A Little Bit of Truth (Little Bits) (15 page)

“Breakfast?” I suggest but she doesn’t respond as someone is knocking at the door.
“I’ll get it.”

“Don’t be stupid, your fans would never leave me alone if they found out you’re staying here,” ouch, well that attitude sucks.

“No need to be such a bitch.”

“Whatever.”

I hear a scream, not a scream of fright but a scream of joy followed by the name, “Mason!”

Mason?

“Oh my god!”

I head into the hall and bite back a growl when I see Marie practically hanging from the neck of a blond haired guy. He’s built, he’s tall and his arms are around my girl…

I mean Marie. They’re around Marie.

I clear my throat and Marie pulls back, she looks at me with a huge smile on her face. A smile I’ve not seen before. “Jacob, can you give us a minute.”

Umm… fuck no. “Who the fuck is this?”

The guy looks at me with cool blue eyes, eyes that match Marie’s. Holy fuck. He’s the double of Marie.

“Sorry dude, Marie’s manners have been pretty non
-existent since birth,” he laughs when she punches his arm. “I’m Mason, Marie’s big brother.”

“By three minutes,” Marie grumbles and shock hits me.

She’s a twin? A fucking twin? I… shit. I know nothing about this woman.

“Love your movies,” I reach out and shake his hand as he smiles at me. He
then smiles fondly at his sister, “Breakfast?” Then he looks at me. “It’s been ages since I had proper American food.”

“Yeah,” she grins, her smile never wavering. “I can’t believe you made it.”

“I nearly didn’t,” his smile becomes a sad one and his words are quiet, Marie stiffens but doesn’t say anything. I can’t read this female at all, I have not got the slightest clue what she’s thinking. “Glad I could make it. Which room am I crashing in?”

It’s then I notice the large duffel bag by his feet. Marie leads him into the spare room, she lightly grips my hand on the way past. “Can you
text Maya for me, let her know?”

I do just that, smiling when I hear her brother whisper something in her ear followed by her laughter.

Maya
:
AHHHHHHHH! Mason’s home!!

Jacob
:
Am I the only one who doesn’t know Mason? Or know of him?

Maya
:
Marie doesn’t like to talk about her family.

Jacob
:
Really? Hadn’t noticed.

Maya
:
Don’t get grumpy, she’ll get pissed and this is the first time she’s seen her brother in three years.

Jacob
:
Why? Where the hell has he been?

Maya
:
Defending our country.

Oh shit.

“Ready?” Marie asks and I nod. I’m about to throw my arm around her shoulder but her brother beats me to it. I follow them out of the house, staring at the back of my best friend. My best friend who I know fuck all about. My best friend who looks so damn happy right now. My best friend who just looked back at me and winked, saw the confused expression on my face and rolled her eyes before sticking her tongue out at me like she wasn’t just preparing to rip my throat out only minutes ago.

There’s a blur of long brown hair
coming from a squealing Maya who has pushed me out of the way and is now attached to my brother. I hear his laughter with her squealing as he spins her around, holding her tight to him.

We play introductions, James quickly shakes Mason’s hand around Maya’s clinging body. She finally releases him long enough to throw her daughter at him.

Literally throw.

My heart just stopped.

Fortunately my brother catches her easily enough and balances her on his lap, “Hey Evelyn,” the chunky little girl smiles at him. “So you’re the baby that puked on my sister.”

“And pooped,” Maya adds and I scowl good naturedly at her.

“If you could high five I’d give you a high five,” Mason chuckles. “Reckon you can do it again?” Evelyn stares at him and a wicked grin lights her face. I sigh. I know that look, it’s the same look her mother gets when she’s plotting something. She may seem too young to understand but this miniature human knows… oh, she knows.

“I can’t believe you’re back, and look at all of that muscle,” Maya sighs and squeezes his bicep. James scowls at her
, she rolls her eyes in response. “How long are you staying?”

“Until they need me again,”
James takes Evelyn and we quickly order breakfast.

All of my foul mood from this morning has gone, I lean into Jacob who is sat right in the corner, hoping to remain inconspicuous. He puts his arm around my shoulders and gives me a kiss on my temple.

Then he releases me after a brief squeeze, I don’t mind, I know it’s because he’s supposed to be dating Beth and can’t risk a scandal right now. After giving him a bump with my shoulder I move away and join in the conversation.

Watching my brother smile and laugh, watching him sip his drink and smile again and then tuck into pancakes he hasn’t eaten for too long, tears almost fall from my eyes. He’s home, he’s safe and he’s with me.

While Maya’s laughter surrounds us, Mason catches my eyes and winks. I wink back.

“Monkey scrub!” He suddenly shouts.

“Don’t you
dare!” I yelp but my head is already under his arm and his fist is scrubbing at the top of my head. “Get off me you bald freak!”

“It’s called a buzz cut
darlin’ and I’m thinking it’s a little bit longer than a centimeter now so get it right.”

“Not the face!” I shriek but it’s too late, his saliva covered hand is now everywhere on my face that I don’t want it to be.
“You fucking tool.”

Then he does the victory fist pump and I see James’ eyes light up, “Told you I wasn’t the only one who did that.”

Maya blinks at her husband, “Yes but it suits him. It doesn’t suit you.”

“I’m going to wash my face.” I grumble and pad into the bathroom, not before slapping my brother across the back of the head on my way past. And then running so he can’t grab the skin at the b
ack of my hip, pinch and twist.

******

“Gonna have a shower,” my brother announces.

“You didn’t mention a t
win,” and the conversation I have been dreading begins. “You mentioned a father and a mother but not a twin. Then again, you didn’t really mention them either.”

I pad into the kitchen, open the refrigerator, take a swig of orange juice, put it back and turn to face Jacob, “Point being?”

“I don’t know anything about you.”

My eyebrow lifts, “You know more than most.”

“I know how you like your coffee and how you like to fuck. That’s hardly more than most.” His eyes glint wickedly as he says this sentence with a tone that suggests a hidden meaning to it. A meaning I pick up on immediately.

Ouch. “You really do like calling me a whore when you’re ticked off don’t you?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a twin who has been fighting for our country?” He takes a step closer and crosses his arms over his chest. “I thought we were friends.”

“We are.”

“I’ve told you everything about my mom.” This is true. “And my dad.” This is also true. “You’ve told me fuck all.”

I shrug, “You’ve never asked.”

His features soften, “This is true.” My thoughts exactly. “Why didn’t you tell me about him?”

“I’m not much of a sharer Jake.”

“It’s hardly sharing! You could have said, hey wow, you’re great in bed, did you know I have a brother? No wait… not a brother but a twin!”

“And you wouldn’t have found it weird that I’d be thinking of my brother during kinky time?”

He groans and runs his fingers through his hair, “You’re so irritating sometimes! We’ve had countless conversations and not once, during any of them did you mention the fact you’ve been emailing your brother who’s out of the country with a gun strapped to his front.” This is also very true. I stare at him blankly while sifting through my thoughts and trying to find the best way to deal with this. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“You’re being a whiny bitch over nothing, what’s the big deal
? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Now ask away.” Now I’m being defensive.

“Forget it,” Oh, now he’s sulking. “I don’t even want to know.”

“Fine.” I cross my arms over my chest.

“Fine.” We both stand glaring at each other.

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

“Stop trying to get the last word in.”

“You stop it,” he bites back.

My lips twitch, “Now you’re acting like a baby.”

“Can we fuck now?” He asks and this time I do laugh. “How many times have we got left anyway?”

I think back on it. Hmm. “Four… five maybe? I don’t know.”

“Let’s say five,” he grins wickedly and pulls me closer to him with his hands on my hips. “We’ll talk later. After the celebrating.”

I nod my agreement and cup his dick with my hand, smiling when he groans.

“If you mean with your dick then I’m so there.”

“I meant actual talking,” he thrusts his hips forward into my palm and slides a hand around me and onto my ass, making sure to give it a firm squeeze.

“Get your hands off my baby sister!” My brother shouts from the doorway.

My eyes shut for a moment to calm myself, baby sister my ass. I would have been born first if his fat head wasn’t in my way. “Three minutes Mason! Three damn minutes!”

“He’s still touching you!” Mason glares at Jacob
and Jacob’s hand swiftly releases my ass.

“Actually I’m touching him, big difference,”
I smirk and release my guy’s package before my brother makes this awkward situation even more awkward.

I mean Jacob… not my guy. Don’t even know why I thought that.

“Should I say sorry?” Jacob whispers in my ear as my brother slams about in my kitchen.

How
the hell am I supposed to know? “I think that might just make it weirder?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm.”

Saying The Wrong Thing

I nailed it, the magazine looks brilliant. My photos are in a damn magazine! My name is at the bottom, so is Loryn’s which is awesome with a capital A. Jacob looks hot.

“You did great, I’m so proud of you,” Summer sighs and hugs me
for a moment before the others join in the hugs and kisses. This is when the fun begins. We’re already fully booked for the next two weeks, but hopefully this will bring in even more.

“My baby sister is finally getting recognition for her talents,” Mason squeezes me tight.

“Are you leaving yet?” He only laughs at my grumbling. “I’ll take that as a no.”

Jacob stands with
Beth off to the side, he smiles over at me, then catches Mason’s eyes and glares right back.

“Stop it,” I chastise Maso
n who is scowling at Jacob again for the eighth time since he caught us in the kitchen. “I’m old enough to…”

“Don’t finish that sentence!”

“You’re pathetic!”

“I left when we were seventeen, I came back a year later and found my kid sister in a woman’s body. Then I left again and I’m back now and not only are you my kid sister in a woman’s body
, but you’re my kid sister in a woman’s body that was touching a fully grown man in the kitchen,” he hisses.

“I was never your kid sister.”

“You’ll always be my kid sister.”

“Three damn minutes Mason!” I say a little hysterically. “Three damn minutes.”

“Stop bullying Mason, Marie,” Maya snaps at me and loops her arm through his. “Let’s ignore the grumpy lady and get a shake.”

“I don’t know why she’s always so mean t
o me,” he sighs dramatically with his back turned to me, a warm hand wraps around my wrist stopping me from throwing the sugar holder at the back of his head.

“Calm yourself,” Lucas laughs.

“Your brother is hot,” Loryn yelps when Lucas pinches her ass. “I’m just stating the obvious… I mean… look at him! He’s gorge… Stop doing that!”

“I’m standing right here woman!”

“Yes, and so is he, all fine and shiny looking,” Loryn says with a dreamy tone to her voice. “Ouch… Stop… I… God I wanna punch you right now.”

Lucas laughs, “Those weak fists couldn’t punch
Jello babe. Do us all a favor, refrain from punching things and injuring yourself and fetch your man a drink.”

Just for that I punch him on
the arm, he tries not to wince, fails miserably and even rubs his arm with a hiss. Call me a sadist but this brings me joy. “Do us all a favor, move from punching distance and get us both a drink.”

“I can’t carry drinks in my condition,” He motions to his crutches. I raise my fist again and threaten, “Figure it out.”
He doesn’t move, I raise my hand a little more. “Last warning.”

“Okay, okay, I’m going, I’m going.” And he goes, following my brother and Maya.
“Bitch.”

“Heard that!”

“You were meant to,” he throws back over his shoulder.

Smiling down at Loryn I say, “And that’s how you handle that.” Then there’s suddenly a spit covered hand rubbing all over my face. “God, I fucking hate you!” And a laughing Mason runs away.

Loryn pats me on the back, “Yeah. You handled that brilliantly.”

“
Go find your cripple and roll off a bridge,” I quip and stomp toward the bathroom to wash my face. Ignoring the sniggers as I go.

Christ these two are alike. More so than either of them even realize. They’re funny too. So funny that I’ve done nothing but laugh for the past half an hour. My stomach aches, my cheeks are constantly frozen in a smile, my eyes sting from all the happy tears I’ve shed and my entire body is tense, bracing itself for the next funny ass thing that sends it into another fit like state of laughter.

“Well at least I don’t have a face like a blind joiner’s hand,” Marie snarls at her brother, hands on her hips and face twisted into a scowl. Her brother, Mason, is only five feet away from her. Shock evident on his features, he feigns insult and retorts, “My face is beautiful.”

“Mom had to say that, she was biased, I don’t have to say it so I’m not going to lie to you. You look like a pig’s butthole when you scowl and your hair is mistaken for straw more often than not. People walk down the street and say… why is that guy wearing a straw hat in the middle of winter?” Oh god, I can’t hold it in any longer.

They both turn and order, “Stop laughing!” This only makes me laugh harder, they look alike, they sound alike, they even think alike. My day is complete.

Marie shocks me by pinning her bother with another scowl, “Don’t you speak to him that way Mason Mugly.”

“
Mugly?” I enquire. She throws over her shoulder, “Master of the ugly, equals mugly.”

“All of this because I drank out of the milk carton,” Mason sighs and stomps over to the door.

“Don’t you walk away from me!” Marie follows him out, I listen to them shouting until their voices fade into Mason’s room. Then they slowly get louder as Mason exits his room and stomps over to me with a shrieking Marie on his shoulder. He deposits her on my lap and snaps, “Keep that crazy bitch away from me!”

I wrap my arms around her
, ignoring her demands for release. I’ll give her release, much, much later.

Mason vanishes into the hall, I hear the front door open and Marie begins to claw at my arm. Ouch. “Love you sis,” he shouts on a laugh.

“You too,” she shouts back, all seemingly forgotten. Then with a smile on her face she turns to me and asks, “Hungry? I’m starved. Pizza?”

What the fuck just happened?