Lovers Like Us (Like Us 2)

Xander mutters under his breath, “Moffy could’ve made it happen if he wanted to. He can do anything.”

I’m fucking glad Maximoff isn’t here. If he heard that, guilt and pressure would crush his shoulders. Then he’d make himself sick trying to fix this for his little brother, but he has no power over the Tri-Force.

Security switches happen, and Xander has to accept that Thatcher isn’t his bodyguard anymore.

“He can’t do everything,” I tell Xander. “Right now, he doesn’t even have a license.”

Xander gives me a weird look. “Shouldn’t you be his number one supporter? You’re dating him.”

He didn’t say “fucking” him. Getting better. “And I’m not overestimating his abilities and putting him in a shit bind. I call that…” I start to text Maximoff. “…love.”

Kinney lunges to steal my phone. Reflexes quick, I raise my cell in the air and then put a hand on her forehead. I use minimal strength to keep her back.

“You can’t tell anyone we’re here,” she sneers and flails for the phone.

“I’m texting your brother.”

Her thrashing ends, and she suddenly acts blasé and uncaring, sitting on the tub ledge. “Fine. He can join. As long as we leave soon.” She rolls her eyes at me. “God, stop looking at me like I’m a moron. I know things.”

I pop my gum and smile before texting: Come to the hall bathroom by the kitchen when you can. Xander is here with your sisters. I tuck my phone in the back pocket of my track pants and then swivel the volume of my radio.

“Wherever you need me to take you three,” I say, “I’ll need to call your bodyguards to join—”

“Uh-uh, no,” Luna pants, swinging her arms left and right in a retro dance move. “Just us, Farrow.”

I rest an elbow on the sink. “I can’t, Luna.”

“Excuse me.” Kinney gawks. “You’re a rule-breaker. Break the rules.”

I’m not a fan of Epsilon, but the guys in SFE will want my head on a platter if I take three of their clients on a joy ride to fuck-knows-where without them.

I shake my head. “I bend rules for the benefit of my client and his privacy. You three aren’t my clients—”

“But my bodyguard is a nark,” Kinney says. “Luna’s bodyguard is a bigger nark, and Xander’s bodyguard—”

“—is cool,” Xander interjects, “but Banks will tell Thatcher, who’ll tell—”

“I’ll stop you there,” I say, my brows spiked. “That’s the definition of a nark.”

“Banks and Thatcher are still cooler than you.”

My smile stretches. “That must be why you asked them here instead of me.”

“Burn,” Kinney deadpans.

Xander flips his sister off before putting his headphones back on.

Luna twirls in a circle. “Can’t you poach some trustworthy bodyguards from SFO, then?”

“That’s not how the security team works.” If I asked to bring Oscar with me over Luna’s bodyguard, J.P. would act like I nail-gunned his feet to the floor. I watch Luna spin six more times, and my concern elevates. “How serious is this?”

She blows out a breath. “To be determined, but it’s not looking great…”

It’s about Luna, I deduce. “Okay. If you need something, I can go alone—”

A knock pounds the door.

I let Maximoff inside. He’s still wearing his wet Patagonia jacket. Our gazes latch for a strong second, and then I lock the door while he skims his siblings.

“What’s going on?” He nears his brother.

Xander lowers his headphones to his neck again.

“Hey.” Maximoff has this empathetic expression that screams, I care. I care. I love you. “I’ve been trying to reach—”

“I know.” Xander climbs out of the tub and clasps his older brother’s hand. Maximoff brings Xander into his chest, and they hug.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xander sends me a pleading look. As though saying, don’t tell him I was upset.

Unless Maximoff asks, I won’t bring it up. They pull apart, and Maximoff says to his brother, “I heard you got your door back at home.”

Xander shrugs. “I only lost it for a day.”

Maximoff told me that Xander has a no locking doors rule. Whenever he breaks it, their dad takes the door off its hinges.

I prop the back of my boot on the cupboard, knee bent, and I watch Luna run in place for the third time. I don’t ask because I’m about 99.9% sure Maximoff will.

He breaks focus from his little brother and zeroes in on Luna with a hardened gaze. “What the hell are you doing?”

She pants, “I read on Celebrity Crush that if you dance a lot, you can possibly, maybe, somewhat make your period appear.”

Shit.

Silence hangs heavy.

“You missed your period?” he asks, voice firm. He taps into big brother mode with ease, his body rigid, and he shoots me a glare. As though I didn’t inform him of the scenario where his eighteen-year-old sister may be pregnant.

“I didn’t know,” I say, and then I look at Luna. “You can’t make your period appear by dancing, but nice try.”

Kinney scoffs. “You’re a guy. You know nothing about periods or the female anatomy. You haven’t even touched a vagina.”

“Kinney,” Maximoff growls.

My mouth curves upward. Because it’s cute when he defends me, but I can handle this shit. “I graduated medical school,” I tell her, “but I don’t need an MD or a high school diploma to know that medical advice from Celebrity Crush isn’t accurate or even good advice. It’s just bullshit.”

“That’s what I said,” Xander says, taking a seat on the tub ledge next to Kinney. “I mean, it’s the same tabloid that rumored Jane and Moffy to be—”

“Too soon,” Maximoff cuts him off and then hones in on Luna again. “How? When? Where? Why?”

Luna falls flat to her feet and tugs at the sleeves of her baggy star-printed sweater. “Sex. Last day of school before winter break. In the back of his car. Because I was digging him.” Her amber eyes ping from me to her older brother. “I’m only a few weeks late, and I know I screwed up already because of school. Mom and Dad can’t know about this. Not until I figure out if it’s real.”

Before Maximoff even knew, I heard from the security team that Dalton Academy said Luna has to be homeschooled for the remainder of the school year—or else she won’t graduate on time.

Luna places her hands on her head. “Maybe I can go on tour with you.”

?

??Me too.” Kinney stands.

Maximoff pushes Kinney back down until she sits. “No, and no.” His muscles contract, and he gestures to Luna. “Did he not wear a condom?”

“I didn’t think about it.” She twists a piece of light brown hair around her finger. “It was my first time, and I thought the probability was low.”

I rub my temple, almost cringing.

“Jesus Christ,” Maximoff mutters. “Our mom is a sex addict, Luna. You should know better.”

She looks to me for an out, but she forgets that I’m a hardass too.

“You should’ve listened in sex ed.”

“Lay off her, you turds,” Kinney says.

“Stop, Kinney,” Maximoff says harshly.

Luna swings her head to Xander. “I told you I should’ve asked Tom and Eliot for help.”

Xander stands. “They may be your best friends, but they would’ve told all the Cobalts, Luna. Moffy and Farrow are going to fix this. Right?” In unison, all three of them rotate and set their gazes on me and Maximoff.

I’m still casually leaning on the sink. Maximoff stands like he’s currently supporting the world on his shoulders.

And I already understand why they called me here in the first place. I tell Maximoff, “Luna needs a pregnancy test.”

Kinney steps forward. “Farrow is taking us to the convenience store.”

“No, I’m going alone,” I say.

“I’m coming with you,” Maximoff rebuts.

Always stubborn. “You’re staying in the car.” If someone catches him buying a pregnancy test, he’ll stoke the rumor he’s trying to extinguish.

“We’ll talk about it on the way there.”

I roll my eyes, but this isn’t an argument I need to win right now. Especially in front of his three siblings. “Let’s go, wolf scout.”

7

FARROW KEENE

Bear Claw One-Stop Shop is the nearest convenience store, a fifty-two mile drive on windy and icy roads. We chained the tires of Omega’s Range Rover before leaving the lake house, and we safely reached Bear Claw. Only a Jeep in the parking lot. Most likely the storeowner.

I make a quick choice and agree to let Maximoff join me inside. The tiny, outdated store has no security cameras, and half the shelves are bare. We’ll be lucky if they even have a pregnancy test. We both notice the old gray-haired man sleeping at the cash register.