Page 35 of Roleplay at Randy's
I prop my phone on one of the stray pillows and throw my hands up. “I also called himprincesslike five minutes ago. We have an ongoing joke about me getting him off. Nothing is going on.”
Silence. Absolute silence. Miya cocks her head and purses her lips.
“Here's the plan,” she says, fixing me with a stern stare through the phone. “You're bringing him to the wedding. Before you argue, try and tell me you couldn't use the help with Cal.”
I blow out a slow breath. She isn't wrong.
“If you can live with him until the wedding and absolutelynothinghappens between you—and that includes you seriously wanting something to—then I’ll never bother you about your love life again.”
“That's a bold promise.”
“I'm confident.”
And I'm tired. I yawn and reach for the hem of my shirt.
“You know what, sis? Deal. Matty and I can flirt up a storm and it not mean a thing. You’ll see.”
“Looking forward to it, little brother.”
The screen goes dark, and I toss the phone onto my nightstand to finish undressing.
Scrubbing a hand over my face and through my hair, I throw myself back onto the pillows and tug the blanket over my head.
Now I have to tell Matty that he's been spontaneously invited to my nosey sister's wedding as my date.
That's not tempting fate at all.
9
MATTY
I’ma hot mess when Elias comes home from work. Cal absolutely refused any notion of sleep, so we’re sitting together in the living room singing nursery rhymes with his stuffed animals.
Five Little Monkeys, Baby Shark, and most recently, Wheels on the Bus.
I don’t actually mind, because Calum has the most precious smile, and he flaps his arms like this is the best rendition of the song he’s ever heard. It’s not, because my singing is atrocious, but he doesn’t care, and it makes my chest feel full and light when he starts singing with me.
Every time my hair would fall into my face, Cal would reach over and tug it, and while it wasn’t painful and there’s no malice there, I still braided it back so it would stop getting in the way. Cal thought that was hilarious, had run to his room, and came back with this rainbow headband that had little ears and a unicorn horn.
He hasn’t let me take it off.
That’s exactly what Elias sees when he opens the front door, mouth open in a greeting as he spots us.
The shock is temporary, though, quickly replaced with that sweet, dimpled smile that makes my heart jump into my throat.
“Aren’t the two of you just adorable?” Elias steps around the loveseat and plops into it.
Cal looks up and claps his hands. “Daddy shark!” He jumps to his feet all long, clumsy legs and no coordination, clamoring around the table to hop into Elias’ lap.
The pure joy on Elias’ face can’t be rivaled as he wraps his arms around his son. “Missed you, buddy.”
Cal shimmies himself until his legs are around Elias’ middle, arms looped around his neck, and after a quick round of rambles, he yawns and buries his face in his dad’s shirt.
It’s impossible not to smile at how cute they are.
Elias looks at me over Cal’s head and mouths, “Thank you,” which he then punctuates by leaning over and tugging lightly on my braid.
I roll my eyes but smile all the same.
