Brothers Best Friend [Vinnie Hacker]

Chapter 12

Edited 07/05/2025

"I'm heading to Mac's to check in on her. I'll be back later—we can do all the cuddling then," I say, leaning in to kiss Vinnie on the cheek.

He smiles. "Don't be gone too long."

I hop into Ryland's car and make my way to Mac's house, keeping it fast—but legal.

When I walk into her room, she's sitting cross-legged on the bed, her face hidden in her hands. I close the door behind me and make my way over without a word, wrapping her in a quiet hug.

"Hey, sweetie."

She melts into me. "I already miss him," she mumbles into my shoulder.

"I know. But I think taking space was the right call—for both of you," I say gently.

She pulls back just enough to look at me. Her eyes are red, but dry. "Yeah. I know it's probably for the best, but... I really loved him."

I nod. "And he really cared about you too. That doesn't just disappear. You're both doing the grown-up thing, even if it sucks."

"Thanks, Riley," she says with a tired smile. "You always say the right thing."

We stay like that for a while, letting the silence do what words can't. After about twenty minutes, she sighs and nudges me with her shoulder.

"Now go. Your boy's probably losing his mind without you."

I laugh. "You think he's that obsessed?"

"Oh, totally."

I grin, give her a final squeeze, and head out.

When I get home, I don't even bother knocking—just dive into bed next to Vinnie.

"Hey, baby."

Skipping ahead to Saturday. School's a snooze, anyway.

Today's the day I promised Jaden I'd help him babysit his sister's kids. I wake up wrapped in Vinnie's arms, tangled in the blankets like always.

"Babe, I gotta go," I whisper, trying to wiggle free.

He groans dramatically but lets me go.

After a shower and a quick change, I head downstairs to find the place completely silent. No surprise—everyone sleeps in. I grab an apple and Ryland's car keys (Vinnie needs his car today for a meeting), then slip out the door.

I blast One Direction on the drive. There's something so nostalgic and weirdly energizing about their songs—I know every word. I sing at the top of my lungs, no shame. It's just me, the road, and Harry Styles in 2013.

When I pull into the Sway House driveway, the only car is Jaden's. I head inside and find him on the couch—shirtless, of course.

"Hey, Jaden." I grin, giving him a quick hug.

"God, thank you for showing up," he says, half-laughing. "I owe you."

"No worries. I used to nanny for a family back in Canada—three kids under five. I've seen some things."

He winces. "Yeah, Louis is sweet but kind of a little chaos demon."

"Perfect. I speak fluent toddler."

"Gonna go throw a shirt on before they get here," he says, disappearing down the hall.

When he comes back, looking suspiciously put together, I raise an eyebrow. "Trying to impress someone?"

He shrugs. "Just didn't want to scare the kids."

We hang out in the kitchen while we wait.

"What if we invited Chase to help?" Jaden suggests suddenly.

"That's actually a great idea. I'll text him."

Five minutes later, there's a knock at the door.

"You teleport or something?" I ask, swinging the door open to find Chase standing there.

He grins and pulls me into a quick hug. "What can I say? I'm committed to the cause."

We're mid-laugh when another knock comes. This time, it's three kids and their mom. The two youngest—twins—cling to her legs, while the oldest boy steps forward.

"Hi, I'm Riley," I say with a soft smile. "You must be Louis?"

He nods and eyes me warily. Typical big brother move.

"Jaden's inside," I add, stepping back to let them in. The mom gives him a quick hug and turns to us.

"Thank you guys so much. Really."

"Don't worry," I reassure her. "We've got it covered."

Once she's gone, I pick up Lilli, one of the twins, while Chase grabs Liam.

The afternoon is a whirlwind. The kids run around the living room while Chase and I lie on the floor, taking a break.

"I used to be such a big fan of you, before we met," I say casually.

Chase laughs. "Yeah, and then you showed up and jumped on me out of nowhere. I thought I was being tackled."

"No regrets."

We both laugh.

"It's kind of wild," I say after a moment. "I used to watch you guys online, like, religiously. And now you're just... here. And Vinnie's—well, Vinnie."

"Yeah, how's that going?" Chase asks, stretching out on the carpet.

"It's good. Easy. Chill."

He smirks. "That sounds suspiciously healthy."

Before I can answer, Jaden comes back in, arms full of fast food bags.

"We brought ice cream too," he announces.

Chase practically sprints into the kitchen. I follow, laughing.

"What happened to your knees?" I ask him as he slides back into the room.

"I was excited, okay?"

We're still chuckling when Liam steals a glob of ice cream from Chase's cone and smears it on his nose.

"Hey, little man!" Chase exclaims, fake-offended. The rest of us are in stitches.

Dinner's a mess of fries, pizza, and spilled juice. The twins eat way too many fries, and I make a mental note to have ginger ale ready tomorrow.

Later, we brush teeth, wrangle pajamas, and set up the travel bed for the twins. I carry Lilli in my arms, and she yawns into my shoulder.

"Night-night, sweetheart," I whisper, tucking her in.

Jaden follows with Liam and sets him down gently beside his sister.

Louis, now curled up beside Chase on the couch, is watching something animated. It's actually kind of adorable.

"He likes you," Jaden whispers as we sit down beside them.

Chase smiles without looking away. "He's a cool kid."

Once Louis finally dozes off, we lower the volume on the TV and just... exist for a bit. No noise, no chaos. Just a couch full of friends and some very worn-out babysitters.

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hey guys, yay finally new chapter, I'm so sorry that i have been pretty slow but im gonna try my best to post more, im so grateful for all the readers and it makes me happy when i get a notification that someone has added MY story to a reading list.

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<Laura>