Taivon: Book Three of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter Thirty-One

“Hey,” he teased. “I'm nice. I haven't asked you for any favors since, like, a month ago.”

She rolled her eyes, because it most certainly was not a month since he'd asked. The last thing she'd had to do was rake those leaves about two weeks ago, when Taivon had practically had a meltdown, but with her work schedule during the day, writing during the new book during her free time, and with Taivon as much as she could, there wasn't really any time to spend time with her brother.

Giving him the finger, she went into her bedroom. She found Taivon laying on his side, his face turned away from the door. He didn't move as she got closer, but when she poked him just like he'd poked her about ten minutes ago, one eye opened, and he looked up at her.

“I have t-t-to meet yuh-your brother now,” he said, not a question but a statement, as if he knew this would all happen today.

“You'll be okay.” She took one of those big hands in hers. “Now, c'mon. We'll have breakfast.”

“Wuh-Wuh-What about my sh-shirt?”

“What about your shirt?”

“I want it b-b-back.”

Alix played with a dark green strand. “You want it back?”

He nodded but didn't say anything. With a quick peck to his forehead, she unbuttoned the garment and then threw it at him right before putting on a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt. By the time she was finished, he had his shirt buttoned and after a little bit of a struggle, had his pants zipped.

“What?” He smiled. “It's nuh-nuh-not like I c-c-c-can help it. Morning wuh-wood's a b-b-bitch.”

Grinning like the idiot she was whenever she was with him, Alix pressed a hand against his chest and then cupped him through his pants, giving a good squeeze. His eyes closed, and one hand held hers there for a tenth of a second before pulling it back.

“Not th-th-the time, sweetheart.”

“Later, then?”

“Later,” he whispered, eyelids half-hooded, “when yuh-your brother isn't here. Th-Then I'll show ya a little s-s-somethin'.”

Her body ignited at the words, but he was right; getting it on in the other room wouldn't be the best impression Taivon could set. Because if Leon didn't like him, then her dad wouldn't like him. And if her dad wasn't a fan, then the rest of her family – uncles, aunts, cousins, and all – wouldn't, either.

“C'mon.” She kissed him one more time. “Then we have all of later to frick frack.”

He was still laughing by the time they were both in her small kitchen, but then he stopped once he looked at her brother. There was a little bit of a smile before it slowly slid off his face and he was looking down at the ground and gripping her hand forcefully.

“So...” Leon held his arms out at his sides. “You must be him.”

Taiv gulped. “'Him'?”

“The guy my little sis's obsessed with. She was right, though. You aren't fat. Just...big. ”

Taiv narrowed his eyes and looked at her. “Wuh-Wuh-What? You s-s-s-said I wuh-was fat​?”

Alix knew – she could almost feel – when Leon tensed at Taivon's stutter. It got so, so much worse when he was nervous or around people he didn't know, and now wasn't any exception. She knew Leon wouldn't say anything, but there were the subtle changes in the way a person treated somebody else when it came to “disabilities.”