Page 40 of Winning You
Lucas’s brows went up. “Oh my god, I didn’t even know my couch was dark.”
Frankie laughed softly, and Lucas heard him walk over, then a tiny thud and a laugh when Elodie’s body hit the pillows. “Is that weird? Not knowing stuff like that?”
“Only when people make it weird.” Lucas examined the plate with his fingertips. He didn’t know if it looked pretty, but it smelled appetizing. “Does Elodie like her food cut up?”
“No, but it’s better if you do. Otherwise, she’ll try to swallow it whole. Like a snake.”
Lucas wrinkled his nose. He’d been allowed to feel a snake swallow a rat once, and he did not want to ever do that again. “Here. You start eating. I’ll get hers.”
“You don’t have to serve us, you know.”
Lucas hummed. “Yeah, but I want to. Last night was shit for everyone.”
“You helped.” Frankie stepped closer again. Lucas could feel the weight of his presence, and he wanted more. “I probably would have made a big mistake if you hadn’t held me.”
Not held me back. Held me. Lucas absolutely did not miss the words he’d left out. He swallowed heavily. “He deserved to get punched, but you didn’t deserve to face any consequences for it. He seems like the kind of guy who goes into McDonald’s and asks for the manager because the burger didn’t look exactly like it does on the menu.”
Frankie burst into laughter and swayed into Lucas’s space, his hand grazing the small of Lucas’s back. His touch lingered. “He’s exactly that kind of jackass.”
“Is Fallon going back to him?”
“Not if I can help it. He’s staying with me for a bit, and then he’ll probably stay at our other brother’s house. Fenton has more room than me. It’s just him and his fiancée, but they have a three bedroom. That’ll give Fallon time to find a new place.”
Lucas chewed on his lower lip, then said, “Would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow? Just…just you. If Fallon would be okay with watching Elodie. Not that I don’t want to spend time with her, but I thought it would be nice for you, and…I’m babbling.”
“Lucas?” Frankie said quietly.
“Mm?”
“Are you asking me for dinner for fun? Or because you think I need taking care of?”
“Neither. Well, both, but also neither.”
“I might need you to explain that,” Frankie said with a smile in his voice.
Lucas sighed. “Sorry. My brain is weird. Uh…I will have fun with you, and someone needs to take care of you. Clearly, you need it. But also, I want to cook you dinner because it’s been a bad week for all of us. You have a kid and probably can’t go far, but at least this would give you a moment? Also maybe you don’t want to do this at all. I’m going to shut the whole fuck up.”
“I don’t want you to shut up,” Frankie said. His voice dropped an octave, and he touched Lucas again on the waist. His fingers pressed in. “You’re okay hanging out with me even though I?—”
“Yes.”
“—fucked up pretty bad when we first met?”
Lucas snorted. “Yeah.”
“And I’m older than you. By quite a bit. You don’t mind that either?”
“Do you mind hanging out with me?” Lucas fired back.
“After getting to know you?” Frankie said. “No. I—” His words were interrupted by the sound of Gage and Fallon coming back into the room.
“Damn it,” Lucas whispered. Had Frankie been about to say more? Was he going to prove Gage right that he was making heart eyes at Lucas? There was no chance to find out now that Fallon and Gage were back and grabbing plates off the counter.
Frankie leaned into him very quickly and murmured, “I’m off at seven.” And then he was gone from Lucas’s space, and all that was left in the void was hope, anticipation, and a half chub he could only hope was concealed by his very thick pajama pants.
CHAPTER TEN
LUCAS
