Before You | 18+ | ✓

32: marley

"And this is where my brother and I grew up," I say, leading JJ up the stairs of the townhome that is my parents' primary home. I can barely contain my happiness because he's finally here. I glance backwards at him to see his eyes roaming everywhere to take it all in.

We're just barely in the doorway before I hear my mom arguing with my brother. "Kaden, there's nothing wrong with the art I have hanging in here."

"I told Dad to get you the Picasso I picked out. It would fit so well into this space."

"We already have a Picasso. We don't need two."

Oh my god. This is mortifying. It's like advertising that hey, by the way my family is so rich they're arguing about how many Picasso's we need. I'm about to apologize to JJ, but he chuckles beside me. "Is that your brother?" He asks, an amused smile on his face.

"Yeah. Kaden came back from Italy for the holiday. He's an interesting person, but I love him." I say to him before announcing that we're home.

Mom walks out quickly and pulls JJ into a hug, "It's so good to see you again JJ."

"It's good to see you too." He says, when Kaden pops out of the front room.

"So you're the boyfriend?" He asks, raising his eyebrow at JJ questioningly.

Mom releases him and squeezes my arm lovingly as JJ offers a wide smile to Kaden. "Yep. So you're the brother?"

Kaden watches him for another moment before smiling. "Yep. Do you like art?"

"I do. I'm sure you know a lot more than I do, but I think it's interesting." JJ answers and just like that, he's won over my brother.

"Great, come here and help me convince Mom that we need another Picasso in here." He says, pulling JJ into the front room without me. My jaw hangs open at how Kaden's not even going to allow him to put his stuff in my room.

I look at my mom as she laughs quietly to herself. "You can always get him back if he ever lets us meet Gabriel." Mom says, bringing up a very good point about how I can torture my brother by stealing his boyfriend whenever we get to meet him.

"True, but as much as I want them to like each other, I'd also like to let JJ relax after his flight." I say and Mom starts walking up the stairs, intending for me to follow.

"Mar, just let Kaden do his thing. It'll be fine." She says before second guessing her decision. "JJ's not going to agree with him about a Picasso, right?"

"I don't know, but you're the one who said to let Kaden do his thing." I say, smiling sweetly at her.

Kaden has JJ in his clutches for fifteen minutes, but they're both smiling when they enter the kitchen where Mom and I are sitting. "You have a lovely home." JJ says to my mom, still carrying his duffle bag with him and she beams. I've never known her to like someone this quickly considering it's only the second time she's been around him. I know Dad likes him from the way he speaks about me; he said it's hard to fake the love that he sees JJ have for me. He was skeptical at first of him after the first dinner, but JJ won him over just like I knew he would.

I wonder if Dad talked to Mom about it and that's why she likes him so much.

"That's really nice of you to say JJ. Please make yourself at home while you're here."

"JJ, do you want to go to-" Kaden starts to say and I interrupt him quickly.

"No. Kaden, he's my boyfriend, not yours. You should have invited Gabriel instead of being a chicken shit because you didn't want to introduce him to everyone." I blurt out before I can stop myself. JJ laughs and tries to hide it with a cough and Kaden puts his hands up in surrender.