"Will you really teach me how to kickbox?" I asked Nick. "Or were you just trying to get me to come back inside?"
Nick looked at me like I was daft. "If I'd just wanted you to come back inside I would have picked you up and carried you," he said. "I will teach you to kickbox, but there will be conditions."
"Such as?"
I tried to pull my hand away from Nick's grasp but he held me fast.
"Such as not getting into fights. I'll teach you, but it will be so you can take out your anger on the boxing bags at home, and for self-defense if necessary. Not for getting into fights and beating people up and causing trouble."
"I don't get into fights," I said, a bit offended. What was up with Nick? First he got all mad at the thought of me having a boyfriend when I don't, and now he's basically accusing me of being a violent thug.
Nick grinned. "You don't take after your brothers, then. Are you sure you're a Bogiatto?"
I smiled. "Of course. I got all the sweetness that you boys didn't get."
My brothers were all standing on the threshold of the front door, watching as Nick tugged me up the steps. They all had the same wide-legged crossed-arms stance and if I wasn't so comfortable around them now, I would have found them really scary and intimidating. They looked formidable. Powerful. Dominant.
"You do not cause problems and we absolutely do want you here," Alex informed me sternly.
"And we are not sexists!" Rocco said.
I snorted in disagreement.
"We're not!" he insisted. "We're just protective."
I glared at him. "You're overprotective," I corrected him, putting emphasis on the over bit. "You're also overbearing at times, and the double standards drive me nuts."
I wrenched my hand away from Nick's and stamped my foot. "And you're sexists. All of you. Why can't you just admit that?"
Rocco re-fixed his trademark scowl firmly in place.
Nick put his hands on my shoulders and steered me inside, my brothers stepping aside to let me through.
"Well, sexists or not, you're stuck with us sis, so better get used to it," he growled in my ear.
Logan smirked. I poked my tongue out at him. Petty, maybe, but it felt good. I knew he wasn't going to retaliate with all my brothers right there to smack him upside the head if he tried.
"Go upstairs and get yourself ready for bed, text your friend to tell her you're not coming around, and then come back down," Damon ordered.
"What if I don't want to come back down and be with my sexist brothers?" I asked him, trying to sound sassy but just sounding grumpy instead.
Damon crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared down at me. "Look Carrie, we've had a really long, shitty few days. We all want to relax together this evening as a family. You're part of our family, whether you like it or not, and we want you to be with us. So, for once, can you please just do as you're told without arguing? Because I'm really too tired to spank you. I just want to relax with a drink."
"What do you mean, for once?" I exclaimed, mad. "I hardly ever argue when you tell me to do something!"
Damon took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb, like he was trying really hard not to erupt.
"And yet here you are, arguing." Alex looked at me sternly, obviously trying to get me to hurry up and obey before Damon lost it.
Nick squeezed my shoulders and pushed me forward. "Come on," he said. "I'll come with you." He didn't wait for an answer, he just propelled me forward with pressure on my shoulders.
He didn't say a word, or let go of me until we were in my bedroom, where he steered me straight into my bathroom.
"Have a shower," he ordered in a don't-mess-with-me tone. "Get changed into pajamas. There'll be hot chocolate waiting for you."
Despite my best efforts, I felt my face crumple. I missed Jack. Everything felt wrong. I scrunched my eyes shut tightly but a lone tear trickled down my face anyway. I turned away from Nick, but it was too late. He saw.
"Awww baby, don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you before."
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his rock hard chest. He rocked from side to side slightly, holding me tightly.
"We're all just tired, sis. Everything will be better tomorrow, after a rest."
I nodded against his shirt.
"Can I have extra marshmallows?" I asked and he grinned.
"Of course. I'll get that sorted for you now."
When I went downstairs, Damon was putting the finishing touches on my hot chocolate, dropping mini marshmallows into the steaming cup and sprinkling chocolate powder over it all.
"Do you want chocolate syrup on the top as well?" he asked.
I nodded and gave him a small smile.
He went to the fridge, got the chocolate syrup, and swirled it over the top of the contents of my mug.
"Please be patient with us, Carrie-girl. We're trying here, okay? It's a big adjustment for us to get used to the fact that you're not a baby anymore and you're growing up."
I watched him, mildly amused, as he continued adding the syrup absentmindedly. Damon didn't do things absentmindedly, so to see him so distracted right now was kinda funny.
"The no boyfriends rule stands for now, but when you find someone you're interested in, you come and have a chat with me and we'll make sure he's worthy of you, alright?"
Suddenly, he realized what he was doing, and looked at my over-chocolatey cup in horror, putting down the syrup sheepishly. He slid the mug across the kitchen counter toward me.
"Here you go, one very chocolatey hot chocolate. Now come and sit with us. It's not often that we all have the evening at home together."
"Except Jack," I pointed out. "I miss him."
Damon put his arm around me and led me into the cinema room where my brothers were all sprawled out on couches and beanbags.
"He'll be home tomorrow night, in time for dinner. I'm sure he'll be very pleased to see you."
I snuggled up in between Alex and Nick, sipped on my delicious super-chocolatey hot chocolate, and tried to focus on the movie, but I wasn't really concentrating on it at all. My mind was all over the place, and my brothers were warm and cozy to snuggle up with, and my eyelids were drooping.
I felt someone take my nearly empty mug from my hands and cover me with a light blanket. I rolled over and snuggled up closer against Alex. His big hand rested on my side, a comforting, reassuring touch. My legs and feet were on Nick and I dug them into him a bit harder as I stretched, causing him to put his hand under my heels and ankles and lifting my feet into a different position.
I was content.
Not too much later, I stirred slightly, awake enough to hear my brothers arguing over who was going to be the one to carry me up. It was nice, being argued over in a good way rather than because I'd caused trouble.
"I'll do it, she's asleep on me," Alex rumbled, his chest vibrating against my cheek as he spoke.
"Her feet are on me!" Nick argued. "Let me do it."
"I will take her," Damon said firmly, and I felt his strong hands picking me up. I rested my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his neck, nestling in against him.
I breathed in the scent of him, happy that my biggest brother was back home. Although Jack was my favorite, Damon was more like my security blanket. He was also so in control, and I knew that I was safe when he was there.
He laid me gently down in my bed, tucking my covers around me securely.
"Goodnight sweet Carrie-girl," he murmured softly.
"G'night," I mumbled, burying myself deep in my bed, a small smile on my face.
All was right in my world once again.