by JA Low
“Just wanted to check in on you before we pack up and head to the airport.” Rainn takes a sip of her green tea.
“I’m okay. Little shocked over it all but I’m hoping this will be the last I ever see of him.” Reaching over and grabbing the coffee she made for me and take a sip of my morning elixir. Maybe this will make me feel normal again.
“Fingers crossed that’s the last we see of him. Rhys made sure it would be,” she explains over her cup of tea.
“I can’t wait to go home.” Letting out a heavy sigh. “Even more so to get my own place too.” Can’t have late night hook ups with Stirling at my mom’s place. Who am I kidding, Stirling isn’t going to continue whatever this is we have going on? It was a blip in the matrix for a week and once we get home in familiar surroundings everything will go back to normal again. Which means I’m back in the friend zone. Maybe friends with benefits? No, that’s probably not a good idea. It’s probably for the best we leave our flirting here in London because in the real world we will never work. We want different things. We are also in different phases of our lives. Stirling may say he doesn’t want to settle down but let’s be serious sometime soon he’s going to meet the one. And she will probably be fantastic, and I’ll want to hate her, but I can’t because she’ll be that nice and they are going to get married and have gorgeous little babies and live happily ever after. Okay, I spiraled way too much now.
“Aud?” Rainn calls my name pulling me from my manic thoughts. “Did you hear what I said?” Nope totally spaced out.
“Sorry, what did you say?” Rainn shakes her head at me.
“I said, come and have a look at the townhouse for sale near me when we get back. I think you will like it. We could be neighbors.” Rainn looks at me enthusiastically.
“Sure, let’s check it out. Maybe I need to start venturing out of my comfort zone more. I think I’m going to start making changes in my life when we get home. Starting with not dating douchebags.”
“Yay. That’s my girl,” Rainn squeals. “Audrey 2.0 here we come.” We both fall into a heap of giggles.
17
Stirling
“Morning,” Rhys greets me with a thump on the back which makes me jolt. “You all right, man?” he questions me. Of course, I’m okay. I made your sister come last night but other than that, yeah everything is totally fine.
“Sorry, you surprised me. I was lost in my thoughts.”
“About last night?” Rhys asks as he moves around the kitchen grabbing himself some breakfast. Panic runs through my veins. He knows. He knows what I did to his sister last night. Shit. “You know over the whole David thing.” Rhys continues. Oh yeah, David. “Look I know Audrey isn’t happy about the way I handled things with David, but I did what I thought was best for her in the long run,” he explains himself.
“She loves you. I think this time away has been a lot and she might need some time to process everything.”
“You think?” Rhys looks up at me, I can see the concern written all over his face as he pours himself a coffee. “I know I can be overprotective of her.” No shit. “I want what’s best for her, especially after all the bullshit with Mom, Dad, and Stanford.” As there’s such an age difference between Audrey and Rhys, she still lived at home when her parents had their acrimonious divorce. She wasn’t able to get away from it all like Rhys could. And of course, the brown nose Stanford chose his dad over his mother so that he could inherit his father’s architecture business after Rhys told him to go shove it.
“Audrey’s doing fine since I’ve left isn’t, she?” Rhys asks me.
“I think so, besides this little blip.” Meaning David.
“Do you think you could, you know, check up on her a little more, especially now since everything?” Rhys asks me. Um, no. I am trying to put distance between us especially after last night. I do not need to be around Audrey any more than I am because I don’t know if I am going to be able to keep my hands to myself. “She sees you like a second brother.” I choke on my juice at Rhys comment. Yeah, I don’t think that’s true.
“If she needs me, I’ll be there for her,” I tell him because it’s the truth and Audrey knows that too. She can call me day or night if she needs help with anything and I’ll be there.
“Maybe you could check in a little more than that?” Rhys asks me. What the hell is doing to me?
“I’m not going to invade her personal space.” Glaring at him.
“Come on just for a little bit till I sort my shit out here. I promise I’ll be home soon and then I can take over looking after Audrey when I get back.”
“She’s a grown adult, Rhys. She doesn’t need her brother breathing down her neck.” He’s taking his overprotectiveness too far now.
“You’re right. That’s why I need you. You two get along. You’re friends. She wouldn’t suspect you.” He’s lost his damn mind.
“No.” Raising my voice angrily.
“No, what?” Audrey steps in at the wrong moment looking between her brother and I and notices the tension. I look over to Rhys to answer this one.
“I asked Stirling here to look out for you back home.” Wow, I wasn’t expecting Rhys to tell her the truth. Audrey stares at her brother and I can see her blood begin to boil as I follow the red flush that is slowly snaking around her body, up her chest, onto her neck and across her cheeks.
“I’m not a child, Rhys.” Her voice raises as her hands move to her hips. “I do not need anyone looking after me. I’m quite capable of doing it myself,” she lectures her brother.
“I worry about you, that’s all,” Rhys tells her, which puts a tiny dampener on Audrey’s temper.
“I know you do. My bad for dating dickheads. I see the pattern now and I’m telling you I’m done dating men like David. I’m done dating all together.” Her eyes flick to me for all of a split second. Is she trying to tell me last night was a mistake? I thought the way she was wriggling underneath me and how I made her pass out from orgasms kind of meant she liked it. Or has she changed her mind. That this truly was a holiday fling of some sorts and now with the reality of going back home she’s not interested in any more orgasms. I mean I was kind of hoping for maybe one more, but I get it and will respect her decision. It’s for the best, I can’t offer her anything other than friendship. We can go back to the way we use to be, her my best friend’s little sister and me her brother’s best friend. Are you going to be able to forget the way she screamed as your fingers fucked her? Yes. No. Doesn’t matter what I think about the situation it matters what Audrey thinks.
“Look, I asked Stirling to step in for me when you need him, that’s all.”
“Stirling’s a busy man. I’m sure he has better things to do than to babysit your sister.” Audrey glares at her brother.
“He said it was fine, didn’t you buddy?” Rhys turns to me, and I can see on his face he is asking for me to agree with him. Then I look over at where Audrey is standing with her face like stone, and I don’t know which side to pick.
“Sure. Only if Audrey needs me.” There, that’s a good compromise, isn’t it? I look between the two of them and they both look semi satisfied.
“Right, well I have some emails to get back to before we take you all to the airport.” Rhys places his cup into the sink and gives Audrey a kiss on the forehead as he passes her.
“So, you’re my babysitter now?” Audrey turns almost spitting fire at me.
“That’s your brother’s idea. I wanted no part in it.” Holding my hands up.
“You want no part of me?” Audrey frowns and her body language changes.
“What, no. That’s not what I meant.” How is this all going so wrong so quickly? “Your brother is being overprotective I didn’t agree with it, and I told him so.” Hoping that helps with the mix up.
“Well thanks for that,” she answers quietly. “I think he forgets I’m an adult now, not a kid anymore.”
“You’re most certainly an adult,” I mumble under my breath.
>
“I’m dying for a coffee.” Nell storms past Audrey and I, oblivious to the tension around us. “My head wants to explode. What were in those cocktails last night?” She chatters away not looking for anyone to answer her.
“Are you going to blame the cocktails for what happened last night?” Rainn walks in after her and knocks Audrey with her shoulder giving her a knowing grin.
“What happened last night?” Audrey asks her friend.
“While you were having ex-boyfriend drama, she was…”
“Nothing!” Nell screams at Rainn before looking over at me.
“Right. Well, I’ll take that as my cue to leave.” Placing my plates and cup into the sink. “See you on the plane, ladies.”
“I’ll see you back home soon. I promise,” Rhys tells me as we say our goodbyes.
“You know I have everything under control back home. Take your time, and sort out the Madison drama because you won’t be any use to the company if you’re distracted by her antics.” He thumps my back with his hand in an understanding way.
“And remember, look after my girl for me.” Rhys points at me as I begin to head to the plane. I shake my head because I feel like utter shit every single time he asks me to look after his sister knowing exactly how well I took care of her last night. Stop thinking about it. I give him one last wave and join the rest of the crew on the plane. Remi is heading back with us, which is a surprise. I thought he was going to stay on for a little bit.
“Surprised to see me, brother?” Remi grins.
“A little.” As I hand my bag off to the stewardess. “What are you doing coming back with us? I thought you were staying.” Taking my seat beside him, the girls are already on the plane.
“My meeting got pushed earlier in the week so I was free to come home with you all. Wasn’t going to say no to the private jet.” He grins, accepting a tumbler filled with brown liquid from the flight attendant who is giving him come fuck me eyes. I glance over to where the girls are sitting, and they haven’t noticed the flirtation of one of the crew yet.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” Remi grabs the glass giving the flight attendant a wink before taking a sip.
“Stop flirting with the staff,” I reprimand him. He waves my concerns away.
It’s been a couple of hours since taking off from London and the girls have all fallen asleep. It’s a little different than the journey we experienced coming over.
“You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, brother.” Remi nudges me as I read emails on my phone.
“It’s nothing,” I tell him, as my eyes fall on Audrey who looks so angelic snoring away.
“I think it’s five foot six of nothing.” Remi grins.
“What does that mean?” Glaring at my brother.
“It means I know you and I know something is up. Plus, the way you can’t stop looking over at Audrey is a dead giveaway.” My asshole brother chuckles. I give him a glare which makes him burst out laughing even harder. “But in all seriousness. Are you okay?” I ask, raising a brow at him.
“Yeah. I’m all good.”
Remi’s eyes narrow on me. “So, nothing’s happened between Audrey and you since arriving in London?” he pushes.
“No. Of course not.”
This time it’s Remi turn to glare at me. “I can smell your bullshit a mile away.” As he shakes his head giving me a disappointed look.
“I know you and Miles are closer and talk about this kind of shit together. But I can too, you know.”
That was like a stab to the heart. The only reason Miles and I are closer is because of our ages. Also, Remi’s been traveling the world on the polo circuit here, there, and everywhere while Miles lives in Manhattan.
“Fine.” I must talk to someone before I go crazy. “Something happened last night.”
“I knew it.” Remi punches the sky with his fist. I take it back this was a bad idea to begin with. “Sorry, continue.”
“You heard what happened last night at the party?” I ask him, he nods his head.
“Well before that, Audrey pulled me aside and kissed me.” Remi’s eyes widen in surprise
“She kissed you?”
“Yes, she was drunk so you know…” Taking a sip of my drink. “Then David showed up and craziness ensued.”
“Later that night she came to my room.” Remi’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.
“So, she’s the one doing the instigating?” Remi asks. I guess she has been come to think about it. I nod my head in agreement. “Do you think she’s using you for rebound sex?”
“We didn’t have sex,” I add quickly which confuses him. I know the concept is foreign to a young guy like him but it’s not always about sex.
“Wait, so you two have been hooking up but never went all the way?” he asks me slowly as if I haven’t understood his question.
“I wouldn’t say we’ve been hooking up. It’s more like intense moments.” I try and explain it to him, but I know he’s not going to understand.
“What’s happened to your balls? Intense moments?” Remi laughs at me. Yep. I knew this was a mistake.
“You’re a dick, you know that?” Cursing him out as I go back to my emails.
“Hey, I’m sorry.” He chuckles before his face turns serious. “I’m being a dick. Go on.”
“There’s nothing to tell. We had some fun, but I think you’re right. I may have been a rebound. Because I did overhear her say she can’t wait to go back home and be Audrey 2.0”
“Look you did a good thing for a friend.” My brother claps me on my shoulder. “I understand what it’s like to be someone’s rebound.” He looks over at where Nell is resting her head against Rainn’s shoulder fast asleep. “There’s something beautiful in being the person they turn to help put them back together again.” I don’t think it’s beautiful. I think it sucks. “You and Audrey are friends. If you helped her discover her inner strength through whatever you two did in London, then be happy about that. Because that is true friendship, putting your feelings aside to help another when they needed you the most.” Wow, okay. I wasn’t expecting my brother to make so much sense.
“I shouldn’t feel guilty about what has happened between us?”
“Hell no,” he exclaims. “Look, Rhys asked you to look after his sister…” Remi starts and I’m not sure if I’m going to like how he finishes that sentence. “Was it the conventional way of helping? No. But did you help her?”
“Yes.”
“And now Audrey feels like she’s all new and improved and that’s thanks to you. You gave her back her confidence and honestly man, that was a good thing to do.” I must be severely sleep deprived if all this makes sense because it does.
“Interesting way to look at things,” I tell him.
“Look, you and I are catches to pretty much everyone else out there. Except to the people who know us the most.” His voice becomes serious. “As long as we understand our roles in the relationship—that we are nothing more than a convenient fuck, they’ll keep coming back for more.” Remi throws back whatever was left in his tumbler as his mood sours. I don’t think he’s talking about me anymore.
“Has something happened with Nell?”
“Same thing that always happens. I rock her world when she needs me to then when the sun rises, she goes back to hating me and lusting after my brother.” He raises his glass toward the flight attendant who comes over and refills his tumbler while giving Remi those come fuck me eyes again. Now that my brother has a drink in him, his demeanor changes and he turns into the playboy polo player. The stewardess has his attention now as he gives her a flirtatious smile. Her cheeks turn pink before she scurries away a flustered mess.
“Does Miles even like her?” I ask him.
“He has no idea she wants him.” His brows crinkle at this comment.
“Then speak to him. Let him know what’s going on between you and Nell.”
“Does it matter…” he sighs, “she will
only ever see me as the player she thinks I am and the convenient dick ready and willing for her.” He told me earlier that it was a beautiful thing being someone’s rebound except what he’s saying about Nell doesn’t sound beautiful. It sounds terrible. Then it hits me, I get it now. He has feelings for her and she doesn’t feel the same way. He’ll take whatever she gives him because his feelings run that deep. No, this isn’t good at all. He’s going to destroy himself if he keeps going the way he is.
My brother’s eyes drift over to the beautiful stewardess from earlier who’s coming back with some snacks for us. I know that look they give my brother. They’ve heard the rumors about him, the glowing reports of his sexual prowess from his many conquests and they are keen to see if it’s true or not.
“If you like Nell then why not fight for her?” I ask him.
“Who would want me over Saint Miles?” He raises a brow at me, as the flight attendant reaches us.
“I thought you might be hungry.” Her words come out in an almost purr as she places the tray of snacks down in front of us.
“How did you know how hungry I was?” my brother flirts back. The flight attendant is all in falling for his charms.
“A big man like you must be hungry,” she quips back. A choking cough comes from the other side of the plane from Nell, who I now realize is pretending to be asleep.
“How long do we have till we land?”
“About two hours, sir,” she answers Remi.
“Might be enough time for you to help me with something, don’t you think?” The flight attendant’s eyes widen in understanding as her cheeks turn bright pink with lust.
“Yes of course. I’m willing to help. I’ll leave your snacks here while I go and tidy things up down the back of the plane for you, sir.” Giving him a knowing look as she turns on her heels and walks to the back of the plane.
“You’re not seriously considering doing something are you?”
“Why not, she seems rather helpful.” He chuckles, popping a peanut into his mouth.