Craving The Wrong Brother (Sloane and Knox)

CHAPTER 016: Breakfast

Victoria rolls her eyes and strolls over to her husband. She kisses him lightly on the cheek. "Of course they can, silly."

"I don't think so," he says. "If anyone walks into this house and says he's your best friend, I'll kill him."

Victoria throws her head back and laughs. "You're such a Neanderthal, Julian. People don't think with their genitals all the time. Sloane and Finn are emotionally supportive friends. It's natural. Besides, I'm a little too old to be having new friends, so don't trouble yourself about killing anyone for my sake."

I want to disappear.

They're talking about me and Finn, dissecting our entire relationship dynamic, as though we're not right here. Finn glances at me, smiling like this is totally normal.

The plus side is that Julian has lost his brooding expression. He's now grinning at his wife.

Watching them together-how Julian softens, how Victoria looks at him as though they haven't been together for decades already-it stirs something foreign in me. Something tight and uncomfortable that nestles just beneath my ribs.

Jealousy.

What the hell?noveldrama

I have never-never-been jealous of Finn Hartley before. But right now, watching

his parents so effortlessly wrapped in each other's orbit, it's like watching a version of a life I've only read about in fiction. One I don't believe in.

I look away, choosing to study the wallpaper instead.

Julian's voice breaks the silence. "Welcome to our home, Finn's friend," he says, stressing the 'friend' part. "You look like you went to college."

I turn to him, startled. "I... I did."

"Which means you have a job?"

"I do."

"Sloane's a cybersecurity analyst for a tech company," Finn adds proudly.

Julian nods, satisfied. "Sounds intelligent, went to school, good-looking. Think about all these carefully, Finn, as I go off to the library."

He presses a kiss to Victoria's temple and disappears down the hall.

Victoria turns to me, beaming. "You must be starving, honey. Come along, we prepared breakfast for you."

Is no one going to acknowledge how weird Julian's statements were? No? Okay, cool. Let's just roll with this. Apparently, this family exists in a separate sitcom dimension where conversations about genital-led relationships, college certificates, jobs, and intelligence are preludes to breakfast.

Finn loops his arm through mine and guides me down the stairs.

I hiss under my breath, "Did you tell my mom to set me up with someone?"

"She asked," he says, shrugging. "Why would I say no? You're single."

"I'm supposed to be at my dad's next weekend."

"For a kid's birthday party? Come on."

"You had no right."

"I do." His voice lowers. "We need something else to distract you before you decide to do another silly thing-like screw my brother again."

God. He's never going to let it go. I feel like from this moment onward, I could save a burning orphanage, and he'd still be like, "Cool, but remember that time you fucked Knox?"

We reach the dining room, where one single setting waits on the massive table. A king's feast for one: scrambled avocado toast, buttery croissants, fruit, and a steaming cup of black coffee. Clearly, this was meant for me. Who el eaten their breakfast at 11:30?

"This discussion isn't over, Finn," I warn, already salivating.

He kisses my cheek. "Eat up. You look like a gho Successfully unlocked!

Then he turns and beckons Victoria over. She'd been walking quietly behind us, letting us whisper to ourselves, and now that Finn's attention is back on her, she's smiling again. They disappear to the adjacent living room, sinking into a couch and diving into vacation gossip. I hear snippets-about an Airbnb disaster in Madrid, Julian losing his luggage in Paris, Victoria flirting with a Swedish bartender "just to see if she still had it." She did.

sn't

CHAPTER 016 Breakfast

I smile to myself and start eating, tearing into the food like it's my last meal.

But then I hear it.

That engine. That unmistakable growl of muscle and menace that sounds like it eats weaker cars for breakfast.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

Please don't let it be him.

Let it be a random drug dealer neighbor who's here to say hello to the Hartleys.

Finn hears it too.

"Is that who I think it is?" he asks his mom.

She doesn't even hesitate. "Yeah. Someone spotted your brother in town and told

me. I had to drag his ass over here to come see his mother."

Finn groans. "Mom, we wanted this weekend to be nice."

"Then be nice to your brother. It's easy"

"Ugh. You've got to be kidding me."

"Finn.."

"Fine. I'll be nice."

My fork stills over the toast as the front door opens.

And there he is.

Knox-fucking-Hartley.

A vision in black, with tattoos peeking from beneath his rolled sleeves and a pair of sunglasses he definitely doesn't need indoors. In one hand is a plastic bag, one that somehow makes him more appealing. His swagger is the same, annoying and sexy, as he takes off his glasses.

Seeing him makes me think about things I shouldn't.

The grip of his hands on my waist as he rocked my world and made me see blue. The bruising kiss. The mirror fogging. His voice deepening as he instructed me to

let go.

His mom gets up and meets him halfway, arms wrapping around him. "My boy!

They don't feed you over there in New York?"

"I'll take that as a compliment, Mom."

She pulls back, eyes narrowing. "What's this bruise?"

Her fingers brush the faded mark on his cheek. The one Finn's fist left.

"It's nothing, Mom."

"This doesn't look like nothing. It's that job of yours, isn't it? It's going to get you killed."

"I know."

Then, finally, his gaze drifts past her. Past Finn. Past the awkward silence and directly to me.

Our eyes lock.

"Hello, Kitten," he says.