Chapter Four

Hailey's pov 

I fidgeted on the couch, my palms sweaty and my heart thudding in my chest. "Jayson, stop being so anxious," I snapped, watching my seven-year-old brother run to the window for what had to be the tenth time in just five minutes.

His nervous energy was contagious. I’d lost track of how many times I’d wiped my hands on my jeans, trying to get rid of the clamminess.

Today was the day Mom and Dad would bring Carmelo home. The mysterious Carmelo wouldn’t be a mystery anymore. My heart raced with anticipation.

They were supposed to be here an hour ago, but there was still no sign of them.

“Jayson,” I groaned as he yanked the curtains aside yet again to peek outside.

“Do you think he’ll play video games with me, Hailey?” Jayson asked, practically bouncing with excitement.

I narrowed my eyes at his back. My fingers twitched with the urge to grab a throw pillow and chuck it at his head.

Specifically at his head. "Hey! I thought I was your gaming buddy!"

Great. The mysterious Carmelo wasn’t even here yet, and he was already stealing my brother’s loyalty.

Jayson whirled around and raised an eyebrow.

“You’re a girl, Hailey. And you always lose.” He huffed and turned back to the window. “I need some real competition.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I snapped.

Jayson shrugged. “It means you suck at playing video games.”

I glared at his back, imagining it bursting into flames. “I hope Dad takes the video games away from you again. And this time, I’m not helping.”

It’s kind of embarrassing to admit I’ve never beaten my seven-year-old brother in a video game. But to be fair, I’m not really into them. Playing was just something Jayson and I did together—our way of bonding. Or at least, it used to be. Now it seemed like he didn’t want that anymore.

He spun around and stuck his tongue out at me. “That’s what Carmelo will be for.”

“You don’t even know him yet, Jayson! He could be the worst!” I snapped, folding my arms tightly across my chest. Who would’ve thought I’d be jealous of someone I hadn’t even met?

Jayson didn’t answer. Instead, he started bouncing up and down and clapping like an overexcited puppy. “They’re here! They’re here!”

The moment he said it, my stomach dropped. A wave of nerves surged through me, sending my heart into a sprint and my thoughts spiraling. I’d never felt this nervous in my life.

"Don’t let them see you peeking out the window, Jayson!" I managed to say through shaky breaths, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans for what felt like the hundredth time. At this rate, I was going to leave a permanent damp patch.

Jayson nodded and rushed over to me, his whole face lit up with excitement. I wanted to roll my eyes at how ridiculously hyped he was, but I held back—no need to lose any more cool points with him.

“I bet he’s so cool,” Jayson said, bouncing up and down like he was on a sugar high.

“Yeah, I bet,” I muttered sarcastically, smoothing down my red shirt. I really should’ve ironed it—it was a mess of wrinkles.

Then again, it’s a t-shirt, Hailey. It’s supposed to be wrinkled.

Wait… why was I even trying to impress someone I didn’t know?

"I’ll show him my Xbox and we can play—"

Okay, this time I couldn’t hold it in. I rolled my eyes hard. “Okay, Jayson, I don’t need to hear you fangirling over Carmelo every single second,” I snapped, annoyed. Jealousy really sucked. Knowing you could be replaced that fast was painful and kind of humiliating.

I knew Jayson always wanted an older brother, but come on—I couldn’t just grow a pair of balls and a dangling dick overnight.

“I’m telling Mom and Dad you cursed!” Jayson sang, grinning.

I groaned. “Don’t act like you’re innocent, you little twit.”

I jumped up and grabbed his ear before he could run away, pinching it hard. He whined and slapped at my hand.

The door suddenly swung open, and Jayson and I froze. We had been arguing so much, I didn’t even hear their footsteps coming closer. My heart raced as I quickly let go of Jayson’s ear and turned to face the entrance.

It was just Mom and Dad. No sign of Carmelo.

“Mommy!” Jayson shouted, running to Mom, who dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

“Well, now I’m jealous,” Dad joked, setting the bags down with a soft thud. Mom kissed Jayson’s forehead a few times before letting him go so he could run into Dad’s open arms.

Dad lifted him up with a grunt, and Jayson whined, “Dad.”

“You may have been the man of the house for two days, little squirt, but you’re not too big for me to carry,” Dad laughed, ruffling Jayson’s hair playfully.

Mom stood up and looked at me, waiting. “Well, come on.” She opened her arms, and when I rolled my eyes with a smile, I stepped into her embrace and breathed in her light floral scent that always made me feel calm.

She smelled like home. Honestly, I missed them so much.

“Hey, what about me?” Dad joked, walking over and wrapping one big arm around both Mom and me, while his other arm held Jayson, who was now squeezed between us. I smiled when Dad’s warm lips pressed gently to my forehead.

“I missed you, kid,” he whispered.

“I missed you guys so much,” I admitted, breathing in their familiar scent. Two days without them felt like a whole year.

“Is my new brother here?” Jayson asked excitedly.

His question made all three of us freeze, reminding us of the big elephant in the room—or rather, the missing elephant. There was still no sign of the mysterious Carmelo.

Mom and Dad slowly pulled away, clearly hesitant to answer Jayson’s question. I didn’t ask it, but I was just as nervous to hear what they would say—I just tried to stay calmer than Jayson.

“Uh...” Mom started, uncertain, but was cut off by the sharp sound of combat boots striking the wooden floor, breaking the silence.

Mom turned around, and my eyes followed hers. Suddenly, my mouth went dry as I locked eyes with the bluest eyes I’d ever seen.

They couldn’t be real, right? Maybe they were just colored contacts.

But it wasn’t just his eyes that caught me off guard—it was the tattoos covering both his arms. I even saw some peeking out from under his plain white t-shirt, which told me he probably had more ink on his chest too.

My heart started pounding wildly as I slowly shifted my gaze back to his face.

It felt like I’d been punched in the stomach when his eyes met mine.

Carmelo wasn’t a kid—he was a full-on teenager.

His hair was dark and glossy, making the blue in his eyes stand out even more.

My eyes drifted down from his gaze, following the line of his straight nose to his surprising dusty pink lips, which looked soft and inviting from where I stood.

My heart raced even faster.

Mom turned to face Jayson and me, offering an uncertain smile. “Please welcome Carmelo to our home.”