Page 90 of Let’s Be Real

Adrian shot to his feet, walked to the other side of the living room, and knocked his head against the wall. I exchanged glances with my brothers, but all of us shrugged.

“Adrian?” Ben called. “Your head’s hard, but it isn’t a hammer.”

He turned around to face us. “Push her. Sometimes Sammie doesn’t know what’s good for her. You have to push her until she sees sense.”

“I’m not going to push her.”

He groaned at the ceiling. “You’re both hopeless. If it were up to the two of you to continue the human race, we’d be extinct in a generation.”

“You’re the Sammie expert. What do you think he should do?” Roman asked.

“Pursue her, Nate. Don’t back down because she’s scared.” Adrian clasped his hands behind his neck. “She’s got her tail between her legs right now. If you leave her to it, she’ll never get over it. There’s only so far I can push her. You need to be the one who does the rest.”

“Are you sure she wants that?” Ben asked. “Seems like she was pretty decisive, according to Nate.”

“She was,” I confirmed. “She said she couldn’t.”

Ben cocked his head. “Couldn’t or didn’t want to?”

“Couldn’t.”

“Oooh, that’s a whole other ball of wax.” He slapped his hands on his knees. “I’m going to have to agree with Ade. You have to chase after your girl.”

“She’s my girl now? I thought she was Adrian’s.”

He waved me off. “That’s old news. Sammie doesn’t want to peg him. It’ll never work out.”

“I’ve never asked her to peg me,” Adrian mumbled, but not quietly enough.

Ben whooped with delight. “Notice he said he never asked.” His eyebrows jumped up and down. “He didn’t deny he wants it.”

“We’re not talking about my sex life.” Adrian walked over and swooped Ruby right out of my arms. She’d just finished her bottle. I’d been about to burp her on my shoulder, but he took over, placing her on his chest. “You never pat her hard enough.”

Roman tossed him a burp cloth. “You know, now that I think about it, I can see you and Sam together.”

I nodded sharply. “I thought I could too.”

“Push her,” Adrian said. “She’ll come around. You just have to push her.”

I didn’t know if he was right, but I agreed to think about it.

“While you’re here, I suppose I should tell you I’ve been seeing Louise.”

All three of my brothers stopped what they were doing and stared. Then they bombarded me with questions, snapping out of it in unison.

“Why?”

“How many times?”

“What did she say?”

“Why the fuck would you do that?”

“Did you tell her to get lost?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

I patiently answered every one, then relayed her explanation for leaving and everything that had come after. Roman offered to come with me the next time, but I told him he didn’t have to. Ben stayed firm on his decision of not wanting anything to do with her. Adrian turned his head in the general direction of her apartment and glared daggers. They didn’t exactly agree with my choice, but it was all out in the open now.