I simply shake my head in response. Kyle’s a bottomless pit. You have to watch food as well as drinks in his presence. I turn the griddle pan on to heat up for the pancakes, looking out the window to see where Mindi and Dad have gone. They’re in the driveway talking with our neighbors, the Fields, as they go on their morning walk with their poodle Grizzly.
“So, I overheard something last weekend.” I turn at Kyle’s apprehensive tone, and see his long body leaning against the kitchen counter, his ankles and arms both crossed.
I eye him curiously. “Who did you overhear?” I ask, grabbing a large mixing bowl and turning to the fridge for some ingredients.
“I heard you tell Max that you love him.”
I set the ingredients down and turn to look at Kyle, knowing that there’s more.
“I have to say, it scares me a little. You’re really serious about him, aren’t you?”
I feel an edge of awkwardness between Kyle and me; not because I doubt my feelings for Max, it’s more that Kyle knows my reluctance to use words like love without meaning them. In many ways Kyle probably knows me too well.
“I do,” I answer. Kyle’s soft blue eyes stare intently at mine. It’s a similar one to the one that I receive from Max, like they’re reading my very soul. “So stop telling him you’ll punch him for coming around,” I tease in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Kyle snickers and bounces his leg a few times to an imaginary beat that only he hears, displaying a nervous habit that he’s always had. “Good, I’m glad he remembers that!” he says, pushing off the counter.
“Really though, I’m glad that you found someone that makes you so happy. You’re different with him. You seem happier, less consumed with trying to make everyone else happy.”
My mind begins churning with his words.
“Hey,” Kyle says, grabbing my hand, “that’s not a bad thing. I’m glad to see that you’re happy. We all are. He brings out a side of you that I just don’t see very often. You seem more carefree, braver. It’s good, I just…” he takes a deep breath “…I don’t know, I’m just being stupid. You’re my little sister and one of my best friends. It’s just weird. I’ve never seen you very serious with a guy. With Max it’s different. You look at him different, you act different with him, and I just feel like a sentimental asswipe.”
I wrap my arms around Kyle’s waist in a hug. “I love you too,” I say, burying my face in his shoulder.
“I love you too, Ace,” he says, constricting his arms tighter around my back. “I will kill him if he hurts you.” I nod into his shirt, smiling into the cotton.
Overly stuffed and feeling drugged from our food coma, Jenny, Kendall, and I sprawl out on the family room floor in the basement, giggling and talking about boys. I suggest that Jenny should meet my Philosophy teacher knowing that after spaghetti night nearly two months ago, Jenny deleted every last trace of Paul from her life. She immediately refuses, informing us she has no intentions of dating anyone any time soon. I’m not surprised. Paul could make any woman swear off men. Not ready to admit defeat, I Google him on the school’s website and find a small profile picture of him.
Kendall glances over my shoulder and grins. “That’s who teaches Philosophy? No wonder there was a waiting list! I want him to teach me a thing or two.”
“Let me see,” Jenny concedes.
I toss her my phone and she stares at the screen for a couple of moments, looking thoughtful before her lips creep up in a smile.
“How are you going to set me up with your teacher?”
I smile in victory and give a small shrug. I really haven’t thought that far ahead yet, honestly I’m not even sure that he’s single. I briefly consider how to pose a question to find out without making it look like I’m interested in him, because that would make things really awkward.
“I’m not sure yet, but I have to go. It’s nearly midnight, which means it’s Max’s birthday!”
“What are you going to do?” Kendall asks with a wry smile.
“Go see him.” My sisters both laugh and shoot jokes to my back as I leave.
When I quietly open Max’s bedroom door I see his silhouette illuminated from the dim moonlight pouring through the open window by his bed that looks out to my room. He’s sprawled out on his stomach, his bare shoulders slightly rising with each of his heavy breaths.
I silently cross the room to his bed and lean over Max’s broad frame and softly press my lips between his shoulders, creating a trail of kisses ending with a soft bite to his shoulder.
“Mmmm, Ace.” He moans as his hand snakes out and grasps my thigh while I place a hand on the bed and gingerly climb up and straddle his lower back. His eyes remain closed as I lean closer to him, running the tip of my nose up his jaw line to his ear.
“Happy Birthday, Max,” I whisper against his ear.
A smile forms on his lips and his hand squeezes my thigh. “You’re the best birthday present I could’ve imagined,” he says softly, his voice deep from sleep.
I kiss along his neck, absorbing the heat of his skin that radiates his spicy, sweet scent. He gives a soft groan in response, his muscles clenching, notifying me that I have his full attention.
“Want to go do something crazy?” I whisper between kisses.
“With you? Yes.” He shifts, rolling over to face me, as his beautiful blue eyes finally open with a gleam of excitement.
“You look like you already have a plan in that head of yours,” Max says, reaching forward with both hands and placing them on my thighs. I nod and give him a seductive smile that makes his eyes open wider.
“Let’s go!” I whisper, quietly sliding off of the bed and making my way to the door.
“I need to get dressed,” Max says, sitting up and letting the blankets fall from him revealing a pair of dark mesh shorts hanging slightly lower than the band of his boxer briefs.
“No, you don’t.”
Max ignores me and grabs a T-shirt from his closet and reaches toward his dresser. I grab his hand before it closes around his keys and wallet and shake my head, indicating he doesn’t need them either. He looks reluctant but I tug his arm and he quietly follows me downstairs to the front door that I unlock.
“How’d you get in?”
“You really need to fix that latch in the sunroom,” I say with a grin as I lead us over toward the gate that goes into our backyard.
As I reach for the latch Max grips my arm and firmly pulls me to him so we’re chest to chest. His face is soft and he’s looking at me as though I’ve just done something significant, and earth-altering.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” I push up on my toes so I can place a kiss on his lips.
“For choosing me.”
My face breaks out in a grin as I kiss him once more. “Always you,” I whisper and kiss him again.
“Come on.” I interlace my fingers with his and open the gate, leading him to the dimly lit backyard. We stop in front of the blanket I had laid out, along with a bottle of whiskey and two glasses, a crème brûlée I had picked up at an Italian restaurant on Wednesday, and a small wrapped box.
“Come on, let’s take a drink. It’s necessary for crazy.”
“You did this for me?”
“I wanted to be the first to celebrate with you,” I answer, pouring some amber liquid into each glass and handing him one.
“You don’t like whiskey.”
“But you do, and this day is all about you.” I throw back the shot and blink a couple of times to fight the burning sensation that always bites more than licks. I smile as he shakes his head and then takes his own shot.
“What are we doing?” he asks as I take his hand in mine and lead him further into the yard.
“Going swimming.” Max looks at me trying to read my intentions. “Naked.”
“Ace …” Max quietly starts in protest.
I smile and lift the black tank top I’m wearing and toss it in the direction of a patio chair, not waiting to see where it lands before taking a few steps back toward the pool wearing a royal purple lace bra. Max shakes his head again and I can tell he’s debating with himself about objecting as I start shimmying my jeans down my legs, tossing them over in the direction of my top.