The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter Sixty-four

Joshua was sure his heart stopped beating for a moment when Elena toppled out of the tree.

But Ray was two strides faster than him, and provided the cushion that broke her fall, sending them both into a puddle of limbs on the ground. Joshua breathed a sigh of relief while his brother groaned out in pain.

“Ugh, bro, we really need to get her sobered up,” Ray croaked from beneath Elena.

She sat up on Ray and pumped her hands up in the air. “Let’s go again!” she twittered. “Again again again!” She sneezed. “Again!”

Joshua hung his head and groaned with Ray.

That was way too close.

**

With Elena back in the kitchen one more time, getting her to drink the coffee was yet another hurdle. It took a combined effort of lies to get her to take the first sip, but she wouldn’t take any more. When they tried to get her to open her mouth, she’d do so only to scream Kieran’s name.

The brothers were in a sticky situation, and beyond frustrated.

“What if somebody finds us here and thinks we’re trying to do something heinous to her?” Ray asked, panic in his voice.

“You are trying to do something heinous to me, you rogues!” Elena shrieked. “You are bad boys!” She took to hitting either of the chests. “And bad bad brothers to Kieran. Wait till I tell him how bad you’ve been!”

Ray rubbed his hands across his scalp like he was trying to light it on fire. “Please keep it down, sister-in-law!” he begged and looked at Joshua, whose anger was rising by the minute. “What if our parents suddenly show up? By the stars, what if our grandparents show up and find her like this? Find us like this?”

Joshua exploded. “Shut up! Shut up, Ray and let me think, okay? Pointing out the scenarios with no respective solutions does not help!”

His breathing was heavy, and he felt like he’d run a marathon around Rievelt. He raked his fingers through his hair for the millionth time that night and ground his teeth as he wracked his brain for solutions.

A pair of small hands rested on his chest gently, and he looked down to see Elena’s blue eyes staring at him. It was like looking into a cool steady ocean.

“Calm down,” she cooed. Her voice was so soothing, he actually felt himself relax and the anger dissipate from his body.

She smoothened her hands up his chest and neck to his jaw, all the while maintaining his gaze. They worked like magic, those hands.

She gave him a small smile and blinked, lazily. “Okay, little brother?”

Joshua’s face fell at the use of the term, and so did something inside his chest. Ray snorted a laugh behind Elena before breaking out into snickers. Elena turned and watched him, amused, then started to laugh as well.

“She just called you little brother.” Ray choked and slapped his thigh as he reared back in laughter. Elena doubled over in laughter as well.

“Am I funny?” she squeaked.

“Plenty!” Ray laughed. “Good one, sister-in-law!” He high-fived Elena.

“Enough,” Joshua growled, causing their laughter to come to a swift halt. He didn’t need the reminder that Elena was older than him, even though it was only by one year.

“Clearly, we can’t let anyone from the older generation see her. Especially not grandmother,” Joshua said. “We have to sober her up where no one can intrude.”