Page 39 of Beni

Not my bed, she noticed.

How long would he pretend?

Not for long, she decided.

“Bene,” August greeted, not unkindly.

His grin deepened, and while it didn’t feel mean … she also thought it felt like this man didn’t like her, or perhaps, didn’t appreciate that she was here. A part of her doubted that the twins were unaccustomed to each other bringing women home for a night, so it couldn’t possibly be that. So, what was the problem?

“How did you know it was me?” he asked.

August pointed at the leather band.

On his right wrist.

“Someone let me know the secret.”

He barked out a laugh. “Of course, they did.”

A throat cleared behind August.

And then a firm, “Bene.”

She swung around so fast, the white walls, dark-stained cupboards, and stainless-steel appliances were nothing more than a blur. Behind her, she found Beni standing fully dressed, with a cupholder full of coffee in his hand. Yet, those weren’t the things that she noticed first.

No, it was his stare.

So hard, and cold as he leveled it on his brother.

“Yeah?” Bene asked, not turning away from the stove again.

“Thanks for watching the stove while I ran down the block. You got a minute?”

“Beni—”

His gaze cut to her, and in a blink, his features softened before he gave her a quick smile. “Sorry I didn’t wake you up.”

“It’s okay.”

He nodded, but quickly went back to his brother. “Now, Bene.”

“Fine, fuck.” Bene tossed the spatula to the counter, turned off the stove, and removed the pan of bacon to a burner in the back. “It’s finished, anyway. You’re welcome—I basically cooked your piece of as—”

“Bene!”

The twin that clearly had some issues walked past August in the entryway, who suddenly felt a lot colder than she had a few minutes ago, with his hands held high in the air. Beni gave her another smile, although it felt less true than his first, before following his twin.

Well …

She was eating.

Their shit?

They could handle that.

She needed food.

Not that it made a difference because while she found a plate, and began to fill it with the eggs and bacon from the two frying pans on the stove, the twins’ argument filtered down the hall. Loud, and proud, it sounded like. They had to know she could hear.