Jessica

My alarm goes for the fifth time. My finger hovers on the snooze button then thought better of it when I realized why I set an alarm in the first place. I peeled my eyes open and pushed myself off the bed. I put on my slippers and shuffle my way out of my temporary bedroom.

There was a clank of pots in the kitchen. I groggily followed the commotion, expecting Matthew so perfectly making breakfast in his perfectly perfeccctttt ways.

I paused at the doorway.

It wasn't Matthew.

"Good morning, gorgeous." Andrei closes the fridge, three eggs in one hand.

I struck him a confused gaze. "Did your brother let you in?"

"No. Just broke in." He grinned.

I gape.

He chuckled. "I'm kidding. Seven o'clock is not too early for humor. I used my key."

"Oh," I blinked then beamed. "Does this mean you're going to be around as much as I will?"

"Maybe. I'm Miles' personal chef."

I walked across the room and sat on one of the bar stools. The information is a relief. Part of me wanted to rejoice but the other half insisted I keep it to myself.

Andrei laid the eggs on the counter next to a glass bowl. He squinted his eyes. "Do you not trust yourself around my brother?"

I snorted. "Of course I do."

"Why do you look so relieved?"

"Relieved?" I press a hand on my chest as if offended. "This is just how I look in the morning."

He laughs. "Right. I'll pretend I believe that."

My stomach rolled. Apparently, my hunger is stronger than my force of denial. "What are we having for breakfast?"

He gave me an amused look. "How can you be hungry all the time and not gain weight?"

I shrugged.

"Do you wear that around my brother?"

I look down to my cami. "Yes. I wear pajamas to bed like everybody else."

Andrei snickered. "You call those pajamas? The low-cut says otherwise. And your shorts are only one inch away from being panties."

I gasped. "I can wear anything low-cut as long as I want. Besides, it's not like my boobs are spilling out. And this," I tap on my shorts, "is adequately short, thank you very much."

"Do you at least have a robe?"

"Why would I need one?"

He reached over the counter, grabbing an apple and handing it to me. "You're not living alone anymore. You can't just walk around wearing that thing."

I took the apple and took a hearty bite. It will suffice for now. "Why not?"

"You're living with my brother," he pointed out.

"So?"

"You can't wear that. Unless you have a particular agenda other than fulfilling your godmother duties." He gives me a meaningful look.

I arched a brow and decided to play dumb. "Like what?"

"Well, like say, seducing my brother?"

I laughed like it was the most ridiculous joke I have ever heard. Because I think it was. "Puh-lease, your brother is practically a saint."

He leans over to me. "It might seem like it, but he still just a man," he says, letting the last word linger.

I rolled my eyes. "That's ridiculous," I replied nonchalantly. It wasn't fake nonchalance, because let's face it, neither of us are each other's types.

It was his turn to shrug. "Okay then. Ridiculous it is."

The sliding doors leading to the backyard swished open. Matthew came in, covered in what I presume as "workout" sweat. Wet patches made his gray shirt clung like second skin on all toned and taut places.

I tried not to stare.

And then it became unclear who will be jumping whom.

"Hey, Matty." Andrei beamed.

Matthew looked unsurprised to see his brother this early in their sister in-law's kitchen. "You need help making breakfast?"

God, it's not even past seven yet and he is already this nice.

"Nah, I can handle the cooking. You know that far too well. You go ahead take a shower." Andrei waved a dismissive hand.

His mouth curved a little. "Okay."

He walked past the counter. Our gazes brushed for the tiniest of second before he turns away like I just burnt him.

I took a cranky bite on the apple, munching as I stare at his retreating back. I slumped my elbow on the counter, dumping my chin on my palm as I chewed the apple grumpily.

Not even a blink. Of course, I wasn't hoping for, "Hi. Good morning, Jess. How did you sleep last night?" I was just hoping for a slight twitch in his gentle little angel face that might be close to acknowledgement. Because I was there behind the counter – a living human being – but the way he just walked past me, I might as well be some confused ghost who couldn't find the light.

"Don't scowl." Andrei patted my shoulder.

I gritted my teeth. "I'm not scowling."

He pressed the pad of his thumb between my brows and rubbed gently as if to flatten the wrinkle. "Scowling."

I swat his hand away.

Andrei chuckles, an mirthful look on his face. "You have to be nice to Matty to make this co-parenting work."

"Me?" I broadened my eyes at him. "I've been nice to him."

He brushes past me, his attention now on his task to make breakfast. "Okay, but you barely said a word to him."

I shoot my half-eaten apple into the trash can and slid down the bar stool. "What am I supposed to say?" I murmured as I headed out of the kitchen. "Good morning, Matthew. I hope you slept well last night," I say in a cloyingly sweet voice that made me cringe.

"Yes, I slept well. Thank you."

I sucked in a startled breath. My heart hammered so hard in my chest I thought it will jump out.

Matthew is still in the hallway, his phone in hand, looking like he just hung up a call. "You?" He asks, attempting a glance but came up short.

"Me?"

"Yes." His eyes were either on his phone or on the floor.

"What about me?" I asked, suddenly losing track of the budding conversation.

"Did you sleep well last night?"

"Oh." My cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Goddamn it! Not even five minutes in the conversation and I was already lost. I guess I took too long to respond because he asked again.

"I, um. I slept great."

I tossed and turned all night. And then when I finally felt the slightest bit of sleepiness, my stupid alarm went off. So, yeah, just freaking great. 

And now you're here probably thinking I can't tell a half-eaten donut and calendar apart. And that I'm an awful conversationalist.

Ugh. Why do I care about what he thinks anyway?

Hey, lovelies! I hope you're all doing okay. I must say I'm not having the best of life these days. Soooo stressed out. When my phone chimes, my stomach twists into knots and then my brain just starts racing, thinking and thinking whoever it could be and then I'll read the text and my blood runs cold with anxiety.  Sometimes I'm just so exhausted that I just burst into tears right in front of my computer while still trying to get things done.    It's not a pretty sight to see. lol. I don't want to sound whiny and be told, "honey, that's life. Deal with it." But I really want just a little air and a day when my toes and fingertips aren't ice cold all the time. Or my stomach aren't in knots.

Anyways, thank you for reading. If you read this author's note too, make it a hundred 'thank you's. I'll update as soon as I can. Thank you so much! I noticed there are a lot more votes on my updates than I expected. So, thank youuuuu.