Double Dare (Neighbor from Hell #6)(67)

Duncan didn’t say anything else as they sat there watching some really horrible movie, but he did continue to pout as he finished off his dinner. As for Marybeth, she just sat there eating her spaghetti as she stared at the television with absolutely no idea what she was watching. Every now and then she was forced to slap a large tan hand away from her spaghetti, but for the most part they just sat in silence watching what was most likely a really horrible movie.

When she was done, Duncan grabbed her plate and set it aside before he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. As soon as her head touched his shoulder she closed her eyes and tried to figure out what she was going to do now. She should leave Darrin and give him a chance to have a family, but unfortunately she’d finally come to the realization that she could never let him go and probably never would have been able to walk away from him, which meant that she couldn’t go through with the surgery, at least not yet.

Darrin had been right, she thought with a sigh as she curled up in Duncan’s arms. On some level she’d always known that they would end up together, but she hadn’t been able to accept that because that would have meant accepting the truth about herself.

She was flawed.

Maybe damaged was a better word. The nurse that had explained exactly what it meant to have endometriosis after the doctor and her mother left to talk in the hallway had certainly seemed to think the word fit her situation. After twelve years of dreading doctor’s appointments and phone calls, the bad news had finally come, she realized numbly, wondering why she wasn’t terrified.

Actually, now that she thought about it, she was surprised at just how quickly she’d managed to stop crying after Aidan and Duncan had showed up and started shoving food down her throat. One minute she felt like her world was about to end and the next….nothing but peaceful thoughts as she contemplated taking a nap while Aidan got his Lifetime movie marathon fix in.

“I slipped a sedative in your food,” Aidan explained with a shrug. “You should pass out in a few minutes.”

“Oh,” she mumbled, knowing that she should be upset, but she just couldn’t seem to care enough to reach over Duncan and grab a plate so that she could chuck it at Aidan’s head.

“Thank God,” Duncan said, sighing heavily as he pulled her even closer against his side. “Once she passes out we can watch the game.”

“No, we should leave this on so that it can soothe her in her sleep,” Aidan explained, earning an eye roll from her that ended with her eyes sliding shut and staying that way.

“You do realize that you’re not fooling anyone with that bullshit excuse, right?” Duncan asked as he settled back against the headboard.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Aidan said a bit defensively in her opinion as he shifted on the bed next to her.

“Uh huh.”

“I only watch them to keep Marybeth company,” Aidan argued just as she started to doze off.

“Sure.”

“I do.”

“Then why did I find the Lifetime channel saved to your favorites when I was at your house last month?”            

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Aidan said slowly and if her eyelids didn’t suddenly weigh a ton she would have rolled her eyes, again.

“No, of course you don’t,” Duncan said dryly, making her lips twitch despite the fact that she could barely move.

There was a slight hesitation before Aidan said, “I don’t,” followed by the sound of a throat clearing. “I only pretend to watch it when I’m with Marybeth.”

“Uh huh.”

“I do.”

“No, I believe you, which is why I’m going to change the channel now.”

“But, she’s not asleep yet!” Aidan pointed out a bit desperately, at least in her drug hazed opinion.

“I think she’ll forgive me.”

“B-but the movie hasn’t ended yet!”

“I think we’ll survive,” Duncan drawled seconds before the room was suddenly filled with sounds of cheering.

“You hateful bastard!”

“What are you going to do about it?” Duncan asked in that same tone that the Bradford boys had used to use when they’d tormented Aidan for the hell of it.

“I’m gonna tell!” Aidan snapped right around the time that she suddenly found herself facedown on the bed and what sounded like a slap fight commencing.

*-*-*-*

Darrin looked from the two men standing by the bed, shifting guiltily, to the beautiful woman curled up on top of the bed, sleeping peacefully and then back at his two brothers, who couldn’t quite meet his eye.

“She’s fine,” Aidan blurted out, confirming his suspicions that something seriously f*cked up had occurred.

He didn’t say anything as he stood there staring at the two men shooting hopeful glances towards the door, because there was no need to say anything. They would tell him everything that he wanted to know in a few minutes.

“There were no problems,” Duncan said, swallowing nervously.

“None,” Aidan parroted, noticeably trying not to look at the bed.

Darrin simply stared at them.

“Yeah, umm,” Duncan said, clearing his throat, “she’s been sleeping like a baby for a while now.”