I have custody of my brothers now. They are officially mine to protect and care for. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.
And Tessa. I’ve wanted Tessa since the day I met her, so many years ago.
I wanna marry her.
Fuck, I wish we hadn’t fought.
Marrying her has been on my mind for a while, the urge getting stronger every day. I know I don’t have much to offer her, but she loves my brothers. I’ve got that going for me.
And she says she loves me. So asking her to marry me isn’t that far-fetched a notion, is it? I mean, all our friends are getting married and having kids. I want to ask her… to have her. To make promises to her with witnesses around, maybe start thinking about a kid or two further down the line. In a couple of years, when my brothers grow a bit older. When Tessa settles and wants it.
I wonder how Teo and Miles will like having nephews or nieces. I hope they won’t feel insecure. I have to ask them. Test the waters.
“Then you’re upset with Tessa?”
I freeze. “Teo…”
“Does she hurt you? You make those awful moaning noises sometimes at night… I can hear them through the door of your bedroom.”
Oh fuck. Heat creeps up my neck, and a snort escapes me. “You heard that? Uh…” I lift my other hand to rub the back of my neck. “She doesn’t hurt me, kiddo. I promise. It’s not like that.”
“It sounded like that,” he insists, pouting, and another snort threatens to escape me.
“It’s adult games. They’re fun. You’ll see when you’re older.”
He huffs. “When I’m older. That’s what you always say, about everything.”
“Enjoy your childhood, brat.” I settle back, grab the remote and flip through the channels. “If you’re enjoying it.” With sudden doubt, I look down at him, pausing in my mindless surfing. “Do you like living with me, Miles and Tessa, buddy? Is anything making you unhappy?”
“Miles eats my cheerios.”
“Apart from that.”
“And snores.”
“Apart from that, too.”
Teo scrunches up his face. “Nah, I’m good. I like Tessa. She gives good cuddles.” He shoots me a toothy grin. “And I like you with Tessa. You smile a lot.”
My heart thumps. “Yeah. I like Tessa, too.”
“So if you’re mad at her, don’t be.” He gives me a wide-eyed look, and I ruffle his hair, my mind spinning.
“I won’t.”
She’ll always be my princess, but I’m no longer a pauper. I’m her man. I love her, my brothers love her, and we all want her to stay with us forever. We need her.
This stupid fight was my fault—caused by my insecurity, my fears. I need to put them behind me once and for all, talk to her, and get her to say the big yes…
***
Teo is playing with Jax and moving around toy cars and trucks in Tyler and Erin’s apartment, while Asher’s little Scott occasionally grabs one of the toys and waves it about.
Miles sits apart, in a chair, engrossed in something on his cell phone. Should I control what he has access to? Is he texting his friends? A girl? He’s a teenager now.
And I suck at being a father figure.
Doubt returns. After Dad died and Tessa moved in with us, I recovered a lot of my lost confidence in myself, but now with the fight and the prospect of asking her directly if she’ll marry me, I’m sick to my stomach with fucking nerves.