Together

Chapter 8

Brody got to know everyone. He's talking to Jonathan now.

"Just put on a horror movie." Jonathan says. He laughs. "I do that with Elizabeth. She clings to me. I mean, we all have needs."

I start to eavesdrop to see what he's talking about.

"I don't know. I don't want to scare her. If I just grab her, she'll let me."

What are they talking about?

I was literally in the middle of a sentence with Mrs. Barker and Mom and the neighbor, Janice Poole.

"What are they talking about?" I whisper. The three of them start laughing.

"Good, I'm not the only one who listens in when my husband says something involving me."

We all listen.

"But you want her to want it."

"Are they talking about sex?" Mom asks.

"No, he's getting that." I shake my head.

"What if she doesn't anymore?"

"I'm sure she does." Jonathan says.

"But what if she doesn't?"

My brother in law, Chris, goes and joins the conversation. When they fill him in, I can't hear them.

"Horror movie." Chris says. "You gotta learn the ways man. With the wife, you ask her something and she could get pissed. You just gotta gether to do what you want without her realizing what she wants."

Jules walks over, and so does Elizabeth.
"What are they talking about?" Elizabeth, my sister in law, demands.

Keith joins the conversation now, so Madison comes to us.

Again, I don't hear them.

"Horror movie." Keith says.

In a matter of minutes, the situation has been explained to all the guys and everyone says horror movie.

"Okay, what the fuck." I say.

They're all blabbing on about their wives.

"I'm getting irritated." Jules says.

I walk right over there.
"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"Nothing, button, it's really nothing."

"You're talking about me."

"She's gonna get mad." Jonathan warns, laughing.

"Take advice from the man who raised her and the man who's been married thirty years. She's gonna get mad."

Brody shrugs,

"It's really nothing." He says.

I raise my eyebrows, purse my lips, and cross my arms and just glare at him.

He cracks under the pressure.

"We don't cuddle enough."

My eyebrows furrow.

"What?"

"Told you." All the guys say.

He runs his fingers through his hair, nervous.

"I just-"

"No, let me fucking talk."

"Wait, why the hell are you mad that I want to cuddle with you?"