The Radford Boys [Completed]

Chapter 5 Awkward Conversations

hey there readers(aka love bunnies!) Sorry I havent been posting lately. I promise to get onto a schedule. Here is the next chapter. I hope yall like it! :) Happy reading!

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*Chapter 5 Awkward Conversations*

"Ooh. Are those omelets for breakfast?" A sleepy eyed Ross walking in the kitchen nearly dragging Mets behind him. The twins were wearing matching clothes, thought I don't think they realized it. They were sporting the just-got-out-of-bed look with blue and red silky gym shorts and wrinkled white wife beaters. Ross hoisted himself onto the barstool and Mets blankly followed.

"Coffee?" My chipper question made Mets perk up enough to nod his head.

"Two sugars, please." The words from mets' mouth were stale and I hastened to make his coffee while the egg in the skillet began cooking. He instantly took a gulp of the piping hot coffee without so much as a flinch, then passed it over to Ross like it was a whiskey flask. They continued this back and forth until the cup was empty. Only then did I engage them in a true conversation.

"So, where is everybody else?" Mets spoke up first, but he didn't look at me.

"Mom and Michael are probably still in bed and Will woke up early to take the first shower so he can smell good for a certain someone." Mets winked over to Ross and they both started snickering again.

"Oh? Will has a crush? Who is it?" I couldn't help but ask. I had always loved being in on the gossip.

"You, even though he knows you are off limits." Ross responded to my question, and watched in satisfaction as I felt myself blushing furiously. The tips of my ears were burning like a furnace in a blizzard.

"Oh. Well then..." my sentence trailed off as I saw Michael enter the kitchen. He was wearing the same type of shorts as the twins. My eyes fell on his bare chest. Obviously he had forgotten his shirt. I couldn't help but stare at his perfectly chiseled upper body from years of practicing for football. He didn't have a defined six pack, but you could tell there used to be one there when he was younger. My eyes traveled up his torso one last time before meeting his beautiful hazel eyes. They had a knowing look and I sensed I had been caught checking him out. I felt the second blush in five minutes rising up my neck to my cheeks. I quickly avoided eye contact with him as I turned to finish the omelets.

"Is the coffee fresh?" Will's sentence startled me out of my day dreaming as I noticed he had just walked in. He looked like someone had beat him up; purple rings around his eyes, a pink face, and a droopy posture all together.

"Yeah," I stopped before asking my humorous question, "Did someone take your ill humor the wrong way?" My bad attempt at a joke makes Michael break out a real smile, and I couldn't help but wish he would wear it more often.

"No, I believe it is called being sick." This time he really did use ill humor, and I reluctantly thought back to what Ross and Mets had told me this morning. Surely he didn't think of me like that?

Michael and Will gave me their orders for omelets, and then stood around the island. Will, Ross, and Mets all chatted easily about girls and school while Michael just watched me cook with the slightest hint of a smile playing on his lips and in his eyes.

"Jessie, I just want you to know that what my mom did last night is completely unusual." Ross said this and his three brothers all nodded their heads in agreement.

"Yeah, Mom would never let anyone watch movies with us on movie night." Mets added, looking a little sullen. In fact, all four of them looked a suddenly sad. Michael's eyes had a hint of anger along with sadness.

"Why?" The question was directed at Michael, and as the oldest brother, he spoke up.

"Ever since Dad left when I was twelve mom has made sure we had every Monday night together. She sometimes would even call the coach to tell him to release us early so we could watch the movies and still be in bed at a decent time." Michael smiled at the memory, then it vanished when I set the four plates down along the island. The plates were piled high with toast and omelets.

"Wow. You could really fast." Mets said this with a full mouth and I smiled happily. I was fulfilling my lifelong dream.

"I was a short order cook for my internship in college." I watched as all four boys devoured their food hungrily.

"Am I missing something?" Angela's voice was greeted by the halting their pig fest and turning to look at their mother with big eyes. She was wearing a business two-piece suit with a knee length black pencil skirt.

Michael put down his fork and walked over to her. Kissing her on both cheeks, he looked her up and down in a suspicious son sort of way.

"Where are you going Mother?" His voice sounded almost patronizing as he eyed his mother.

"I am going into the city, Michael. I have an appointment with Simon & Sons Law Offices to sort out their financial mess. I am a financial advisor for a reason." Now it was Angela's turn for sounding patronizing.

"Mom, Will has a fever of a hundred and two." Michael said this and the other boys stared at him, abandoning their food.

"Okay, well you know what to do. This is a very big account, as I am sure you are aware and I cannot miss this meeting." Angela had her no-bullshit voice on and even I could tell this wasn't the first time she had done this to the boys.

"Fine Mom." Michael stalked out of the kitchen, abandoning his full plate of food. Ross and Mets finished their food hurriedly before racing back to their rooms to get ready for school and most likely avoid their mother. I watched all of this happen wide-eyed.

"Ah, I see you and I are the only ones who remembered to get dressed before breakfast." Angela made a jab at me for conversation but I withdrew and finished making her egg whites and whole wheat toast.

After Angela left for her meeting, and Michael was gone taking the twins to school, I began washing dishes from breakfast and sweeping the floors. I noticed through the window that Will was outside running laps. I dried off my hands and draped the rag over my shoulder out of habit as I walked outside.

Will was just getting of a basketball to start shooting hoops when he saw me.

"What are you doing?" I asked this, not even thinking about the fact that it isn't any of my business.

"Shooting some hoops, you want to join me?" He held up the ball and wiggled his eyebrows.

"No, and I thought you were sick." I didn't even try to hide the hint of aggravation in my voice.

"Nah, Michael has been teaching me some new football plays and he kept me home to practice them alone." Will's nonchalant demeanor made me want to scream. How could Michael keep this boy from his education? He must has seen the anger flash in my eyes because he quickly fixed his mistake.

"Woah, calm down. I was teasing. I really am sick, but sweating will help break the fever." He began dribbling the ball and I couldn't help but walk away. I was now a hundred percent sure he liked me, and not just because he winked at me before I turned around. The sad part was that I couldn't even muster up enough courage to tell he shouldn't have these feelings towards me.