The Problem with Fire - M.E. Clayton Page 0,33

conclusion?” Gideon asked.

“I like her a lot,” I confessed to the two people in the world who knew me best. My parents were awesome, but they were still my parents. There was always a barrier between children and their parents because they were your parents. Siblings were a different story. They weren’t handicapped by maternal or paternal instincts. They’re viewpoints were more in line with if-it-were-me.

“But does she like you?” Nathan asked. “We already know you like her.”

“I spent Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday with her,” I replied. “I’d say she likes me just fine.”

“Or she feels sorry for you,” Gideon remarked.

I flipped him off.

“So, am I saving a date in April or what?” Nathan asked, getting back to the reason for their ambush disguised as a phone call. “I need to plan this shit.”

“You still have to tell Mom,” Gideon pointed out. “Even if Sexy Neighbor hasn’t said yes to the marriage proposal, Mom’s going to flip if you haven’t told her you’re dating someone.”

“Her name’s Monroe, you jackass,” I retorted. “And today is my first day off in three days. I haven’t had a chance to tell Mom.”

“You better get your scrawny ass over there and tell her soon,” Nathan jumped in. “If she finds out from anyone else that you have a girlfriend, she’s going to kill you after Dad kills you for upsetting his wife.”

Gideon winced. “You better hope she didn’t get a save-the-month text from Jake, Sayer. You’re dead meat if she did.”

“Jesus,” I muttered. “You guys are idiots.”

Gideon’s brows flew upward. “I’m not the one who hasn’t told his mother that he’s engaged.”

“No shit,” Nathan added.

“Look, as much as I’d like to ask after only three dates, we haven’t even told her daughter about us yet,” I informed them.

“Why not?” Nathan asked. “Does she not like you, or something?”

I almost hung up on them both.

I let out a deep breath and counted to ten.

“He’s counting to ten again,” Gideon told Nathan as if I couldn’t hear the exchange.

“That’s because you’re a trying individual and hard on his patience, Gid,” Nathan replied.

“I can’t believe you are grown men in your thirties,” I muttered, rethinking ever answering a phone call from them ever again.

“You’re one to talk,” Nathan fired back. “I’m not the one scared to tell Mom I have a girlfriend.”

“That’s because no girl in her right mind would date you,” I shot back.

He gasped.

Like, seriously, gasped.

“You’re an asshole,” Gideon said, sticking up for Nathan. “And to think, we were going to save April for you.”

I hung up on them.

A full minute later I started laughing. And I laughed harder when I looked down at my incoming group text messages.

Nate: (string of laughing emojis)

Gid: We’re just fucking with u (string of laughing emojis)

Nate: Happy 4 u, Say

Gid: Yeah, happy 4 u.

Me: U guys r the worst!

Nate: The absolute worst

Gid: No argument from me

Me: Thanks, guys.

Nate: LUG

Gid: LUG

Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah, LUG, 2

I had no problem telling my brothers I loved them, but LUG (short for Love U Guys) was easier and felt less vagina-like. Then I thought about what they said, and instead of calling my mother, I decided to go visit her.

This conversation needed to take place face-to-face.

Chapter 17

Monroe~

Pretty sure I was in loke. You know, that place where your emotions hovered between love and like. That’s where I was. Though, Karma was sitting across from me telling me I was lying to myself. But we were deep into two bottles of wine, so how astute were her observations anyhow?

Instead of forcing Leta to come out of her room and talk about her emotions like a good parent, I had let her stew until she had come out on her own, only to inform me she wanted to go the movies with Jennifer, then go hang out with their mutual friend, Sabrina. Guilt and confusion had led me to say yes, and desperation and confusion had led me to hold Karma here hostage until I found all the answers to the Universe at the bottom of these damn wine bottles.

Karma had texted her husband to let him know this was an S.O.S. sort of emergency, so he took control of the Merrill household, and we were buzzed as shit at my house.

Ah, good times.

“Even if I do talk to him, Karma, who’s to say he’ll take me seriously?” I asked her. “If he hasn’t had a conversation with Leta about all this by now, who’s to say he ever will?”

“Sounds like she wants an apology