Too Sweet (Hayes Brothers #3)(68)
“No, I’m driving.” The more time we spend together, the more I enjoy our banter. It’s like having a younger sister. “Who’s going to take your place if you stop getting on my nerves?”
“I’ll throw something your way every now and then if you insist.” She winks, pulling out two bottles of Corona. “I just don’t want to get in your bad books.”
“Too late for that. You’re not there for pissing me off, Aisha. You’re there because of how you treat Mia.”
Who knew? Aisha can blush too. Her cheeks pink up, shame spilling down her neck. It’s not as adorable as it is on Mia, though.
“She’s growing on me,” she admits quietly, stealing a quick glance at her boyfriend. “I even invited her to come out to Rave with me for a girls’ night out.”
My back straightens immediately, a jab of anger flaring my nostrils. “She’s not going out with you.”
“Excuse me?” Aisha grips her waist, snapping into defensive mode. Her pink cheeks have turned red, and not due to shame. I think she’s about to bite my head off. “What kind of caveman bullshit are you trying to pull off? You won’t dictate her life. She’s going.”
Jesus Christ. The world these days is madness. One sentence, and I’m immediately labeled a caveman. Fucking sue me for doing what I think is right for my girl.
“Save the righteous lines for your books, alright? You want to spend time with her?”
“Of course I do! She’s my sister. She’s family.” She glances at Toby, checking he’s paying attention to her sudden change of heart. It’s all for show. Toby’s as family-oriented as I am, and I’m sure Aisha’s dismissive attitude toward Mia doesn’t sit well with him. “Why else would I invite her out?”
“Why does it have to be out?” I snap, grinding my teeth. “If you really want to spend time with Mia and not just score points with Toby, organize a girls’ night in. Show me you care about her. That you give a crap about what’s happening in her life.”
“What’s the fun in that? We sit home all the time!”
“You need to be waited on, right? Fine. Take her out for drinks somewhere you can talk. Show me you won’t ditch her at the first opportunity. Show me she can fucking count on you. Then we can talk about Rave.”
Aisha scoffs, pointing her long, manicured nail at me. “Why would I ditch her?! I’m with Toby now. I’m not looking for guys. Clubbing is fun, Nico. Mia doesn’t have fun and—”
“She’s not going out with you!” I bang my hand on the breakfast bar, my patience hanging by a thread. “Either a girls’ night in, or if you want to be waited on, I’ll get you a private room at The Olive Tree. I’ll even cover the fucking bill, but you’re not taking Mia dancing unless I’m there.”
“Don’t argue,” Toby cuts in when Aisha opens her mouth again. “You won’t win with him on this one.”
“Like hell! She’s not his property! What if she says she wants to go, huh?!” She comes closer, little torches swimming in her eyes. “What then? You’ll forbid her? You can’t control her!”
Toby rubs his face, looking between us, the calm mediator. “He’s not trying to control her, babe. He just doesn’t trust you. This conversation would be different if you were one of the triplets or if I were joining you.”
Aisha folds her arms over her chest, visibly hurt. “So what? You think I’ll let something happen to her?” she asks, lifting her chin to challenge me. “I have her back. I’d never let anything happen to her.”
I saw Aisha in Q and Rave a few times during the past few years. Three drinks in, she only pays attention to the guys ogling her from the bar. Maybe she changed now she’s with Toby but maybe isn’t enough to risk Mia’s safety.
It’s been years since I took care of someone. The need to watch over Kaya wasn’t half as intense as with Mia. Kaya was more like Aisha, not letting me do my thing.
Mia gives me room to breathe. Every little thing she lets me do gives an outlet to my protectiveness. I don’t need to suppress my reflexes around her. She doesn’t mind that I buckle her up in the car or tuck her in at night.
I still need to tone down my paranoia, so I don’t get carried away. It wouldn’t take much inattention to cross a line, considering I want Mia on my lap, curved into my chest non-stop, but I can’t smother her like that. I’m here to watch over her while she spreads her wings, not pluck them off.
But that doesn’t mean I’ll risk her safety.
Aisha has to prove she’ll be there for Mia if things go south. A few weeks ago, she didn’t want her little sister playing board games with us, so nothing speaks in her favor.
“You don’t even have your back, Aisha,” I say, massaging my temples. “I don’t know your friends, and I sure as fuck don’t trust you with Mia.”
“Please stop arguing,” Mia says, and we all look to her standing where the kitchen morphs seamlessly into an open-plan corridor. “I don’t want to go.”
“That’s not what you said last night,” Aisha clips. “Don’t let him control you! This is wrong, sis. You’re going.”
Mia shakes her head softly. “It’s okay. I don’t feel like dancing, anyway.” She’s wearing a gray, fitted sweater with long sleeves that partially hide her hands, and a dirty pink pinafore dress. “Do I look okay?” she asks me, twirling around on her ankle boot. “Or not fancy enough?”