chapter 25

"So how long have you two been together?" I ask.

"Few weeks," Nate replies and looks at me.

"I have an idea. How about we have sister- and brother-in-law bonding day today?" Nate suggests, and I look at him like he has grown two heads.

"Even in love you still have childish ideas," I murmur to myself, but somehow Nate hears and swats my arm.

"Okay, what do you have in mind?" I ask.

"How about we watch movies the whole day cuddled up on the couch?" Nate suggests.

"Okay, I don't see any problem with that, so what are we watching?" I ask.

"Rush Hour!" Nate says excitedly.

"Hell no," I say, and grab the mug from his grip.

"Why not, Rush Hour is a good movie." Nate whines.

"I know it's a good movie from the reviews I read but watching it with you it's a bad idea."

"Come on, it's been long since I saw it," Nate tries to persuade me.

"Nope," I say, popping the p.

"Come on,"

"No,"

"Come on, sister-in-law,"

"No, with a big capital N!"

"It will be fun,"

"No,"

"Yes,"

"Yes,"

"Yes!" Nate says, dragging me to the living room.

"Argh, you tricked me." I accuse.

"Guilty as charged," Nate says and plays the movie

I listen to Nate mimic Carter throughout the three movies and make a mental note to just run next time when Nate suggests for us to watch any movie together.

I walk up to our room. It was already 7 pm. I grab one of Tay's shirts, lazy to dress up my pajamas and pull it over my head and head to the window bay. I get lost in my thoughts that I don't even hear Tay sneaking up on me.

"Penny for your thoughts?" To say my heart is pounding hundreds of beats at a second is an understatement.

"God! Don't do that again," I say, and place my hand on my chest. Tay wraps his arms around my waist and places his jaw on my shoulder.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he says and trail wet kisses on my neck. My body leans into his as the warm feeling travels down my body.

"How was your day?" Tay asks against my skin.

"Good and bad," I tell Tay.

"What happened?" Tay asked and spun me around. I place my hands on his chest.

"Nate made me watch Rush Hour all day," I tell Tay, and he chuckles.

"Let me guess he sang along with Carter and Lee when they were waiting outside some restaurant for that guy who kidnapped the little girl?" Tay asks and I nod.

"I didn't know you watched those kinds of movies," I say honestly. I mean, he is a business tycoon. I thought he was always buried in some work or something. Never had time to watch TV series, let alone movies.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, a lot," Tay says and I wait for him to elaborate, but he changes the subject.

"Give me a kiss. I've had a long day at the office," Tay says. I chuckle and lean in. I wrap my hands around his neck and our lips collide. To say I missed his kisses is an understatement. The kiss was slow, but passionate at the same time. I tug the roots of his hair, and he moans, tightening his grip on my waist. He slid his tongue in, and I moaned out his name. He continues his thrusts in my mouth and chills run up my spine. If it wasn't for his grip on my waist, I would have been on the floor by now, considering the way my body is responding to his. He pushes me against the bay window, hoisting me up, and I wrap my legs around his torso. His hands travel up and down on my naked thighs, sending electricity into my body. I bite his lower lip and he moans.

"God! I missed you so much," Tay says and attacks my neck and I throw my head back, moaning.

"Tay, I have something... Jesus! I have truly seen it all!" A voice says, causing Tay and I to break the tense moment.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" Tay asks Nate, annoyed.

"Nice legs you have there, sister-in-law," Nate says and runs out of the room before Tay can get to him and I pull my...Tay's t-shirt down.

"Let me freshen up," Tay says, planting a kiss on my forehead and walking to the bathroom. I throw myself on the bed and soon my eyes burn to sleep.

****

The next morning, I wake up to a lonely bed. I groan and walk to the bathroom, take a quick shower and dress up in black jeans and a white top, and make my way downstairs.

Tay and Andrew are sitting on the barstools, eating cereal.

"Morning," I say, and sit next to Tay.

"Morning," Tay says, and pecks on my lips.

"Morning," Andrew says with his mouth full.

"Hey! Swallow then talk," Tay reprimands, and Andrew rolls his eyes at his brother.

"You are not going to work?" I ask once I eye his outfit. He is dressed up in blue denim jeans, a white long sleeve t-shirt that is folded back up to his elbow, and black superstar sneakers.

"No, I'm taking a day off today," Tay says, and Nate walks in whistling.

"Someone is in a good mood today," Andrew teases.

"It is a special day today!" Nate says.

"Oh, what's so special about today?" Tay asks.

Today it's Nate's birthday.

"Are you trying to tell me you guys forgot what today is?" Nate asks, hurt, eyeing between his brothers.

"Is there something we are supposed to remember in particular?" Tay asks, moving the spoon full of cereal to his mouth.

"No, nothing," Nate says and pours cereal and milk into his bowl.

"I'm going to eat in my room." With that, Nate walks out.

I swat Tay on the arm. "What!" Tay whines.

"That was cruel. How could you guys pretend not to remember his birthday?" I ask.

"We will put him out of his misery later, don't worry," Andrew says with a smile dancing on his lips.

"So, you just going to watch him suffer until then?" I ask, and Tay nods.

"Yep,"

"You guys are cruel," I tell them.

"I never said I wasn't," Tay says seriously and continues to eat his cereal.

"So here is the plan," Tay says, and explains everything they had planned so far for Nate. It is good to surprise him, but not to wish him a happy birthday is cruel. I know first-hand how it feels when none of your loved ones remember your birthday. I grew up with parents who never acknowledged my birthday or my existence. Nora was the one who remembered my birthdays. She tried, but I just wished my parents were the ones doing those things she did. Mom never even once combed my hair, let alone feels it.

When they sent me to boarding school, I just knew I was a mistake. A mistake they regretted. To them, I was just an investment.

"Did you get everything?" Tay asks, breaking me from my train of thoughts.

"Yes, I got it," I tell Tay.

"Great, now it's time to set the plan in motion," Tay says.

"I will go find Nate," I say, and stand up, but Tay stops me midway.

"Love, aren't you forgetting something?" Tay asks.

"Um… no?" I say, confused.

"Come here?" Tay says, and I take slow steps towards him. He pulls me by my waist, causing me to yelp. "This," he whispers and attacks my lips. I place my hands on his chest as he deepens the kiss.

"Let's keep it PG alright?" Andrew says and we break the kiss.

"Now you can go," Tay says, and takes a quick peck on my lips.

I walk up the stairs to Nate's room. The door is slightly ajar, and I slide my head in. His room is clean which came as a shock to me. The way Nate acts, I presumed his room will look like a pigsty. His back is facing me. I knock on the door, and his head turns in my direction.

"Olivia, what are you doing here?" Nate asks.

"What? No more sister-in-law? I'm hurt," I joke and place my hand on my heart like I'm hurt.

"Sorry, I'm just—"

"Hurt and feel like no one cares?" I finished his sentence.

"Yes, my brothers forgot none of my birthdays. My parents haven't called me yet."Nate says and to say I felt awful for knowing the truth is an understatement.

"I'm sure they will remember soon. It's still early," I try to comfort him.

"That is the thing. My brothers used to wake me up at midnight to wish me, but this time none of them came. You know I thought they had planned something when they didn't come to wish me, but I guess I was wrong. I was looking forward to my nineteenth birthday but now—" Nate runs his hand through his hair.

"Rachel tried to cheer me up over the phone, but I wasn't in the mood,"

If only you knew what your brothers planned for you.

"I know something we can do," I tell Nate.

"What?" he asks.

"Bowling," I tell Nate, but he shakes his head.

"I'm not taking no for an answer," I said, dragging him to the door.

"Sister-in-law, wait, I'm seriously not in the mood," Nate says as we walk down the stairs, and I ignore his protests.

We walk towards a Ferrari and I walk to the driver seat and Nate in the passenger seat and speed out of the garage, "A little thank you won't kill you," I tease.

"For dragging me against my will to some stupid bowling?" Nate asks and pouts.

"You make it sound like you were busy with something," I say, and glance at Nate.

"Hilarious," Nate says, and I chuckle.

The old Nate is back.

****

I park the car in the mall parking lot.

"Come on," I say and unbuckle my seat. We make our way inside the mall. It's packed as usual, and as we watching others bowl, I ask Nate to try. He declines but ends up playing later. He competes with some guy and so far, Nate walked to the bowling alley.

After an hour of playing, he's doing well.

My phone buzzes in the back of my pocket, and I take it out and read the message from Tay.

You can bring him back now. It read.

Okay, see you soon. I send.

I wait for Nate to finish and after thirty minutes the other guy loses, and Nate gets 500 rands from betting.

"Congrats," I tell Nate as we walk to the parking lot.

"Thanks for dragging me here. I had fun. I never thought bowling could be so fun!" Nate says, and I walk to the driver's seat.

"Anything for my cute, adorable and pain in the ass brother-in-law," I say, and Nate swats my hand as I drive us back.

"I thought we were going back home?" Nate says, confused.

I drove to his parent's mansion. We make our way to the backyard where everyone is.

"Come on, I want to show you something;" I say and drag him. I open the back door and push him first.

"Surprise!" everyone exclaimed.

"I thought you guys forgot?" Nate says to his brothers.

"Never, we just wanted to do something different for you this year," Tay says, and they do the bro hugs.

"I cannot believe that you continued to let me suffer while you knew what they were planning." Nate says, and I chuckle.

"I promised not to tell," I say and walk towards Tay.

"Happy birthday," Future says and hugs him.

"Happy birthday, honey," Carmen says and hugs her son like there's no tomorrow.

"Mom? I can't breathe," Nate says and Carmen breaks the hug.

"Sorry, I'm just super happy that my little bun is finally nineteen and soon twenty. It feels like it was just yesterday when I held you in my arms." Carmen says, and I knew she would cry any moment now.

"Mom, please don't cry," Nate says and pulls Carmen into a hug. Chris and Andrew wish him a happy birthday, and we make our way to the table to eat the lunch Tay prepared.

"This is good," Nate says as he takes a bite of his chicken, and we all chuckle.

"I have something for you" Carmen says and stands up from her seat. She almost falls to the floor, but Chris grabs her before she could hit the ground.

"Mom!" the brothers yelled at the same time and rushed to their mother's side.

"Are you okay?" Tay asks as Carmen stands on her feet.

"I'm fine, I just felt a little dizzy for a moment there," Carmen says with a chuckle and gives her sons a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?" Tay asks, panic clear in his voice.

"Yes, now I have a present to get inside," Carmen says and points towards the door. Tay looks at the door, calculating.

"Okay," He says, and let's go of Carmen's arm. She walks towards the door and before she could open it, she collapses to the floor.

"Mom!"

"Carmen!"