Babysitting the Player

Chapter 13

Probably those condoms from her bathroom.

"Bryce!" Layla runs over to her big brother who's still dirty from work.

"You're home early," I say as Bryce picks up Layla.

"It wasn't busy and since I'm still training on how to use the computers they let me out early." He throws her over his shoulder.

"They have you working on cars and using the computers?"

"They have me doing everything."

"How do you like it so far?" I ask.

"It's okay."

"Do you want to play a game with us?" Layla asks.

"I would love to play a game with two pretty girls. What are we playing?"

"Go Fish!"

"You better be careful, I'm amazing at that game." He smiles and tosses Layla onto the couch.

She gets up and scurries down the hall to her room.

"She has way too much energy for an hour before her bedtime." Bryce shakes his head and takes a seat on the couch.

I laugh and pick up Layla's empty yogurt cup and spoon. I walk into the kitchen and put her spoon in the dishwasher and toss the cup into the garbage. Tiny footsteps bounding down the hallway catch my attention and I exit the kitchen just in time to see Layla jump right into Bryce's lap.

"Oh my gosh," Bryce says with a groan.

"Why don't we sit in a chair at the dining room table and not on Bryce's legs?" I laugh.

Layla wordlessly gets up and brings the card game to the table before taking a seat. I sit across from her and Bryce sits in the chair at the end between us.

"You do it." Layla hands the cards to Bryce.

"Okay." Bryce shuffles the cards a bit and gives us each seven of them. "You go first, Lay."

"Bryce, got any sevens?" she asks.

"Dang it, I do." He hands her two cards and she puts down all four sevens.

"Alex, got any twos?" Bryce asks me.

"Go Fish!" I smile and Layla laughs, indicating that she has some twos.

He takes a card and shakes his head.

"Layla, got any fives?" I ask.

"No fair!" she whines and hands me a five.

I set down my now three fives and leave Bryce the only one without any cards down.

We play a few more rounds and Bryce wasn't lying when he said he was amazing at this game. He made a comeback and beat Layla by just one group.

"I'm impressed," I say.

"You should be." Bryce brags. "I win every time."

"He cheated!" Layla accuses.

"He cheated?" I ask.

"Liar!" Bryce shakes his head.

"No! You always cheat!"

"I'm just good at Go Fish!"

"Well, on that note, I think it's time for you to go to bed, Layla."

She nods and gets up, still pouting about her loss.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth," I say.

"I know."

"How was your day?" Bryce asks.