Page 56 of Just A Bet

Man, that feels like it was days ago.

All I can think about now is Grant. I want to be strong for him, but it didn’t stop me from crying all the way home while Taylor Swift sang about one of her many past loves.

What if Grant doesn’t believe me? What if he doesn’t give me a chance to love him the way I want to?

“Oh Lennox,” Juliet runs to me first and hugs me around the neck. She lowers her voice. “They totally believed it. Make them suffer.” She shoots me a quick smile before letting go, and I muster up the remainder of my revenge for them.

“Lenny,” Michael says, taking a hesitant step toward me, but I cut him off.

“My name is Lennox, and I’d like you to use it.” I never hated the nickname, but I want them to see me as a woman and that won’t happen as long as they keep calling me by the pet name I received as a baby.

My brothers look at me like I just sprouted wings. Maybe I have. I have to admit, I’m enjoying this.

“Are you okay?” Sean asks.

Something about the pitiful look in Sean’s eyes, and the fact that I just made an unrequited declaration of love for Grant, gets me choked up, and I start sobbing.

All my brothers jump back like I have a disease.

I shake my head. “Emotions are not contagious. Would you idiots give me a hug and tell me I’m going to be okay?” I tell them.

They obey, and for the first time in my life, I get to enjoy a hug with all my brothers, without fear of slime being dumped down my back.

“What can we do?” Trent asks, and I assume it’s him patting my back. He’s always been the most sentimental.

I sniff and look up at each of my brothers, making sure they each get a good eyeful of my pain. “Noa and I were supposed to get matching tattoos tomorrow.” I swipe at my tears. “I still want to do it. Will one of you do it with me?”

They shoot each other and me terrified looks, and it takes everything in me to not laugh.

“What?” Michael cracks first. “You want to get a tattoo?”

I start bawling, milking my tears for all their worth.

They beginarguing about who should do it with me. Trent votes Sean because he’s always wanted a tattoo, but Sean is voting Michael because he’s the oldest.

Two of them think they are getting out of it. But all three of them made the bet.

“Hey!” I look up at them. “Why don’t we all get matching tattoos?”

Their jaws hang open so wide I can see how Sean’s is still crooked from his motorcycle accident four years ago. And despite everything they’ve put me through, I love these guys to pieces.

“What?” Trent asks.

“Oh, what a nice sibling activity.” My mom speaks up from the kitchen.

I laugh but cover it in time to make it look like I’m getting choked up.

Worried looks cover my brother's faces again and they rush to comfort me.

“Okay! We’ll do it!” Sean pulls me in again and I smile into his chest.

“But it has to be small,” Michael says.

“And tasteful.” Trent begrudgingly agrees.

This time, the tears dripping down my cheeks are real. Noa was right. Their bets, while annoying and completely misguided, were their weird way of showing they love me.

Clearly, they could use more practice.

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