Loving You {Chicago Book 1}

twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY - BRODY ALLEN

Distracted, I stab at my fancy chicken and force a bit into my mouth, chewing and swallowing with a gulp. There's no denying that it tastes fucking amazing, but I'd much rather be devouring a milkshake and a hamburger right now.

"So, Brody," Aunt Patricia starts from the other end of the table. Here we go. "Your mother was telling me about this new girlfriend of yours."

"Not a girlfriend if he pays for her," Tyler mutters from beside me. I elbow my cousin in the ribs before sending my Aunt (yes, him Mom) a fake grin.

"Really?" I ask before taking another bite of the chicken, hurrying so I get it gone quickly and then Ty, Aaron, Adam and I can go on a burger run somewhere. I'm not fussy. I just need something that will actually fill my fucking stomach up.

"See that shock? It's because she doesn't exist," Tyler says quietly and this time, I stomp my foot into his. He lets out a squeal and tries to cover it up, but his face starts turning red.

I let out a laugh and ignore the curious gazes of my family members. "Yes. She was mentioning how she doesn't compare to Sara," Aunt Patricia continues.

Without hiding it, I shoot a glare to my mother, who's currently sitting opposite me. "Did she now?" I question through clenched teeth. I'm getting really fucking sick of this shit.

"Shit's. About. To. Go. Down," Tyler comments under his breath.

I just ignore the asshole.

"Yes. Apparently, she didn't even wear a designer to the benefit," she carries on, earning a few murmurs from the women at the table. Well, that rumor is utter bullshit. The dress was Naomi's and there's no chance that she owns a dress that isn't some designer brand.

I shake my head and down the rest of my wine, ignoring the chiding glare I'm getting from my mother. I need the alcohol. "I can't do this," I say, pushing my plate forward and standing up. "I don't understand the problem. You don't see her calling you guys rich, pretentious assholes, do you?"

I ignore my name being gasped by my mother. "Exactly, so it doesn't matter whether she's rich or not or what her parents do because I love her for her and honestly, her family is a hell of a lot nicer than you lot will ever be."

"Dude! Ouch," Tyler exclaims with faux pain before I grab his arm, pulling him with me out of the dining room. "But my food!"

"I'll buy you more food," I tell him as we reach the bottom of the stairs and I finally let him go.

Another set of footsteps appear behind us and a voice follows. "Don't leave me in there all alone."

"Aaron, get your ass back in there, we can't all just leave," Tyler hisses at his twin brother.

He shakes his head. "No, fuck that. I'm not being left with Moaning Murtle." Ah, yes. Our other cousin, Jennifer. She's sixteen and a pain in all of our asses at family gatherings like these. Her life is apparently the worst and she can't cope with it.

I roll my eyes and nod up the stairs. "Hurry up then and come with us before one of them comes out to get us." Thankfully, he hauls ass and we make it into my room without a single one of them following us.

Well, no one that we don't want to. The door opens a second later to reveal Jennifer's brother, Adam. He's currently a senior in high school and was the one who asked Hailey how much I paid for her, leaving me the butt of their many jokes.

Tyler and Aaron are only a year younger than me so it's always been the three of us against our family until now. Adam's not a kid anymore and we've gained ourselves another ally.