Flip (Next Level Book 2)

I wake up to the sound of deep laughter. Oh my god.

I feel punch drunk as I glance at the clock. It’s nearly ten in the morning! Holy shit! I don’t know the last time I’ve slept so late, or so hard. Kicking the sheets off me, I scramble out of bed and rush down the stairs. Glitch and Trey and in the kitchen and the smell of bacon funnels into my nose.

He’s cooked breakfast.

He spent the night.

I can’t remember anything past sitting down to watch a movie. Having Trey around is bad for my mental health, I’m getting CRS- Can’t Remember Shit.

“There she is!” Trey beams a bright smile from the kitchen table.

Glitch sits directly across from him in his usual seat. “Hey. How are you feeling today?”

Like I came too much yesterday and have a lot to do today. “Better.”

“Good.” My brother takes a sip of his iced tea. “Ara needs some company.”

“Huh?” My mouth’s too dry. Shit, I didn’t even bother brushing my teeth before rushing down here. I’m regretting it now. “What’s Ara need company for?”

“I booked her a day of pampering to get ready for the wedding tomorrow.”

I drop into a chair and grab a slice of bacon from his plate. Trey immediately shoves an entire dish in front of me. Oh my god. He made me breakfast… and kept it warm under foil. “Wow. Thanks.” I peel the tin foil back and see bacon, eggs, and a banana cut up on top of a stack of pancakes. “I love you so fucking much.”

He tenses next to me, and I shove a forkful of eggs into my face because I just made a big mistake admitting that. Here’s hoping both Glitch and Trey brush it off as a figure of speech. When I look over at Glitch, he’s staring at me with a look I’m too confused to figure out. Focus, Erin! “What’s Ara going to the spa have to do with me?”

“You’re going with her.”

I gawk at my brother. “No, I’m not. I have too much to get done today. The wedding is tomorrow, this place is a mess, the caterers need to be called and reminded about parking, plus I have laundry to do and groceries to buy.” I’m pissed Glitch would even suggest I go with Ara. Although, I have to admit, the idea of a spa day does sound incredible.

Damnit, now I’m extra mad about it.

I stab into the pancakes and shove a hunk into my mouth. Thanks a lot for dangling luxury in my face, bro, but I got adulting to do. Like always.

Trey takes a sip of his coffee. “You still have the gift card I gave you for your birthday last year.”

Oh. My. God. Glitch is a rat.

I’m gonna kill him. I’m gonna stab him in the face with my fork for telling Trey I’ve yet to use his gift card. “I don’t have time for spa days.” I stab something random on my plate and shove it in my mouth next. Now I feel awful because Trey doesn’t deserve my attitude. “It was a lovely gift.” I cringe, looking up at him. “I just haven’t had a chance to use it yet.”

“You do today.” Trey’s expression reminds me of the one he makes when he watches me suck his cock. “I’ve already booked services for you. Ara will be picking you up in about an hour, so eat up.”

My fork falls out of my hand. “What?” I don’t like this. “There’s too much to do around here. I can’t just—”

“Glitch and I have the wedding preparations handled. It’s why I came early and got a hotel.”

I feel like I’m floating. “But…”

“No buts.” Trey shoves a glass of water towards me. “Eat up and hydrate. I heard that helps before and after ninety-minute hot stone massages.”

Ninety minutes? How much did that cost? “Trey.”

“Erin.” He gives me a look that says if I argue with him, there will be consequences.

Joke’s on you, fucker. I’m into that shit.

I want to punch him in his mouth and kiss him at the same time. I do neither and end up shoving another piece of bacon in my face instead.

Glitch clears his throat and stares at Trey for what feels like several heart pounding seconds. “We’ll take care of the caterers and clean up here, Er. Don’t worry about anything.”

I want to go, and I can’t let myself. “No. I have too much to do around here.”

Glitch tilts his head. “Once the services are scheduled, there’s a no cancelation policy that goes into effect. You’ll have to pay fifty percent of the bill if you cancel less than seventy-two hours out. Is that how you want to spend Trey’s birthday gift to you?”

I’m not even sure if what Glitch just said is bullshit or not. “N-no. But—”

“Good, then you’re going.” Trey tosses his napkin on the table and gets up with his plate.

They’re both ganging up on me. I’m not going to win this. And I feel awful that I haven’t used the generous gift card Trey got me for my thirtieth birthday. “I don’t like this.”

“You’ll change your mind once you get there.” Trey starts washing his dish in the sink. “We’ve got this covered, mama. Just go and have a girl’s day.”

Tears spring into my eyes and I shove away from the table before either of them can see how close I am to cracking.

Trey didn’t come here to help with wedding preparations. He’s come to ruin my carefully constructed fortress and I don’t know what to do about it.

Heading upstairs, I take the steps two at a time and slam my bedroom door shut behind me. My hands are shaking. A mix of guilt, excitement, and terror grip me. If I’m going to be honest with myself, I’ve been dying to use that gift card since the day he put it in my hand. I just haven’t had a single free day to use it. And now that I’m unemployed, I didn’t feel right using it on myself when money is tight. Yes, I can stay within the budget of the card, and it wouldn’t cost me a damn thing, but my brain doesn’t work like that. I’d decided to use this gift card once I got a new job.

Which is a lie because I’d be working full-time with no chance of getting a day off to pamper myself because I still have a son to be home for.

That gift card would have expired or gotten lost. There. That’s the truth.

A knock on my door makes me jump. Damnit, Glitch. “Come in.”

Trey pokes his head in.

Rage consumes me and I scream-whisper, “What are you doing up here?”

Glitch will find out about us! If that look he gave Trey downstairs is any indication, he’s suspicious already. I’m not prepared for the fallout of something like this yet.

“Relax,” Trey says. “He’s outside moving the toys and shit out of the backyard.”

Guilt bubbles in my belly. “Well, go help him!”

“I will. I just wanted to make sure you were okay first.”

“I’m fine,” I lie. Skirting past him, I head into the bathroom and start brushing my teeth. Maybe Trey will get the hint and go away.

“You looked like you wanted to claw my face off down there.”

I finish brushing and spit into the sink. “The thought crossed my mind.”

He leans against the doorjamb and smirks. “All because I’m giving you a day off?”

A day off? That’s not what I need. It’s not what I want! “You can’t just come in here and mess everything up.” I rip the hand towel off the hook and wipe my mouth with it.

“What have I messed up?” His tone’s changed. I’ve struck a nerve.

Good. Because he sure as shit stuck a nerve of mine! “You… you can’t just take over my life.”

“Erin.”

“No!” I throw the towel at him. “You can’t just stroll in here and act like some kind of hero when you’ll just walk back out the next day.”

His jaw ticks as he clenches his molars. “I’m helping my best friend prepare for his special day. And I’m just trying to spoil a woman I love while I’m at it.”

We both realize what he’s said. My heart pounds in my ears. Did he really just say that? I have to grip the sink to support myself. “Get out.”

“Erin.”

“Get. OUT!”

How dare he drop the L word on me! How dare he have the audacity to look crushed when I turn on him and push him out the door and out of my room. So what if I said it by accident downstairs? That doesn’t mean he should say it back!

Slamming the door in his face, I know he sees me breaking down before I can fully shut myself into the bathroom. I’m so damn angry about it I can’t wait to get out of here.

I’ll go to the spa even if it’s just to get away from one thing in my life I can’t control.

•••

Trey

I have no clue what just happened, but it’s bad. Real bad.

To make sure I don’t piss Erin off more than I already have, I head out back and start stacking patio chairs to put them in the shed.

Glitch is pouring gas in the lawn mower. “You want to tell me what the fuck that was about?”

I swallow the lump in my throat. Shit, shit, shit. “Nope.”

“My sister’s a grown ass woman.”

Yup.

“And she’s acting like a child.”

Pretty much.

“And she only gets this bad when she doesn’t have complete control.”

I freeze with a massive wicker chair in my hands. Glitch glowers at me, and I swear my balls shrivel. “She’s always in control, man. That’s never an issue.”

“Yeah, well, something’s got her confused on that. I think that something is you.”

Breaking eye contact will give me away and I can’t let that happen. “You know how she is better than I do, Glitch. Maybe I overstepped giving her a nice day out with Ara. If that’s so, you’re just as much at fault as me since this was your idea.”

To my relief, Glitch blows out an exasperated breath and shakes his head. “Yeah. You’re right. I knew she’d pitch a fit about going, but damn, she never treats herself to anything.”

I know. That’s going to change.

“You can’t just stroll in here and act like some kind of hero when you’ll just walk back out the next day.”

My stomach twists with her angry words. I’m not the one with relationship issues here, she is. If I have my way, I’ll never walk out her front door again. If only she’d stop pushing me away and shutting me out.

And now I feel bad for a million things, half of which I’m not even sure are my fault.

“She needs someone who has the capacity to stop her from being Super Woman all the time.”

If Glitch is trying to challenge me, it’s working. “Like she’d ever understand it’s okay to let someone else take the lead? Please.”

Glitch wipes his hands off on his jeans. The distance between us quickly evaporates, as does all the air in the backyard because I’m suddenly face-to-face with my best friend and even though I’m a couple inches taller than him, I feel like an ant.

“Are you?” He growls in his deep voice.

“Am I what?”

“Are you the one who’s going to show her it’s okay?”

I swallow past the lump expanding in my throat. He knows. That’s all that’s going through my head—Glitch knows about me and Erin and I’m a shit friend for not confronting him sooner with it. I also know how insanely protective he is about his family. Glitch and Erin’s parents died before I met them and they’re all they have left in the world… besides Beetle and Ara.

And me.

They have me too, damnit.

The realization slides up my spine, reinforcing my backbone. I stare at Glitch and nod. “Yeah, man. I am.”

If Glitch doesn’t like me being with his sister, now is his time to speak up.

We stare at each other for what feels like an eternity. Sweat’s covering our foreheads because it’s already hot as Satan’s ball sac out here and when we both hear the front door slam shut, Glitch’s gaze darts to the fence. We see Ara’s car blow by down the road.

His jaw tightens, along with his eyes. “How long?”

Fuuuuck. “Listen, Glitch…”

“How. Long.”

“It’s… we’ve been…” Shit. I can’t do this. I can’t say I’ve been hooking up with his sister off and on for two years. “Two years.”

The tight leash on Glitch’s anger nearly snaps. I feel like a piece of shit for keeping this from him, so I confess the rest. “I love her.”

That blows him back. So much so, he scrubs his face and stares at the ground for a moment. “You hurt her, and I’ll kill you. Best friend or not, Trey, I’ll fucking end you.”

“I know. But I’d rather die than hurt her, Glitch.”

Some of the tension leaves his shoulders. “She’s been through a lot.”

“I know.”

“Yeah… you do.” He squeezes my shoulder. “Which is why I’m going to trust you to do right by her… like I have since two years ago when I knew you’d hooked up after the Halloween party.”

Okay. My ears and brain must have misfired. “You knew about us?”

“I suspected it. And then every time since, I got more and more suspicious. But this time? She leaves the restaurant, and you chase after her?” Glitch shakes his head. “I drove by her house around two am and saw your car parked out front and the living room light on.”

“Stalker much?”

“Had to know if you stayed with her.”

“Of course, I did.”

Glitch looks up at her bedroom window, his gaze tight and guarded. “Was she even sick?”

“No.” Why lie about it now? “She was just… caught up in her head and ran.”

Glitch nods, like that’s typical of Erin. “She’s been judged for most of her life.”

I don’t say a word, but my hands ball into fists because I’m mad on her behalf.

“She gets happier when you’re around, you know.” Glitch bumps the side of the lawn mower with his boot. “She doesn’t think I notice… but I do.”

“She’s not happy lately. I can’t tell what I’m doing wrong.”

“Maybe it’s her, not you.”

“Maybe it’s both.” I’m not above admitting when I’m in over my head. “Every time I think I’ve cracked her shell, she reinforces it tenfold.”

Glitch stares at me for several heartbeats. “I don’t want to lose my best friend, Trey. If shit goes sideways with the two of you…”

“It won’t.”

“Sounds like it already has.” He points at the open bedroom window, which lets me know he heard us arguing and Erin kicking me out of her bedroom earlier.

“She’ll come to her senses.” I hope.

Glitch laughs shoots a chill down my back. “I hope you have what it takes to pry the reins from her hands, man. Because if you don’t, she’ll never recover from this.”

That makes two of us.