my brain can’t quite grasp. I would’ve bet a chunk of money that she came from a family much like my own, and I would’ve lost and lost big.
She leans forward, resting her forehead against mine. “I went through a rebellious phase when I was seventeen, realizing I was about to lose the little bit I had. I started hanging around with the wrong crowd and…” She pauses and pulls her head back, looking me straight in the eyes before continuing. “I didn’t put much thought into how my behavior would only make it easier for the family I was living with to let me go.”
I tighten my grip on her ass, bringing her closer as my chest aches for what she went through. “Sucks, sugar.”
“Yeah,” she whispers, her gaze dipping to my chest before coming back to my face. “Didn’t realize what I’d done until it was too late. Kids do stupid shit sometimes, Mello.” She ticks her head toward the hallway where Luna and Rosie are. “Even good kids like your cousins.”
“They’re not kids anymore, Arlo. At some point, they have to grow up.”
“Rosie is sober.”
I nod slowly. “She’s slightly more responsible than her sister, but they’ve both been pulling shit for years.”
Way too many years for my liking. If Uncle Joe and Aunt Suzy had any clue, these two would’ve been grounded most of their high school years. But now, they’re older, wilder, and usually no more smarter in their decision-making process.
“Well—” Arlo places her palms flat on my pecs, totally feeling me up, but pretending she isn’t “—maybe you need to step into their life and set them straight or tell their parents about who their daughters really are.”
I turn my head to the side, sucking in air between my teeth. “Can’t snitch, babe. My family does not snitch on one another, especially not the cousins.”
She slides forward right over my dick that’s aching for some relief but knows we’re getting none. “Then you’re going to have to be the one to show them the way, or at least tell Gigi, so she can handle them and put them on the right path.”
“Fuck,” I hiss, hating the idea of getting involved in their bullshit.
I have always been good with women, but my cousins are another breed. I am stepping out of my comfort zone, never having had to deal with sisters. That is the good thing about only having Trace. He is an asshole, but I know how he thinks since he has a dick too.
The bathroom door opens, and Arlo gives me a look. The same look my mother gives me when she’s telling me to do something without actually saying the words.
A second later, Arlo’s weight shifts, and the warmth of her body is gone as she moves to the cushion next to me.
“Out here,” I call out before they have a chance to disappear into one of my guest rooms like they have in the past.
“But Luna should…”
“Out here,” I growl, not even bothering to turn around to look at them. “We need to talk.”
“Fucking great,” Luna groans. “Just what I fuckin’ need.”
I bite my lip, tilting my head, feeling the tension rise in my shoulders. Arlo touches my hand with hers, giving my fingers a light squeeze.
“Calm,” she whispers.
Calm? I have always been calm, and that’s why I am still dealing with their shit nearly five years later.
This must be a sliver of what it feels like to have kids and deal with their nonsense on a daily basis. Am I built for this type of responsibility, disappointment, and heartache? I’m not sure the answer is yes.
Luna’s still leaning on Rosie as they walk slowly into the living room, their eyes moving from Arlo to me and back to Arlo.
“Sit,” I bite out, done with their shit.
“What?” Luna snaps before her ass even touches the couch cushion directly across from me. “I’m tired and need to sleep.”
“Fuck that,” I hiss.
“God, you’re such a downer. Find yourself an innocent snatch, and you turn into a killjoy.”
What the fuck?
My body rises on its own, her words fueling a fire deep inside me, but before I have a chance to lunge over the coffee table, Arlo yanks me back down.
“Carmello,” she whispers, holding on to me tightly.
I take a deep breath, running my other hand down my sweatpants so I don’t reach over the coffee table and—
Fuck, what the hell do you do when you have girls?