you.”

I rolled my eyes at her and began picking up the living room. “Think the girls are having fun?”

Fletcher gave me a look and pressed himself up to help me. “If Liv’s involved, you know they’re having too much fun.”

“What does that mean?” Maya asked.

“Nothing,” Fletcher and I replied at the same time.

She let out a grunt.

“Let’s clean up now,” Fletcher said, “so you won’t have to deal with the mess in the morning. Princess Maya can keep watching her show.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, and we got to work.

For the next half hour or so, my brother and I worked our way through the house, picking up toys, cleaning dishes, and throwing out trash. When we were done, I went to the guest bedroom to check on the kids. Emily was on the top bunk, the guardrail holding her in, Leah lay in the bottom bunk that was at floor level, and Jackson slept on his back in the pack and play, arms splayed above his head, hands forming little loose fists. I snapped another picture of the kids sleeping and texted it to Larkin.

Knox: We wore them out for you. :)

Then I tucked my phone back into my pocket and walked back to the living room, where another episode of the show started playing. We had fun making guesses out loud, seeing who was right. But it came to an end, and Fletcher told Maya it was bedtime.

He kissed her cheek and hugged her, then she gave me a quick hug before heading back to my guest bedroom.

“Want to keep watching this?” Fletcher asked me.

“Sure,” I said. “I actually kind of like it.”

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I shifted my hips to see what Larkin had texted me back, my heart picking up speed like it had when she touched my arm earlier.

I told myself it was because I wanted her to trust me as her neighbor, but I wasn’t much for lying, especially to myself.

But when I glanced at the screen, it wasn’t Larkin. Instead, it was a group chat with some guys who graduated the same year as me and still lived in town.

Garth: FRESH MEAT *peach emoji*

My eyebrows drew together.

A video came through, and I recognized the place immediately. There were purple, blue, and white lights illuminating the dance floor at Twisters, where Larkin was dancing along with Henrietta, Liv, Della, Maggie, and Camryn.

Usually Garth was harmless, making dumb comments here and there, but an uncomfortable tension tightened my jaw.

Especially when some of the other guys replied...

Ron: DIBS!

Mike: We’re grown men. You can’t call dibs.

Garth: Should have come out with Dennis and me if you wanted dibs. I’m moving in on this one. *eggplant emoji* *water drops emoji*

My hand clenched on the phone.Fuck.

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