Love Roulette

5

Five
MASON

"What's got you so annoyed?" My brother questions and I roll my eyes. "Quit with the attitude."

"I haven't got an attitude." I defend and he raises his eyebrows at me.

"Tell your face that. What's happened?" He pours both of us a drink and I take the second to look out into my massive garden where his wife, Callie, is with her other two husbands, Phoenix and Everest. They look so happy and content. Like there's nothing in life that could take away their happiness.

They've come to visit me for a couple of days and I would be lying if I said I didn't want them here. I've never seen my brother so happy as I have for the past few years. He's in a relationship with his wife and best friends and to people on the outside that would seem crazy, but Miller, Phoenix and Everest have been infatuated with Callie ever since they met her. Hell, even I had a crush on the woman once.

"How do you do all of this?" I wave my hand in the direction of his family. "You're stuck in this marriage now. Do you not worry that you'll finally have enough?" Miller scoffs at my words and looks at me like I'm crazy.

"That woman over there is the love of my life and the mother of my children. I'd do absolutely anything for her and those two are my best friends, we do everything together and I could never imagine a life without them. I'd rather die. So no, I'll never worry about having enough because it's simply not possible." I release a breath at his words.

"I don't think I'll ever be capable of having that mindset. Being with someone for such a long time. I think I'm going to be single for a very long time. Not that I care." I shrug, twisting the ring around my finger. Miller's sigh grabs my attention and I furrow my eyebrows.

"Why do you always tell yourself that?" He tilts his head, takes his tumbler filled with some expensive whisky and gulps it back.

"Tell myself what?" I avoid eye contact with him and keep my eyes ahead looking out into the garden.

"That you're not capable of being in a stable relationship. Being happy with someone." I grab my own drink and down the brown liquid all in one. "You're not getting any younger. Thirty-two and you're still acting like some young playboy. The way you're sleeping around is not healthy."

"Not everyone is made for relationships. It's not a bad thing, Miller." I say rubbing the growing stubble on my face.

"I want to see you happy, Mason."

My eyebrows furrow. "What do you mean? I am happy."

"You're not happy, Mason. I worry that you get so lonely out here." There's a dull ache in my chest but I ignore it.

"I have Gunner."

"And soon he's going to find someone and trust me, you won't have him anymore. Not like you do now." The thought of not having Gunner in my life is almost like a knife being shoved right into my gut.

"I didn't come here to get a scolding from you and a lecture on how I should be living my life." I huff somewhat annoyed at how he keeps nitpicking at my life.

But my mood turns and I grin when my two-year-old nephew, Myles, runs over to me, giggling.

"Macey!" He squeals and I pick him up and spin him around.

"How you doing, mate?" I beam down at him, ruffling his curly hair. He giggles and buries his face into the crook of my neck, wrapping his tiny arms around me.

"Take me to casino." My eyes widen at the promise I once made him a few weeks ago on the phone when he stole his mother's phone and called me up at three in the morning due to the time difference between Las Vegas and London. I avoid all eye contact with his father who I know is glaring at me right now and release a nervous chuckle.