“Mom,” Aaron yelled running into the kitchen where I was cleaning the dinner mess. Matt followed Aaron and leaned against the doorframe as my son spoke to me. “Can Matt tuck me into bed?” He asked.
To say I was shocked is an understatement.
If I didn’t tuck him in, he would not sleep. So, for him to ask another person to do it in my place…
“Of course, baby,” I told him. Aaron ran from the room, past Matt and in the direction of his room. “Walk,” I shouted. He murmured apologies before listening to my command.
“Is it okay that I tuck him into bed? You didn’t seem too happy when he asked.” Matt had never asked permission to do anything, but with our son, he knew I was the boss.
“Yes, of course. It was just a bit surprising. He’s never asked that before.” I smiled and walked in his direction, pushing him toward Aaron’s bedroom—the only one in the apartment. “You’d better get in there. He will get impatient.”
Matt turned from my pushes and pressed his lips to mine in a quick and sweet gesture. I imagined that I was the only one to ever see that side of him, so I embraced the kiss and allowed him to walk into my son’s room.
After seeing the way he interacted with Aaron, all my worries faded into nonexistence, and I realized that keeping Matt from our lives hadn’t been the best decision. He had anger issues, tattoos, and a bad reputation with women, but he would be a great father.
After a few minutes, Matt walked out of Aaron’s room and into the kitchen. “He loves you,” I admitted. “Maybe meeting him was a good idea after all?”
Matt didn’t say a word as he continued walking in my direction. I stood in between the counter and the refrigerator, leaving no room for him to pass me. His steps grew into a swagger, and the expression on his face caused me to become warmer. Under his gaze, I felt utterly naked.
Once he was upon me, he turned me until my back was pressed into the refrigerator and my front was flushed with his. “Thank you,” he said, looking down at me. The sincerity in his expression caused my heart to skip a beat. I tried to look away, but he caught my face in between his palms and forced my gaze to remain unwaveringly on his.
“You’re welcome,” I whispered.
“Now that Aaron is in bed, I think I should remind you how he was conceived. It’s been a while,” Matt said, bending his head until his lips were on mine. I took in the warmth of him surrounding me and basked in it for just a moment, but as soon as he attempted to deepen the embrace further, I pressed lightly on his chest.
I was surprised when Matt backed off immediately. “Are you okay?” he asked immediately.
I smiled and laid another peck on his lips but made no further move to resume our previous position. “We cannot sleep together when my son is in the next room. He comes out sometimes, and the last thing I want is for him to find us in a compromising position.”
Matt nodded and I was shocked once again when he agreed without hesitation. “Why don’t you walk me out and I will be back tomorrow?” he asked.
I did just that, and when he bent down for what I assumed to be a kiss, he swerved his lips to the left, brushing them against my cheek, and then my ear. His breath was warm and tickled my lobe as he whispered: “You got off easy this time, but the next time I see you, I will have you begging for me to plant myself between your legs.”
I was about to argue the point, telling him that he was the one who would be begging, but I never got the chance. I opened my mouth to speak, but before the words came out, there was a knock at the front door.
The two of us froze, our eyes wide as they stared at the door as we had never heard the sound of it being knocked on before.
“Amanda, it’s me!” the very familiar voice of Brian yelled from the other side of the closed door. “Let me in.”
Seventeen
Matt
“Let me in!” Brian yelled through the door. He sounded drunk, and I didn’t doubt for a second that he was. He’d most likely been drinking since he had left work earlier, no doubt trying to drown his sorrows in cheap whiskey and beer.
“You have to hide!” Amanda said immediately, speaking in a hushed whisper. She shoved me in the chest, trying to push me back across the room and away from the door. “He can’t see you here. He can’t!”
She sounded frightened at the thought of Brian catching us. Worse than that, she looked terrified. No doubt her mind was awash with images of what Brian would do were he to catch me here, in his sister’s apartment.
I went to argue, about to tell her that I wasn’t afraid of her brother, and that he needed to find out about us sometime, but then he hammered on the door again. The blows were harsh and destructive, nearly splintering the large wooden barricade. It was a reminder not just of Brian’s physical strength, but the state of mind that he was in.
“Just a sec!” she yelled out over her shoulder as she shoved me again, pointing toward a broom cupboard that was built just on the inside of the hallway.
Brian was going to have to find out about us sometime, but this wasn’t that time. His mood was already at its worst, especially when considering what happened between him and Megan. If he were to be presented with the idea of me and his sister dating… well, I just couldn’t imagine him seeing reason, even if it was staring him directly in the face.
Reluctantly, I allowed myself to be led across the room and toward the broom cupboard. The cupboard was small, narrow, and already nearly full with cleaning supplies. I had to turn on my side to step in, and the door still didn’t close completely. I was okay with that last part, as the narrow crack left gave me a perfect view of the living room.
I watched from my hiding spot as Amanda double checked that despite the narrow gap, I couldn’t be seen, before hustling toward the front door which was still being hammered upon.
“Hey,” she breathed as she opened the door to greet Brian.
“What took you?” he slurred loudly, pushing past her and stumbling into the living room.
Yep, he was drunk. Not only was his body slouched and his face droopy, but I could just about smell the booze on his breath from where I was hidden.
“Come on in,” Amanda said with caution, closing the door behind her, locking the three of us in.
Her eyes assessed his body, landing on his feet—his shoes. It was as if Amanda and I realized it at the same time, for the moment her eyes landed on his feet, I looked across the room to the front door; right where my shoes were still sitting. Her eyes flicked in my direction, panic written across her face. My heart was beating so damn hard that I was surprised that Brian couldn’t hear it.
“Well, you must be happy with yourself!” Brian exclaimed loudly. He spun around to face Amanda, stumbling as he did so.
“What do you mean?” she said quickly. She stepped away from the door, moving to the other side of the room. I breathed a sigh of relief while I watched her do it, as Brian was now forced to follow her, turning his back on the front door and my shoes.
“Megan, she left me!” Brian continued.
“Oh,” Amanda said. “I’m sorry, Brian, I had no idea. What happened?”
“Like you don’t know.”
I had hidden myself in the cupboard because I was afraid of what Brian would do if he found me here with his sister. Now, I was afraid of what he would do because I wasn’t in there to protect her. I was so stupid, not thinking that he might blame Amanda for what had happened. It was typical of Brian, blaming everyone but himself. He’d already attacked me today, so what was to stop him from doing the same to his sister?
I braced myself, watching my drunk business partner as he inched himself closer and closer to Amanda. One wrong move and I’d be out of this cupboard and on him without thought. If that happened, the secret really would be out.
“Brian, I have no idea what you are talking about,” Amanda responded simply. To her credit, she didn’t look anywhere near as terrified as she should have been. She stood her ground, looking up to her brother wi
th a strong chin.
“You haven’t spoken to her? Called her to speak about me? About something you might have seen?” He looked down his nose, searching for the lie.
She looked right back at him, unwavering.
Meanwhile, my heart was thumping against my chest like the hammer of a drum. There had always been a layer of tension between Amanda and Brian, but I’d never known why. This, right now, was proof of just how fractured their relationship was.
“I’ve been busy, Brian. With work, and Aaron, and—” she paused and for a second I thought she was about to say my name. “And the move,” she finished.
“I don’t believe you. I think you called her. I think you told her to leave me. In fact, I know you did.”
“You’re being ridiculous,” she said firmly. “And you’re dunk.”
He narrowed his eyes, the edges of his mouth quaking, and I could literally see him trying to decide if he believed her. It was going to be based on that decision alone as to whether he acted or not. But then his eyes flashed up and across the room, locking onto my own. I froze mid-breath, not daring to so much as inhale.
“What the...” he muttered, crossing the room and heading straight toward me. Okay, so not me, but the broom cupboard. I was hidden in darkness, so there was no way he would have been able to see me. Yet for some reason that cupboard had caught his eye.
“What are you doing?” Amanda hurried, running in beside him. She grabbed him by the arm in an effort to halt his crossing, but he threw her off.
“The door is ajar.” He reached the cupboard, standing literally a foot from where I was hidden, moving his hand out and closing the door.
Darkness enveloped me as the cupboard closed. But only for a second. As with before, there wasn’t room for the door to close and lock, and no sooner had it closed up shut, did it pop back open.
I tried to move deeper into the cupboard, desperate to make room as Brian furrowed his brow and closed the door again. As with the last time, it went pitch black for the second that the door was closed before popping back open. I could see Brian’s face looking through the crack, frowning with confusion as he tried a third time to close it.
“This place is a shit hole,” he slurred. “What you got in here?” His hand grabbed the edge of the door, and he was about to yank it open when—
“Uncle Brian?”
No sooner had Brian heard the sound of his nephew’s voice, was he forgetting about the half-open cupboard and bounding down the hallway toward Aaron. “Hey, buddy!” Brian crooned. I could hear him scoop his nephew into the air. “Did I wake you?”
“What are you doing here?” Aaron asked, his voice tired, yet excited at the same time.
“Just saying hey to your mom.”
Brian passed by the crack and wandered back into the living room, this time with Aaron tucked under his arm like a folded-up rug.
Amanda could not have looked more nervous at the sight of Aaron with her drunk and unpredictable brother. As for me, I felt a sudden wave of relief wash over me. I knew that Brian genuinely cared for Aaron, and the odds of him doing anything stupid while the boy was around were slim. If anything, Aaron might provide a distraction long enough to get Brian out of the house.
“I’m sorry, baby,” Amanda said. She rushed to her brother’s side, pulling Aaron out from Brian’s grasp. “Your uncle was just leaving.”
“Yeah, I suppose I may as well,” he concluded with a deep sigh. “I just thought I should stop by, and… and make sure that you’re up to date.
“Well I am now, and thank you.” She made for the door, opening it wide for Brian to walk through. As she did, she purposefully stepped in front of my shoes, trying her best to obscure them from his point of view.
I sighed inwardly at the sight of her very obvious action, for no sooner had she stepped across to hide my shoes, was Brian looking down at her feet to see what she was doing.
“Whose shoes are those?”
“Hmnn?” Amanda asked, acting as if she didn’t know what he was talking about.
“Those shoes,” Brian said with more resolve, pointing at them this time. “Who do those very male shoes belong to.”
“Oh!” Aaron beamed. “Those are—”
“An old boyfriend’s,” Amanda cut in quickly. “I found them when I was packing the house up, and didn’t see much sense in tossing them. Never know who will need them—hey, do you want them?”
Brian frowned, his brow scrunched up as tight as I had ever seen it, as he stared at the shoes, and then at Amanda. His mouth hung open, and for a moment I thought that he was somehow broken, as if a wire had short-circuited in his brain.
“Why would I want some ex-dickhead boyfriend’s shoes?” he eventually said, giving his head a shake. “Just throw them out, Jesus.”
“You’re right,” Amanda said, blinking back her relief. “It was dumb to keep them, and then unpack them.”
“But mom,” Aaron began, tugging on her sleeve. “You can’t throw them out. They’re—”
“Old and worn,” she finished. “Now, Aaron, say goodbye to Uncle Brian, he has to go, and you have to get back to bed.”
Aaron pouted in confusion, but this was quickly replaced with a smile as Brian swooped down on him, giving him a kiss on the head. He then ruffled his hair before standing up straight to face Amanda. “I’ll be seeing you.” His eyes glanced toward the shoes one last time, his head tilted in thought, and then he turned and walked through the door and out of the apartment.
I could just about feel the tension dissolve the second he was gone and Amanda had the door closed behind him. I could see it in Amanda too, the way her body deflated as she breathed for what may have been the first time since he arrived.
I stayed where I was while Amanda quickly put Aaron back to bed. For some reason, I just didn’t think it would be a good idea for him to see me hiding in the cupboard and away from his uncle.
It was only once he was back in bed that Amanda returned, opening up the cupboard for me to climb on out. “That was… I think I’m going to have a heart attack,” she chuckled nervously.
“Wait your turn. It’s lucky you have so many cleaning supplies,” I joked as I stepped out of the cupboard, stretching my body. “I soiled myself about three times in there.”
“Do you think he knows?” she asked, indicating the shoes.
“I have no idea,” I admitted.
I really didn’t. I had a dozen different pairs of shoes, so chances were that Brian didn’t recognize them as being mine. But then again, he might have. And if he did, if he knew them to be mine, what did that mean? Did he guess that I was here, or that I had been? Was he smart enough to connect the dots, and figure out I was sleeping with his sister? Or would he wake up tomorrow and forget most of what had happened here tonight? Anything was possible.
The only think that I knew for sure was that I wouldn’t be rushing to tell him about us anytime soon. With what was happening between him and his wife, it was far too dangerous. We were going to need the perfect time to tell him, and then hope that he took it like an adult.
Only I had no clue when that would be.
Eighteen
Amanda
I was looking hot. Hotter than hot. And even hotter than that. What’s hotter than hot? Honestly, I had no idea, but that was exactly how I was looking.
My hair was done up in a kind of bridal-beehive style. I obviously hadn’t done it myself either, having spent a solid two hours at the salon earlier getting it done. My dress was a tight, black, strapless slip that hugged my body, making my booty look extra tight, and my breasts about twice as big as they actually wear. My lipstick was dark red, almost auburn, and my heels were a pair of brand new stilettos.
Yeah, like I said, I looked good.
I took a step back from the mirror in my bedroom, getting one final look at myself and confirming what I already knew to be true. In the living room, I could hear Aaron, talking to the sitter that I had hired. I was nervous ab
out leaving him alone with her, as it was the first time I had done so since moving to New York. But I had spoken to her at length and she seemed fine… and besides, by this point I was starting to become desperate.
It was all for Matt, of course. The hair, the dress, the new shoes, and the sitter. I hadn’t seen him in nearly two weeks, and by this point I was willing to do just about everything and anything to get a chance to be alone with him again.
This unscripted abstinence had all started that night after Brian had drunkenly turned up accusing me of convincing his wife to leave him. Although oddly, this whole thing actually had nothing to do with him at all.
For some reason, my workload at the firm had doubled over the past two weeks. Maybe even tripled? I strolled into work the next day, my mood a little cautious when considering what had happened the previous night. But everything was forgotten the moment I sat down and my boss emailed me my tasks.
When I first saw the list, I assumed it to be for the whole week. I emailed her back to confirm the timeline, and she responded promptly, assuring me that everything she had sent needed to be wrapped up before the end of the day.
Naturally, I was pissed. I’d already worked harder than anyone else in the office, staying back late every night, well after they all left. A part of me wanted to point this out, but another part told me that I shouldn’t. I was afraid that my boss would assume I was pulling rank—using my brother to get out of work—and I really didn’t want to have that on my record.
As such, I sucked it up and got to it. The obvious drawback though was Aaron, and the fact that I would need to call a sitter to pick him up and look after him until I was able to finish. But as luck had it, Brian swooped in and saved the day. How very unlike him.
“Hey, sis,” he just about cheered through the phone when he called me not long after I had gotten to work. “How’s the third floor?”
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