Page 81 of Six Years
“I losttwoteeth! So when I woke up this morning, the tooth fairy got metwopresents!!”
“Really? Wow.”
Brooke turns to Luan, carefully tapping her finger against his arm to get his attention. When he looks at her, Brooke smiles all sweetly and says, “Do you want to see my new toys? I got two Barbies, one is a princess with a very beautiful purple dress. The other one is the prince, but I don’t like the princes that much, they always have weird hair.”
Right, Brooke showseveryoneher Barbie princesses collection. She’s a little obsessed with everything that has to do with princesses, except for the princes, I guess. The male Barbie dolls do have weird hair though, I admit.
“Sure, I’d love that,” Luan answers to which Brooke jumps off the bar stool and runs toward the door to leave.
“Okay! I’ll go back home and then I’ll show you at breakfast.” With her hand already on the doorknob, Brooke turns around and looks at me one last time. “I love you, Uncle Grey.”
“I love you, too, Brookie.” That being said, Brooke is out the door.
“She’s adorable,” Luan says as soon as the door is closed.
“Right?” Brooke’s the only little girl I don’t feel even a hint of resentment toward. Kimia, my cousin, I disliked her right after she was born already. I couldn’t tell you why, but I just did. It hasn’t changed much now that she’s older, around sixteen maybe? She could be eighteen, I’m honestly not sure. My point is, from the second Miles introduced me to Brooke, I liked her. She was only a year old then. “She wouldn’t actually use bad words when talking to you, by the way. Miles wouldn’t let her.”
“Yeah, I gathered that.” Luan chuckles, taking my hand in his. “But it’s cute how protective she is of you. How old is she?”
“Seven,” I answer. “She turns eight this September.” Why’s almost everyone’s birthday in September though? Mine is, Emory’s is, Brooke’s is, Eden was also born in September. Peoplelovecareless fucks in December, I suppose.
“Enough about Brooke,” I say and stand myself between Luan’s thighs again, praying Miles isn’t going to come barge in here like his daughter did before. Taking an encouraging breath, I just blurt it out. “Will you go on a date with me? Anactualdate.”
Luan licks his lips, a smile tugs right onto the corners of his mouth. “I would, but you’re on bed rest and you’ve been standing forwaytoo long already.”
I hate him. No, really, I do.
“Fine. We’ll have our first date in my bed then. I’ll light up candles and make the owner of the Rêverie hand deliver us amazing food so it’s a candlelight dinner but homemade.”
“The owner of the Rêverie?” Luan scoffs, not believing that I happen to havegreatconnections to said owner.
The Rêverie is a very popular five-star restaurant chain. The best of all the five restaurants throughout the USA is in New York, as is the owner of said restaurants.
I shrug like it’s nothing. “You’ll also be eating breakfast prepared by him, so…”
Luan’s eyes widen, his mouth opens in shock. “You’re kidding me.”
“Nope.”
“You get to eat Rêverie foodeveryday like it’s nothing?” I nod, though that’s not exactly true. When I’m on the road, I live off of takeout. But, hey, at least I order salads with the burgers and stuff. “You’re so lucky, I swear.”
I wouldn’t be so sure about that. “I’d be luckier if you finally agreed to go on a date with me.”
Luan sighs heavily. “If you’re in love with me, Grey Davis, you can just say it.”
“I will, but for now,…?”
He smiles again, bringing both of his hands to my jaw. “Okay. One date and then you’re going to have to ask me to be your boyfriend because otherwise I won’t say yes to a second date.”
“Is that blackmail I sense here?”
Luan nods with confidence at first, but then all of that vanishes at once. “Grey…?” His hands leave my face, fear fills his eyes as though he realized something that might scare me away as soon as he opens his mouth again. I think I already know what he’s about to tell me.
“Just say it,” I try to encourage when he starts to avoid looking at me.
“I’m a manipulator,” he says, his voice breaks when he says it. “I don’t know if you’re being nice to me because I made you like me, or because you just do. And before one day you realize what I’ve done, I want you to know that. If you think I somehow manipulated you into liking me, then tell me and I’ll leave before I can hurt us both any more than I already have.”
“Luan—”
