Cade is officially a jackass.
He knuckled on the door, his teeth gritting impatiently. When the door hadn't opened, he knocked louder. His other hand is fisted inside the pocket of his pants while the other continuously rammed the door.
"Gee, what the hell's the emergency?" His brother Vren asks when the door finally opened, revealing his rumpled and sleepless state. Another night at the bar.
Cade marched inside, his hand raking his hair frustratedly. "I'm an idiot," he blurted.
"Ookay. I'm pretty sure whoever told you that had just been intimidated by your IQ." Vren closes the door and follows him as he paces helplessly to the living room. "What's wrong?"
Cade pauses at the sight of Christian and Matthew sprawled on the couches. Their limbs were dangling off to the side, blankets were mussed on the carpet and throw pillows cluttered the floor. He turns to Vren questioningly. "Has there been a massacre I wasn't aware of?"
"Oh. No. Christian and I went to have a drink at the bar. Matthew and Andrei took us home."
He narrowed his eyes disapprovingly. "What did I tell you about keeping the little brothers out of trouble?"
"I know I'm supposed to be the second brother and Christian is supposed to be third. We're just teaching Matthew and Andrei to be responsible," he reasoned out.
Cade shot his brother a glare. "Where's Andrei?" He turns to the mess of the blankets, crouching down as if he'd find him under the chaotic sheets.
"Relax, he didn't end up in a dumpster. He's in my kitchen making us breakfast."
With that, Cade turns to the kitchen, craving for coffee to soothe his raging nerves. He thought minimizing interactions with Kathie will put his mind at ease. He meant to avoid any potential encounters in the hall. The idea seemed attainable and rational enough. Except he may have hurt her feelings.
He grabbed a fistful of his hair as the sight of brimming tears in her brown eyes just before the elevator closes.
Andrei was arranging food on the table, four plates set with a chef's finest touch. He looks up curiously at him then wordlessly head over to the cupboard and got another plate. "I didn't know you'll be joining us."
"Me neither. He just showed up at my door in this troubled state." Vren gestured at his entirety.
Cade frowned at him then dropped his hand to his side.
Andrei's eyes did a quick perusal. "It's the terrible matchmaking, isn't it?"
He shakes his head. "Did you make coffee, Andrei?"
His brother nods and poured him coffee. He made a show of sprinkling sugar generously. "It's not vanilla coffee but it'll have to do."
Cade murmured his thanks and took the coffee.
"Now, what brought you here, dear ole brother?" Vren props one elbow on the counter and grabbed himself some coffee.
Andrei takes off his apron and gestured to the doorway. "I'm just gonna go wake up Matthew and Christian."
Cade stares back at his questioning brother. He took a long sip of coffee before exhaling a deep breath. "What is the best "I'm sorry" gift in your opinion?"
"You came here to ask me that?" Vren chuckled.
He struck him a vacant look.
Vren holds up his hand. "Okay. I can see this is of grave importance. Who are we having this conversation for?"
"My neighbor."
"Oh, man. You pissed off your neighbor? Did you file a noise complaint against him?"
He shakes his head. His neighbor from his previous apartment was a nuisance. "No. She's not loud."
"A 'she'? This gets more interesting. It's Kathie, isn't it?"
Cade says nothing.
His brother snapped his fingers. "I knew it. Lady troubles."
"What lady troubles?" Their brothers had just made it to the kitchen. Christian and Matthew shuffles inside with the speed of a sloth. They were both groggy. Christian from hangover and Matthew from the lack of sleep.
"So, what lady trouble?" Andrei prodded.
Vren turns to him. "He screwed up and he wants to give her a peace offering."
Their crumpled brothers slid themselves on the chair behind the table.
"Cade, you finally have a girlfriend?" Matthew scratches his eyes, hoping to rid himself of the remaining sleep.
Christian smirked even with his hangover. "Who's the lucky lady?"
"She's a neighbor," Vren says in a sing-song voice.
Christian gaped. "Oh, shit. It's Kathie Jane?"
Cade sighed frustratedly. "It's not what you think."
"Right." Christian winks.
"What did you do?" Andrei pours his brothers coffee.
Cade sighed one more time. "I may have offended her."
"You need to be more specific than that." Andrei motioned them to take their seats.
Cade sat on the end of the table. Andrei took the other end and Vren sat across Matthew and Christian. They were passing the scrambled eggs around when a pair of heels clacking resonated all the way from the door.
"Is that your girlfriend?" Cade asks flatly.
Vren snorted. "It's just Chandra. She's the only woman who has a spare key to my penthouse."
"She's going to regret having a key one day," Matthew murmurs around a mouthful of the French toast. "Breakfast tastes great, Andrei."
"Thank you." He grinned. "Chandra, we're in the kitchen, sweetie."
The clicking heels got louder and then their little sister came in with a bright smile.
"Hi. We're having breakfast." Christian waves her over the seat next to him.
"Breakfast at four o'clock. What time zone are you guys in right now?" She strolled in the kitchen, taking Christian's invitation to sit with him.
Vren grinned. "We're in the badly hungover time zone."
"How are you guys allowed to get wasted and I'm not?" Chandra tucks her arms gruffly over her chest.
"Because, according to them, you're still too young." Andrei bats his lashes.
"Because you're our baby sister. We don't want you getting into trouble." Matthew smiled softly.
Christian draped an arm over her shoulders and started ruffling her hair.
Their sister lets out a loud groan. "Stop that. My hair! I'm not a kid anymore."
"What are you talking about? You're the last one to wear a diaper, so that means you're still the youngest around here." Vren leans over, joining Christian's hand mussing her hair.
Chandra looked over to Cade, her eyes seeking for the brother that was the authority among them like they always did when she's ganged up on.
"You two, knock it off." Cade clicked his tongue.
They let her go.
Chandra glares at their siblings, walking around the table and taking her solace next to Cade. She looks down to the pancakes on his plate, tilting her head thoughtfully.
Cade gives his plate a little shove toward her.
"I'm on a diet." Her lips pursed.
"Are you sure? There isn't much chocolate chips but these pancakes are great." He slices one with his fork and ate.
She bit her lip indecisively. Cade wasn't the only one in the family who had the insatiable sweet tooth.
Chandra shrugged. "I guess a bite couldn't hurt." Moments later, she's eating most of his pancakes.
"So, are we going to talk about your lady problem?" Vren pops a strip of bacon to his mouth.
"Lady problem?" Chandra echoed. "Hold on. I'm not caught up. Who's this lady?"
"Kathie Jane Lewis," Andrei answers.
Matthew puts down his coffee. "Cade says he might have hurt her feelings."
Vren supplied the little information he told them and, later on, his siblings were debating which was the better peace offering. Jewelry (Christian's stance). Bouquets of flowers (Vren's).
"Or you can just talk to her and apologize." This came from the sweet Matthew.
Andrei shakes his head. "It'll have to take more than that. Cade here is not much of a heart-on-a-sleeve kind of guy."
"Or you can give her a stuffed animal." Chandra beamed. "Kathie is not the materialistic type, for sure. It will be the thought that counts."
"A stuffed animal?" Cade questioned out. "How is that going to help me?"
"She's not the Jewelry kind of girl, so a stuffed animal might not be a bad idea," Andrei agreed.
Christian rubs his palms together. "Matty and I are going to help you pick."
"Yes to Matty. No to you," Cade rolled his eyes. "You're just going to flirt with the clerk."
"No. I'll choose," Chandra interrupted. "This is something that requires a woman's touch."
"Girl, little sis. You're still a little girl." Vren reaches a hand toward her and patted her head.
She swatted his hand away. "Woman. Cade, I'll get to pick, right?" Her blue eyes rounded at him in excitement.
Four more pairs of blue eyes steered to him.
He rolled his shoulders. "Whatever you think is right, Chandra."
She grinned broadly.
Meet the Parkinsons, guys! I have an older sister. I always wondered what would it be like if I had more siblings. Anyways, vote and comment, loves! Let's see what Cadey had up his sleep to make it up to Kathie. ;)