By the end, Thatcher has returned and begun unscrewing the hinges. I’ve expected Maximoff to be upset, so I’m not surprised when he charges for the door.
Farrow catches his arm. “Where are you going?”
“To have a tea party with a bodyguard, who apparently decided to play Bill Nye the fucking Science Guy with my sister.”
I whisper to the door. “Thatcher?”
“Yeah?”
“Work slowly.”
“Copy that.” He understands that it’s better if Maximoff does not confront Donnelly right now.
“The door is jammed,” Farrow tells him. “You’re not going anywhere, so just relax, relax.” He cups his jaw.
His eyes are reddened. “I’m totally relaxed.” His Adam’s apple bobs. “More relaxed than you.”
“Keep trying because you’re not even close yet.”
“Yeah?” He holds onto Farrow’s waist. “I feel pretty goddamn Zen.”
I smile, but my lips fall as Maximoff hangs his head and pinches his raw eyes.
“Donnelly was doing what Luna asked,” I remind him.
He winces, looking up again. “Are we really going to justify this?” He turns to me. “She was eighteen.”
Farrow tosses his head from side to side. “Technically, she was about to be nineteen in a couple weeks.”
Maximoff glares. “Donnelly could’ve said no. You told me I could trust him with her.”
“And you still can—”
“He went down on her!” Maximoff yells and looks between us. “Am I living in the Twilight Zone? Why are you two okay with this?” Hurt pulses in his eyes, and he puts his hands on top of his head again, distressed.
I step forward. “Because Luna is an adult and she asked him.”
Maximoff is stone, staring painfully at the ceiling.
Farrow stands off the dresser and nears him. “Donnelly is good people. I know he has some rough edges, but he’d never hurt Luna. I’d swear on my life to that.”
“Would you swear on mine?” Maximoff asks.
He runs his tongue over his molars. “No. But not because I don’t trust Donnelly.” He loves Moffy terribly so, and he’s the type of person who’d never put his love in harm’s way, even at the sake of making a point.
Maximoff crouches, forearms on his knees. His adrenaline must be pumping. He looks up at me. “He’s eight years older than her, Janie.”
“I know,” I say softly. “But Aunt Daisy and Uncle Ryke have a seven-year age difference. It’s not so different.”
His gaze darkens at the floor. “Do you know how much shit they got for that? The media eviscerated them. My little sister gets piled on every damn day, and I keep thinking about how more people are going to shit on her. She just left high school bullies behind.” He slowly rises to try to be at height with Farrow. He rotates to him. “I know I sound like a fucking hypocrite. This is exactly why my dad didn’t want me to date you. He wanted easy for me, and dating a bodyguard was light-years from that.”
My eyes soften. “Relationships were never going to be easy,” I remind him. “For any of us.”
Maximoff ponders this.
“Also to note,” I say aloud. “Media has been speculating that she’s with Quinn.” They’ve paired all of SFO with their clients. “So it’s not as though they’ll shit on her for dating a bodyguard.”
“Quinn is around her age,” Maximoff rebuts. “Donnelly isn’t.”
Farrow says, “Luna is strong as hell.”
Maximoff almost eases. “Yeah. I know she is. But I’m not the brother I want to be if I don’t give the third-degree to every guy that wants in her pants.”
“Every guy?” Farrow whistles. “Man, you have some catching up to do.”
“Pretty sure only one guy wants in her pants and he’s downstairs.”
“You’re definitely off.”
“No.”
He raises his brows. “Pretty sure thousands of guys want in Luna Hale’s pants.”
He blinks slowly into a glare. “Thank you for that visual.”
His lips rise. “Happy to provide.”
Maximoff growls away an emerging smile and looks to the locked door. “Is that open yet? Donnelly is due for a third-degree.”
“Soon,” I tell him.
“He can handle whatever you give him,” Farrow says. “I’m more concerned about what happens when your dad finds out.”
Maximoff shakes his head. “That can’t happen.”
Oh thank God.
I expel a huge breath and tap the door. “You can work faster.”
“Already there,” Thatcher confirms.
Maximoff cracks his knuckles. “You said this was a one-time thing, right? Because Luna told me she’s the one who ran out of birth control.”
“A one-time thing, yes.” I nod. “At least, that’s what they said.”
Farrow makes a face like he’s slightly disbelieving. I don’t buy it either, but that’s only because Thatcher divulged to me what he witnessed on the dance floor at the pub. Lots of pelvic grinding.
“To be on the safe side,” Farrow says. “I’m going to let Donnelly know Luna’s not on birth control—or we should tell Luna to tell him. In case they are still having sex.”
Maximoff’s face turns to fire again. “I’m going to ki—lightly murder him. No arsenic.”
“Still murder, wolf scout.”
“New plan,” I say. “For the sake of your sister, let’s not confront either of them about this while we’re all stuck in a house. Blasting her sex life to sixteen people would be a terrible embarrassment that might scar her for life.” I’ve already endured enough mortifying moments to last everyone a lifetime.
Farrow grabs a black V-neck off the ground. “Smart.” While he dresses, he zeroes in on Maximoff. As do I. We wait for him.
He’s in deep thought again.
“Moffy,” I say. “Let’s not make this worse for her.”
He instantly nods. “Alright. We’ll wait.” We only want the best for our siblings, and he has to be hard on them to help them. I have to be hard on Beckett too, but being a hardass isn’t in my arsenal like it’s in his.
I feel like I’m failing Beckett every single day.
And I’m worried Plan Z might be implemented while we’re here.
Our heads turn as Thatcher removes the entire door, and I walk into his arms. He constantly checks the hall to make sure Tony or O’Malley don’t appear and witness our embrace.
Behind us, Maximoff and Farrow are chest-to-chest in a long hug. I can’t really tell who is holding who.
“You’re burning up.” Thatcher has my cheeks in his hands.
“Embarrassment is a very hot and mighty thing,” I say softly. “Is midnight here yet?”
He checks his watch. “An hour till.” His eyes flit to my best friend. “You should tell him what you told me. He’ll be happy for you.”
“I will.” I smile, emotion building because this man wants me to share my life with my best friend too. No jealousy. No hurt. Just understanding.