Page 71 of The Ring
As I’m about to close my eyes, the door opens, and Anthony enters my room like it’s his. Benedict reacts instantly, shootingup from the bed and looking around desperately—frantically—for anything to cover himself, ultimately grabbing a pillow. Luckily, after we had sex, I put on a nightgown, and I’m covered by my duvet and sheets, so I’m fine.
Anthony immediately averts his gaze to the wall, clearly regretting his decision to enter without knocking, while Benedict stands there, looking utterly petrified.
In theory, I’d say we’re a sex-positive household. In reality, however, it’s never fun finding out who your family is banging.
“Hi, I’m Benedict Glounger,” Benedict says to Anthony, as if introductions are appropriate at this moment, offering one hand while using the other to keep the pillow from falling.
My brother looks at the hand for a second but doesn’t take it. “I’m her brother,” Anthony gestures vaguely in my direction before returning his gaze to the wall. “I wanted to let you know I’m leaving for the office in an hour,” he tells me.
Oh, fuck—I completely forgot I was meant to go to the office with him today.
“Okay, I’ll be ready in half an hour at most,” I say.
Anthony nods, turns around, and leaves my room without another word.
I call out after him, “We should really learn how to knock in this house!” But I get no response—not that I was expecting one.
I glance at Benedict Glounger and immediately burst out laughing. I try to stop it by covering my mouth with my hands, but it doesn’t work. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry—I know I shouldn’t be laughing,” I manage between chuckles. The laughter keeps bubbling up despite my best efforts.
He looks mortified. “Should I be worried I’ve already sealed my fate and he will hate me forever?”
I shake my head a few times before saying, “No, he’sactually really cool, and I’ve seen and heard worse things than what just happened involving him and his girlfriends.”
Anthony has always tried to hide his one-night stands and “girlfriends” from me—triedbeing the key word. Good intentions, my brother, but let’s just say he doesn’t date the most quiet or discreet girls.
That’s the only reason I ever know he’s seeing someone or that he isn’t gay, as some tabloids have speculated. He always says that when he’s serious about someone, he’ll introduce them to me, but I suppose no one’s ever made it that far. That sometimes worries me. One undeniable fact I’ve known all my life is that I am the most important person to my brother. It’s nice being the most important person to someone, but also a little scary. What will happen to him when I move out and continue with my life? It used to worry me a lot. It still does, but a little less now, as I don’t have any immediate plans to go anywhere.
“In that case,” Benedict Glounger says, tossing the pillow he’d been using to cover himself back onto the bed. Then, without missing a beat, he jumps after it, landing on top of me. “He wouldn’t mind me doing this,” he adds with a grin before leaning down and kissing me.
“I think I might need a few more than thirty minutes to get ready,” I murmur against his lips.
He chuckles softly, his breath warm against my skin. “Many more.”
After going for another round, I quickly got ready, but Benedict was still hunting for some of his missing clothes. Nearly fifty minutes had passed since Anthony barged in, so I told Benedict I would go find my brother to make sure he didn’t leave without me. I lethim know I would either be in Anthony’s home office or the kitchen and gave him directions to find both.
Anthony wouldn’t leave without me, but he’d definitely be irritated about having to wait.
I enter his office, but he isn’t there, so I make my way to the kitchen. I walk in, and there he is, sitting on a barstool at the kitchen island, eating breakfast and looking at something on his phone.
Then I realise Anthony lied about the time he was planning to leave for the office. He’s incredibly punctual, and if he actually intended to leave in less than ten minutes, there’s no way he’d be sitting here eating breakfast so calmly. He lied so I wouldn’t be late for the actual time, which is likely in half an hour.
Rude.
I’m about to say something to get Anthony’s attention, as he hasn’t noticed me yet. But then, Benedict walks into the room, fully dressed, with all his missing clothes back on.
“You found them,” I say to him, and that’s when Anthony finally notices me.
He nods. “Yes, they were on the lift.”
I suspected that, but I didn’t tell him. I was enjoying the sight of him naked far too much.
Benedict walks over to where Anthony is, while I stay where I am, frowning. He reaches Anthony, extends his hand, and says, “Hi, I’m?—”
“Benedict Glounger, I got that upstairs, but it’s nice meeting you with your clotheson,” Anthony interrupts, shaking his hand a little too hard. “I didn’t introduce myself earlier, though—I’m Anthony Andrew Monroe-Nodrick, Cornelia’s older brother.” His voice is dry.
The tension in the room is palpable. All of this feels a bitawkward—at least for me, but even more so for Benedict. I can see it written all over his face.
He walks towards me and says, “I’d better leave and let you two get on with your day.”
