Too Much Clickbait - Sequel to Clickbait

93

I sat in the living room that night with Heath's mother and aunt, smiling and laughing merrily over our third bottle of wine. Heath and his brother and uncle were in the kitchen, talking amongst themselves with some beers in hand. I took another swing of red wine as Charlie sat at my feet with Jojo, chewing on new toys they had gotten from Heath and Sean's trip to pet smart upon our arrival. His aunt laughed, bending over from the loveseat to the couch to slap my knee. "You are one hell of a hoot, Miss Katie!"
     "I'm an owl ass bitch, what can I say." I shrugged.
     Cori choked on her wine, shaking her head as she fought her breath. "You're the absolute worst!"
     I laughed, nudging her jokingly with my elbow. "You weren't saying that when you saw how much of this I bought you."
     "You're not wrong, but that's no fair. You knew how much I enjoyed this crap when you were here the last time." Cori smiled before taking a deep sigh. "I wish y'all were here more often. I miss having y'all every time you leave."
     "Heath and I want to start making more trips out here. I think he's getting home sick." I bunched up my mouth. "I told him we could just get a vacation house out here, but he refused."
     "Money?" His aunt raised an eyebrow as she took a sip of her wine.
     "No, not even. He doesn't want us to get a vacation house before we get our own house." I rolled my eyes.
     "When are you?" Cori smirked.
     "That's another thing! I don't want to buy a house out in California because like... I don't know if I want to have our kids going to the school system where we want to live right now. Like I don't want my child growing up in Hollywood, and lord knows that's not even a consideration in Heath's mind. So I think in March when my lease is up, we are going to find a place." I made a crossing fingers motion with my left hand. "He will pay the last month there because his is up in April. So we will be officially together then."
     "So... Kids? That's the firs tim hearing about this from you." Cori sat back, throwing an arm behind her on the couch lazily. "What made you start thinking of them?"
     "Heath and I are finally not stupid millennial brats." I joked, earning laughs from both women. I took a drink of my wine before continuing. "I think we are just in a better place now. I mean, I'm not going to pop one out now, but... Probably within the next two or three years, definitely."
     "Out of wedlock?" His aunt winked sarcastically.
     "That's up to when babyboy wants to be a man and get on his knee... Again." I stifled a laughter.
     Cori snorted. "I think it'll be soon. I don't know for sure... But I know when that boy wants something, he gets it. He learned to climb the drive when we hid his cookies up there. He was only three."
     "And it's not like he was much taller than he is now." His aunt joked, causing me to laugh loudly.
     I felt a toned arm wrap around the front of my shoulders and chest and I held onto it with one hand, smiling warmly. "What's so funny over here, ladies?"
     "Just girl talk! What do you want, boy?" Cori teased.
     "I'm saying goodbye to my lady because I have to Uber to Zane real quick." I looked up at him, looking at him upside down. "We have to talk about boy things."

     *****

     Heath's P.O.V
     I got out of her car and headed straight for Zane's bedroom window. I tapped on it before it quickly swung open and a pair of arms reached out for me. Grabbing onto him, he hoisted me quickly inside and I nearly fell on my face. Catching me, zane laughed quietly. "Sorry! Everyone is asleep. Here." He handed me the ring box from his nightstand. "Here's the ring."
     "Thanks, man. I owe you one." I smiled, looking at an extremely disheveled Zane. His hair was all over the place and he was in a white tank top hat I'm sure had stains on, though the dim lighting made it hard to see, with a pair of dark, heather grey basketball shorts. "What's wrong with you, man?"
     "I just... You want this, right?" Zane raised an eyebrow. "You want Katie?"
     "Zane-"
     "I just want you to know I'm happy for you. I really am. I just... You know I'll always feel something for her, right?" My mouth went dry as he continued to speak. "I can try and try to find other chicks, dude, but I'll always lowkey have a thing for her and miss her. I just wanted to be... I had to be upfront about it because I don't want to hide shit from you. But seeing you with her fucking kills me."
     I stayed silent for a minute, trying to keep my composure before speaking. "I respect you for saying that to me. I do, I really do... But it's nothing I didn't know, man."
     "Are you serious?" Zane went wide eyed.
     "I see the way you look at her and how you always... You look at her like this fucking prize from the heavens. And believe me, she's the best thing that's ever happened to me. She's so beautiful and smart and hilarious... But she isn't perfect. That's the difference between us." Zane tilted his head for me to explain more. "When y'all got together and did your thing, she took the emotions out of it. You never did that though. She used you as a form of relief from the bullshit that was going on with us. She went to you when she needed comfort, but she found solace in me."
     "You're the better one for her and I know it, don't get me wrong. Sometimes I just wonder what I did to make her not see me as dating material." Zane scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm sorry to bring all this up on you, man."
     "When we discussed why she never dated you, it was purely because she loved you too much. As a brother, of course. A really, odd, weird, incest brother... But a brother, nonetheless." I laughed, shaking my head. "Don't be sorry... Kust don't hit on my wife."
     "Only when you're dead." Zane did finger guns at me until he saw my jaw drop. "Baby I'm kidding! You know you gonna outlive me."
     "Talk shit some more, hoe, and I'll make that a reality." I rolled my eyes, walking back to his window to head out to my Uber again. I looked back as I threw one leg over the window sill. "Hey, zane?"
     "What's up?" He raised an eyebrow.
     "Thank you." I didn't have to Zane much more before Zane walked over, giving me a large bear hug before I hopped out the window.
     "Shopping tomorrow? I need some last minute gifts for my sister and aunt." Zane smirked.
     "Can't with Katie and everyone until later on in the night. We are going to get the tree tomorrow morning!" I clapped my hands together excitedly. "I'll hit you up later tomorrow though, baby!"