“What is going on?” I ask, seriously annoyed with what’s happening. “You haven’t been doing heavy lifting, have you?”
“No, she hasn’t,” Dean says casually as he comes around the POD to stand by Lynsey.
My jaw clenches at the sight of him standing next to her, wiping sweat off his face with his T-shirt. He adjusts his glasses and shoots me an infuriating smile.
“So, what? Dean here has just magically moved everything on his own and you didn’t lift a finger?” I ask, narrowing accusing eyes at Dean.
“Miles and Sam are here,” Lynsey replies, biting her lip. “They’re mounting a TV in the living room.”
“They’re what?” My jaw drops as I head inside to see the damage.
“You said she could move in,” Dean snaps, stepping into my path and crossing his arms over his chest. “Did you think she was just going to sit on that ridiculous plastic chair throughout her whole pregnancy?”
“No,” I growl defensively, my body tensing from his proximity. “I told Lynsey I was going to buy shit. I even said she could pick it out.”
“I didn’t want you to do that,” Lynsey interjects, standing between me and Dean as we glower at each other. “There was no need for you to buy anything when I have a pod full of perfectly good home furnishings.”
Dean scoffs and shakes his head. “What kind of freak doesn’t have any furniture?”
“The kind with a grown-up job,” I quip back.
He narrows his eyes and smiles. “And what I do isn’t grown-up?”
“I still don’t know what the hell you actually do.”
“Ask your buddy Max. I’ve made him a lot of money.”
I roll my eyes and turn my attention to Lynsey, taking a deep breath to calm the nerves that Dean riles in me. “If you wanted to move your stuff in here, you should have told me. I would have helped.”
She stares at me, fiddling with her hair. “I was hoping I could get settled before I start my new job on Monday. I like things…in order. And you were working today so I didn’t want to bother you.”
“This wouldn’t have been a bother.” I shake my head and purse my lips in disappointment because after everything we discussed last night, she still doesn’t get it.
She smiles sheepishly. “Well, we’re almost done so why don’t you come in and have a look? It’ll be a fun surprise.” She gestures for me to follow her, and I begrudgingly end up in Dean’s wake.
The guy gets on my fucking nerves.
When I walk inside, the scent of something baking hits my nose. As I take in the changes, I barely recognize my place anymore. Not only because it’s full of shit I’ve never seen, but because its energy has completely shifted from cold and sterile to warm and welcoming.
We enter the kitchen first and the counter is covered with cooking gadgets. Most of which I’ve never seen in my life. The only gadget I require is a coffeemaker, but now some sort of French press and electric whisk thing sits next to my Keurig. A red KitchenAid mixer sits nearby, and a spinner full of utensils, and floral-printed hand towels hanging off all the stainless-steel appliances.
I move through the kitchen, passing an old wooden dining table and chairs set up in the front room where Miles and Sam are adjusting a flat screen on the stone wall above the fireplace. They both turn and say hello but my attention is distracted by the orange floral eyesore sitting right in front of the TV.
“It was my grandma’s,” Lynsey says, rushing over to stand beside it. “I know it’s kind of ugly, but it’s also kind of amazing, right? Retro and shabby chic. And it’s crazy comfortable.”
“And heavier than a brick shit house,” Miles adds, shaking his head. “Took me, Sam, and Dean to move that beast in here. You’re going to have to sell it with the house if you ever move.”
“Um…thanks for doing that,” I say.
There are rummage sale-looking end tables and lamps and knickknacks scattered everywhere. Is that a giant tiki bar out on the deck?
“I’d have been here to help had I known all this was happening.”
“It’s alright.” Sam strokes his beard, wiping the sweat off his brow. “It’s a Saturday and we didn’t have anything better to do. Plus, Lynsey promised us baked goods.”
Lynsey’s eyes light, and she scurries past me, nearly knocking the floor lamp over on her way as she darts into the kitchen and returns with three foil-wrapped plates. “These are my grandma’s homemade brownie recipe. You’re going to love them.” She hands them each their own plate and clutches her hands in front of her like this is a completely normal day.
“Well, I suppose we can get out of your way,” Miles says, throwing his arm around Lynsey. “Still really happy for you, Lyns. Kate says she’ll be stopping by after she gets back from her parents’ house.”
Lynsey nods and gives Sam a quick hug goodbye. The two leave, and Dean lingers in the kitchen, helping himself to a beer out of the fridge that I most certainly didn’t put in there.
“I’m going to run to the bathroom really quick,” Lynsey says sweetly, her voice high and a little unnatural. “Try not to kill each other while I’m gone.”
She disappears down the hallway and the guest bathroom door barely closes before Dean lowers the beer from his lips, and says, “So, I hear you got our Lyns a job.”
I frown at his choice of words. “I didn’t get her a job. She got herself a job.”
Dean’s brows lift curiously. “Because of a meeting you set up.”
My fists clench at my sides. “I made an appointment. That’s it. There was never, not once, any indication that a job offer was even on the table. I got that phone call because Lynsey impressed her. That’s it.”
“You got her a job, a place to live. You’re really a knight in shining armor—or scrubs I should say, since you’re a doctor and all.” He takes another drink. “Although what kind of doctor doesn’t know about successful forms of birth control?”
I move across the room and stand toe-to-toe with him. “Do you have a problem with me, Dean? Because I’m tired of your cocky smirk, and you acting like Lynsey belongs to you.”
“She belongs to me a hell of a lot more than she belongs to you.”
“How do you figure?”
“You’re just an accidental sperm donor at this point,” Dean states simply. “You’re not in a relationship, you guys aren’t even friends. And she’s not planning to fuck you, so basically, it’s only a matter of time before she grows tired of you.”
“The way she grew tired of you?” I ask, my voice menacing. “It didn’t take much convincing for her to ditch you for me. The difference here is that she has a piece of me inside her. And that will forever bind us.”
Dean narrows his eyes and sets his beer down. He steps toward me so we’re only inches apart. “Lynsey’s testing out this situation because she’s the kind of person who needs to know she’s given her all to something before she moves on. It’s one of the things I love about her. When she realizes your all isn’t good enough, she’ll move on, and I’ll be there for her when she does. Like always.”