The Langfield Brothers: Box Set

28. Aiden

TWENTY-EIGHT

AIDEN

Beckett: What day should I tell Jasper he can move in?

Gavin: The sooner, the better. Right, little brother? We all know how excited you are about moving in with your one true love.

Me: Ha. I’m thrilled. The guys are helping me clear out my apartment as we speak. Then we’ll get War’s place ready for you.

Brooks: What guys?

Me: Fitz and War.

Brooks: You’re hanging out with my best friend and my coach, and you didn’t invite me?

With a grunt, War lifts one side of the couch. My side is still on the floor. “You gonna help with this? There are plenty of other things I’d rather be doing today.”

Fitz pokes his head out from my bedroom. “What are we doing with the bed?”

Grinning, I point to the small jar I placed next to the door. “Bedbugs. I can take care of that, though.”

Fitz lets out a howl of a laugh. “Savage.”

My phone rings just like I knew it would. Laughing, I tap the speaker button.

“Since when am I not one of your boys?”

“Wow, Brooks. No need to be so desperate. I still love you.”

“Seriously,” he grits out. “Why are you hanging out with my best friend and my coach?”

“Because he didn’t want to implicate you in this shit. Believe me, it’s a good thing,” War groans.

Fitz saunters into the living room, shaking his head. “I love this shit. A vindictive ex. Getting revenge. I feel like I’m on my own version of that show.”

“What show?” Brooks asks.

“ Revenge ,” Sara hollers in the background. “Brooks, how have you not seen Revenge ?”

“Shit,” Brooks mutters. “I know what we’ll be watching tonight.”

“You’re a psycho,” War says to me as I drop the phone to the couch so I can lift my end. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

“That’s the thing. He’s the fun guy. Never underestimate the fun guy,” Fitz reminds us. He was wearing his standard backward Bolts hat when we pulled into the garage but tossed it in the back seat and told us he wanted to go incognito for our little revenge plan. Dude is on my level, and I love it.

“Just get the door so we can load this onto the elevator and get it into storage before psycho Jill comes back,” War grumbles.

Sara is still explaining the plot of Revenge to Brooks as we pick up the couch. “And then her husband figures it out, and he shoots her. You know what’s really cool? They’re married in real life.”

“Chick is hot,” War says.

“Emily Van Camp?” I nod, adjusting my grip on the underside of the sofa. “Yeah, she’s pretty.”

“Her husband is hot too,” Fitz says from the door.

Our laughs echo around the room. “No fair that you get double the dating pool,” Sara shouts, her voice tinny.

“Crazy girl, don’t hit on my coach,” Brooks grumbles.

Fitz smiles wide, his dimple popping. “Don’t worry, Sar. I may spend hours with him every day, but your fiancé’s ass has nothing on Nick Weschler’s.”

Over his shoulder, War asks, “Who’s that?”

“Hey what’s wrong with my ass?”Brooks bites out, clearly offended.

“He’s the other guy on Revenge . It’s a love triangle.”

Fitz smirks. “Why have a triangle when you can have a tower?”

The cackle Sara lets out is so loud it startles me, and I fumble the couch. “No wonder he loves us, Fitz. We’re the same person. Can we get drinks soon?”

Brooks’s voice gets louder as he says, “We gotta go.” When the call disconnects, the room goes quiet.

War nods to Fitz. “You’re a troublemaker.”

With an unapologetic grin, he shrugs. The man loves sex, and he’s never hidden it. Doesn’t bother me. While I’m a one-woman man, he’s an equal opportunist, and it’s rare for him to hook up with the same person twice. I like Fitz. We just want different things. I want Lennox Kennedy. I’ve only ever wanted Lennox Kennedy. But right now, I also want a little revenge.

“You’re sure she’s coming back? Because that’s a really nice mattress. It would suck to infect it if she’s not here to be tortured by it,” Fitz worries.

“Oh, she’s coming back. The woman forgot we still have a shared calendar. I have access to all the events she’s put into it, and I can see where she is at all times. This week, it’s vacation with my booboo bear .” I feign sticking my finger down my throat and make a gagging sound.

War shudders and shakes his head.

“She’ll be back tomorrow,” I say, walking backward toward the door. “She has dinner with the girls after her hair appointment with Sasha.” Sasha comes to our apartment to do her hair. Jill was too important to go to the salon. She complained that women bothered her everywhere she went because she was dating me. Please. No one knew who she was when she wasn’t standing next to me. But whatever. At least I know she’ll be here tonight, and the bedbugs will be waiting for her.

Once, she made a dig about how Beckett’s house was probably being infested with them because of his raccoons. My brother is a clean freak. I’m pretty sure Junior and her babies are cleaner than Jill. Who isn’t, if she’s been spending her time with fucking Vincent Lukov?

As we maneuver the couch out the door, War asks, “You coming down to the house tomorrow?”

War’s hosting a barbecue, so we’ll finally get to check out his new place.

“It okay if I bring Lennox?”

“Of course.” He glances over his shoulder at Fitz. “You gonna bring anyone?”

Fitz shrugs and pulls the door closed behind us. “Eh, I’ll see if Dec is around, but he’ll probably be at the station. The guy works nonstop.”

Fitz and Beckett’s brother-in-law, Declan, grew up together. It’s wild how small this world can be sometimes.

“I haven’t seen him since Finn’s first little league game,” I say as we make our way down the hall.

“Yeah, guy doesn’t know how to relax. I’ll probably be solo, but if he’s around, I’ll try to talk him into coming up for the day.”

“Sounds good. Make sure you bring your swimsuits. The lake is nice. If it’s hot enough, we can take a swim.”

We’re still making our way down to the ground floor when my phone buzzes. As the word Princess flashes on the screen, my heart takes off.

“Princess?” War teases.

“Shut it,” I tell him, itching to swipe the phone off the couch cushion and check the message.

“Things are going well?”

“We’re moving in together, so I’d say so.”

Fitz tosses his head back and laughs. “I heard that was a Beckett Langfield special.”

War frowns. “What does that mean?”

“My brother thinks he’s a matchmaker. Though this time, I’m not sure he’s the one to blame. He was looking for a place for Jasper. Gavin was the one who offered up Lennox’s apartment.”

War chuckles. “Your brothers are crazy.”

“Certifiable,” Fitz agrees.

I shoot them a smirk. “You all just want to be us.”

War shrugs, his expression sobering. “Truthfully, you’re lucky.”

He means it. War’s story is tragic, and it’s shaped him into who he is now.

“Don’t worry, War. You’re not getting rid of us. And if you’re interested, I’d be happy to convince Beck to match you next.”

War scoffs. “No thanks.”

I turn to Fitz. “You?”

He rolls his eyes and laughs. “Yeah, that’ll be the day.”

I’m practically bouncing in anticipation. I forced myself to wait until we’d gotten everything out of the apartment before checking my phone. We loaded several suitcases, mostly with my things, but we grabbed some random things too, knowing she’ll spend hours looking, not knowing what I actually took.

I’m not normally a petty person, but I found indescribable joy in the revenge I exacted today.

As I settle in the back seat of War’s truck, I pull out my phone and finally unlock it.

Lennox: Hey, I can’t do dinner tonight after all. But I’ll leave a key with Gavin and Millie so you can get your stuff moved in. I’ll see you when I get home.

My mood instantly sours, and my whole body deflates. I was really looking forward to seeing her.

Me: Okay, see you then. How did your lunch meeting go? Did Ryder agree to do the wedding?

Lennox: Still working on it. Meeting him for dinner because he couldn’t make lunch.

My stomach knots painfully. Of course the fucker missed lunch.

Me: That’s convenient. Remind him you have a boyfriend, yeah?

Lennox: Aiden.

Me: Yes, that’s your boyfriend’s name. Make sure you use it tonight.

Lennox: Sounds like you’re jealous. Which would be how a real boyfriend with real feelings would act.

Annoyance flares inside me, heating my blood.

Me: I’m fine. I just don’t like people jerking you around. Both he and your father are taking advantage of you, and I don’t like it.

Three gray dots bounce on my screen, signaling that Lennox is typing. They disappear, then start again. A heartbeat after they disappear for a second time, my phone rings. Princess flashes across the screen, but I ignore the call. If I speak to her right now, there’s a good chance that I’ll say something I regret.

Long game. I’m playing the long game.

Me: It’s fine. I’ll see you at home.

Hours later, nothing is fine.

She’s still not home, and I’m pacing her apartment like a caged animal. I’ve color coordinated our closet. Her side is obviously mostly pink and mine is mostly blue. It looks like it belongs in my niece Addie’s Barbie Dream House. When that was finished, I stared at the bed, jumped on the bed, realized the bed was a mess and remade it only to freak out thinking about how, tonight, I’ll be lying beside Lennox right here.

Which brought my thoughts back to how she’s currently out with fucking skinny pants. The guy who’s likely trying to get into her pants.

So now I’m back to pacing again. Because I have excellent hearing, and I’m listening for any sound that might signal her arrival, I hear when the elevator dings down the hall. Since there are only two apartments on this floor, and Gavin and Millie were already home when I stopped in to pick up my key, there’s a damn good chance it’s Lennox. I throw myself onto the couch, grab the remote, and turn on the television.

When the door swings open, I glance casually over my shoulder and offer a chin nod. See? I can do casual. Easy. Not insanely jealous and color coordinating our closet like we’re Barbie and Ken.

Fuck, I should probably rearrange the closet before she sees it. Once she does, she’s totally going to think I’m obsessed and planning our future.

“Hey, sorry I’m so late,” she says, shuffling into the room. She zeroes in on my chest before dragging her attention to my face.

Yeah, I’m in nothing but a pair of shorts—I got hot while bouncing on the bed. “Have a good night, Princess?”

In response, she licks her lips like she’s parched.

I fight a smirk, but it’s pointless, because my pecs do it for me. They flex and dance to the rhythm of “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey.

Lennox’s blue eyes ignite. There’s no hiding the cocky smirk now.

With a huff, she shakes her head and strides toward the bedroom.

Looks like I’m not the only one desperately losing their mind.