The Harper Brothers: All Bets Are Off (Wattpad Version)

Comfort

Reese

I had to develop an alternative way to run since Rafe wouldn't let me go on my daily run. Sage helped with my issue and bought two treadmills for the house. Running on treadmills was the same as outside, but it did the job.

I got up, dressed, stretched, and came downstairs to a whirring noise. I stepped off the bottom step to finding Rafe running on one treadmill. I bounced over to the other treadmill, stepped on, pressed the button, and started running.

"You're late," Rafe said in between breaths.

"You're early. Usually, you lag and have to catch up to me."

We kept an even pace as we ran on the treadmill.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"What were you dreaming about when you had your nightmare?"

"Nothing I want to recall."

I glanced at Rafe as he looked straight ahead. I wanted to ask him questions, but I didn't want to press him.

"Can we talk about happy things?"

"Sure."

Rafe moved his feet off the treadmill, pressed the stop button, and leaned on the arm while looking at me.  "Reese?"

I stepped off the treadmill belt, hit stop, and turned to Rafe.

"I don't want to dwell on my past. I get you to have questions."

"It's not about your past that I have questions."

"Then what is it?"

"I have concerns about you." I shrugged while playing with my fingers.

Rafe dropped his head, sighed, and lifted his head to look at me. "Okay. What do you want to know?"

"Why did you rub my hair with your fingers?"

"Wait. You want to know why I rubbed your hair with my fingers? That's your question."

"Well, yeah."

Rafe shook his head and snickered.

"What's so funny?" My forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"When I needed comfort, I would rub my ma's hair with my fingers. I started doing it when I was a toddler. Ma didn't draw attention to it but let me do it. Each of us has a quirk with comfort."

I supported myself on the arm of the treadmill. "Like what?"

"Val would place his ear against Ma's chest. Pat played with her earlobes. Romeo hugged her like a teddy bear. Marty played with her fingers. I rubbed her hair because of the silkiness."

"That makes sense."

"What does?"

"Val understands love, which a heart represents. Pat is deaf, so he gravitates to ears. Romeo hugs people like a teddy bear because he's romantic. You played with her hair because you're particular about yours. And Marty chose her fingers because she uses them to present the truth." I quirked my brow with a knowing look.

"I never consider it that way."

"Most people don't. My curiosity would piss off my brothers because it would get me into trouble."

"How so?"

"I would climb trees and yell because I forgot that you had to climb down. It drove Devin nuts."

Rafe chuckled. "Well, if you climbed a tree now, I would get you down."

My cheeks warmed as my heart pounded in my chest. Rafe climbed off his treadmill and onto mine and trapped me between the console and his body. His eyes flickered from mine to my lips. My breath caught in my throat as he captured my lips.