Neighbor Dearest(97)

“I know. Finally, right? Really nice to meet you, Tyler.”

Nicole walked into the kitchen at that moment, and Tyler, whose hand had been lingering on Jade’s, instinctively let go.

“There you are, Ty. I didn’t see you come in. I was beginning to think you got lost out there.”

Flashing a disingenuous smile, he said, “Hey. Yeah, too many beer choices these days.” He looked over at my sister again. “Jade, this is…”

When he again blanked out, his girlfriend answered on his behalf. “Nicole.”

Jade smiled at him. “Yes. She and I met when you were out.”

“Great. Okay, then.” He gestured back with his thumb. “I’m just gonna…put this beer in the fridge.”

Tyler bent down at the base of the refrigerator and was fumbling with the bottles when one slipped out of his hand and shattered onto the ground. “Fuck,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m sorry, Chelsea. I’ll get it cleared out.

I’d never seen Tyler act like that. He was normally cool as a cucumber. Was it a reaction to my sister, or something else?

After Tyler and Nicole left the kitchen, Jade just looked at me in silence. I’d seen that look on her face before. We had a way of reading each other’s minds without saying anything.

“So, that’s Tyler.” She glanced over to where he was standing in the opposite side of the apartment.

“Yep.”

“He’s gorgeous,” she whispered.

“I know. Damien and he look similar but different, right?”

“Totally.” Jade let out a deep breath. She, too, looked a bit flustered.

If there was one thing I knew about my sister, it was that she would never consider moving in on someone with a girlfriend. Jade’s last relationship ended with her ex leaving her for someone else—just as mine had done to me. She understood what betrayal felt like. And even if in some alternate universe, he weren’t with Nicole, I wasn’t sure I could trust Tyler with Jade’s heart. As much as I loved my brother-in-law, he wasn’t Damien. An actor dating an actor didn’t seem like a wise combination, either.

Still, for a fleeting moment, I couldn’t help fantasizing about what it would be like to see Damien’s brother with my sister. That was all it was—a fantasy, especially since Jade lived in New York, and Tyler lived here.

Lived with his girlfriend here.

Okay. Move on, Chelsea.

Later that night, everyone had eaten and exchanged gifts, so it was the opportune time to announce the name we’d chosen.

Damien did the honors.

“So, I want you all to know that we thought long and hard about this, going back and forth between obscure names and common ones. Nothing felt right for the longest time. Then, my little lady put her foot down. She told me there was only one name that felt right. Who am I to refute that? So, I introduce to you…Damien Raymond Hennessey, or as we like to call him, Little D.”

After all of the “oohs” and “aahs,” Tyler shouted across the room jokingly, “We waited all this time just to find out you named him Damien?”

“Damn straight. And his middle name is after Dad, of course.”

Monica was in tears, probably thinking about her late husband.

“I think our choice is pretty representative of our relationship as a whole,” I added. “Sometimes, the best things are right under your nose all along.”









Damien and I were getting ready for bed Christmas Eve, and I had to ask, “Did Tyler say anything to you about Jade?”

“You mean other than, ‘Holy shit, how did you not tell me her sister was hot as fuck?’ No.”

“What did you say to him?”

“I told him that Jade was family now and that I’d kick his ass if he ever fucked with her.”

“You did?”

“Hell, yes, I did. That being said, I think he’s really into Nicole. The teenage boy in him just came out for a little bit when he laid eyes on your sister.”

“Okay.” I decided to drop the subject and move on from my apparent obsession with the idea of Tyler and Jade.

Damien prowled toward me on the bed. “So…are you ready for your gift?”

“You said to expect something nuts, so I’m not so sure.”

“It’s not that crazy.” He looked up at the ceiling in doubt then chuckled. “Well, maybe it is.”

“What did you do?”

“So, let me preface this by saying…I never loved that mole on my ass. I used to hate it actually…until you told me you dug it.”

“Whoa. Now I’m really confused. What are we talking about here?”

“I decided to make a mountain out of a mole hill, baby.”