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“Don’t eat it yet, you pig.” Matt moved the box away from Josh.
“We’re starving. Do we have to wait for Lily?”
Matt narrowed his eyes at him. “If we don’t wait, there won’t be anything left for her to eat.”
“We’d save her a slice,” Jake muttered. “Wouldn’t we, Jacob?”
“Of course, we would,” Jake mumbled, looking at his phone.
Nate came into the room and a sharp burst of jealousy went through Matt when he saw he’d changed since they left.
“And here’s the man of the moment,” Josh said.
“Don’t.” Nate came over and sat next to Matt. He kept his gaze on him, but he was talking to all of them. “Nothing happened.”
“Nothing?” Josh snorted. “You were yelling at her and then it went quiet.”
“It’s between her and me.”
Matt lifted the lid of the closest box to him. He knew Nate was right, but that didn’t stop the torturous thoughts of what he’d done with her. It’d been nearly an hour before they’d made it back with the pizza. Long enough to—
Josh slapped his hand. “Don’t tell us not to nick it and then go and nick it yourself.”
Matt glared at them. “I was only opening it up. I’m not a pig like you are.”
“What’s crawled up your butt and died?” Jake sneered.
“Go and wake her up before it gets cold.” Nate hadn’t even finished speaking before the twins were on their feet and heading for the stairs. “You okay?”
“No.” Matt sighed heavily. “Yeah, yeah, I am, I think.” He didn’t know what he was.
“She’s worried that you know we were making out.”
“Making out? Is that all?” Matt shook his head. “No. Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you that, or suggested you did anything more. I was fine with it, honestly, until I saw you changed. It made it real somehow. You’re all getting time with her and I’m not.” He swore under his breath. “And now I sound like a petulant four-year-old.”
“Well, you did run out and leave me to explain that book.”
“Can’t say I’m sorry. Wild horses wouldn’t have kept me listening to you telling her what you wanted it for.”
Nate rolled his eyes. “I fucked it up royally anyway. Ended up talking about two different things and nearly derailed it for all of us.”
“How?”
“She got some weird idea I’d got it to see how we could help her breasts grow.”
“What?” Matt stared at him. “How the hell did she come to that conclusion.”
Nate pulled a face. “Damned if I know.”
“I don’t get it. That’s not even in there, is it?”
“No. Honestly, it was like walking on a balance beam blindfolded. Nothing she said made any sense and wasn’t even remotely connected. But it’s all good now, just don’t mention the book.”
Matt was glad he’d escaped. How the hell she made that connection baffled him.
“We good?”
Matt heard the wariness in Nate’s voice. He had to get this together, it had eaten him alive the other day when he’d stuffed up. And yet, here he was doing the same again.
He dropped his forehead to the table with a bump. “Nate, just kill me. I’m being an asshole again.”
“No, you’re not. Any other girl and I’d say it wasn’t worth it. If it’d been Connie—well, no, that’s just—no. I don’t even want to imagine that. Lily’s special, Matt. It’s more than I thought it could be. She connects with us on a level that makes me feel as if—” He was lost for words, but Matt knew what he meant.
“She feels like home. I’m turning into a girl saying that.”
Nate chuckled. “Let’s not mention this again out loud, but yeah, she’s our home, Matt.” He held up his fist and Matt bumped his against it.
A high-pitched squeal followed by the cackling laughter of the twins and the sound of thundering feet on the floor above made Matt laugh. “I don’t think I want to know.”
“Just put it down to them being a sandwich short of a picnic.” Nate opened the other pizza box.
“Yeah, we’ve known that for years,” Matt replied.
“What’ve you known for years?” Josh asked as they came into the kitchen, Lily close behind.
“That you two are bonkers,” Nate said.
Matt ignored the twins, concentrating only on Lily, her head was down and her cheeks a flaming red. He heard Nate shift beside him, and he looked at him briefly.
“I won’t mess up again,” he whispered.
Nate nodded and reached for a slice of pizza.
“Sorry to say this, guys, but we ate the pizza. Lily, we saved you a slice, but the twins will have to lick the boxes.” Matt kept his eyes on her until she finally looked up and he winked at her.
She smiled shyly, and he winked again, grinning at her. He just had time to turn before she was on his lap, her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek.
Yes, he could do this. He could let go of his jealousy because she loved him as well.
