Chapter 226: Brother?

Sean put down his utensils and made a point of looking stern. "What do you mean? Why would we fight?"

"You tell me." Susan shot him a glance. "With that temper of yours, who knows what's going to set you off next time."

"When have I ever picked a fight with you?" Sean said, not buying it.

"Last time, over the thing with Perry." Susan started counting on her fingers. "The time before that, over the photos. And the time before that—"

"Alright, enough." Sean cut her off and reached over to pinch her cheek. "That little mouth of yours just loves to wind me up."

Susan dodged his hand and laughed. "I'm just stating facts."

"So you won't move back because you're scared of having nowhere to run when we fight?" Sean scoffed. "You're so petty."

"You're the petty one." Susan shot back.

They went back and forth like that, and before long it turned into a whole thing.

Sean pulled Susan into his arms and kissed her.

She squirmed a couple of times, couldn't break free, and gave up — wrapping her arms around his neck instead.

They fooled around for a good while, but Susan still wouldn't agree to move back.

Sean, though, had his own way of handling things.

That same evening, not long after Susan got home, the doorbell rang.

She opened the door to find Sean standing there, two bodyguards behind him hauling suitcases.

"What are you doing?" Susan stared at him, caught off guard.

"If you won't come to me, I'll come to you." Sean walked past her into the apartment like it was the most natural thing in the world, looked around, and nodded. "It's a little small, but it'll do."

"Who said you could live here?" Susan put her hands on her hips.

"You said you were more comfortable living on your own — you never said I couldn't stay. Besides, it's not like I haven't stayed here before." Sean had an answer for everything.

"You—" Susan was too annoyed to even respond to that logic.

"Mommy!" Liam came running out of his room, and the moment he saw Sean, his eyes lit up. "Daddy! Are you staying with us?"

"Yep." Sean crouched down and held his arms open. "Does Liam want Daddy here?"

"Yes!" Liam threw himself into his arms, bouncing with excitement. "Daddy's gonna live with us!"

Susan watched her son's face light up, and whatever she'd been about to say died in her throat.

She let out a sigh. "Fine. One night."

"Not one night," Sean corrected her. "From now on."

", don't push your—"

"Liam," Sean turned to the boy, "your mommy's trying to kick Daddy out. Make me sleep on the street. It's really cold out there…"

Liam looked up at Susan with the most pitiful expression. "Mommy, please don't make Daddy leave. He'll get cold… he'll catch a cold…"

Susan stood there, completely outwitted by these two, and walked into the bedroom without a word.

Sean caught Liam's eye and winked. The two of them high-fived.

And just like that, Sean moved in that same night.

Susan's apartment wasn't big — two bedrooms, one living area. Adding a grown man to the mix made it feel even tighter.

But Sean didn't mind one bit. He squeezed onto the small sofa with Susan to watch TV, legs too long to stretch out properly, smiling the whole time.

Watching him grin like an idiot, Susan felt herself soften.

The three of them were living together again.

After dinner, Sean suggested they go for a walk to help with digestion.

Susan changed Liam into a T-shirt and put on a matching one herself — one of those family-set outfits. Standing side by side, the two of them looked more like siblings.

Sean was in a proper button-down shirt and dress pants, standing next to them like the responsible adult of the group.

The three of them headed out and strolled through the complex's garden.

Liam ran ahead, hopping and skipping, while Susan and Sean walked side by side behind him.

After a while, a young woman came toward them walking a teddy bear dog.

She spotted Sean, and her eyes lit up. She stopped.

"Hey, can I add you on Instagram?" she said, already pulling out her phone with a smile.

Sean glanced at her. "Sorry, I'm taken," he said flatly.

He gestured toward Susan and Liam up ahead. "That's my wife and son."

The woman looked over. Susan and Liam were both in their matching casual T-shirts, both looking young. Then she looked back at Sean in his formal dress shirt, and a puzzled expression crossed her face.

"You seem so mature," she said with a little laugh. "You and that lady don't really look like a couple. I just wanted to add you as a friend — no need to make something up."

Sean's expression went cold.

"She's my actual wife," he said, each word deliberate. "Want us to kiss so you can see for yourself?"

She picked up on his tone, smiled awkwardly, pocketed her phone, and walked off with the dog.

Susan and Liam hadn't noticed any of it, still walking ahead.

When Sean caught up, Susan could see right away that something was off.

"What's wrong? Who got to you?"

Sean didn't answer. He walked the rest of the way home in silence.

Back at the apartment, Susan sent Liam off to shower and started tidying up the living room.

Sean sat on the sofa and said nothing.

"Okay, what is it?" Susan sat down next to him. "You were fine a minute ago — what happened?"

Sean was quiet for a long moment. "A woman came up and asked to add me on Instagram," he finally muttered.

Susan raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"I told her I was taken." He was getting more annoyed as he talked. "Then she said I looked like your older brother. Yours and Liam's."

Susan blinked — then burst out laughing.

"You think that's funny!" Sean got even more worked up. "Do I really look that old?"

"It's not that you look old." Susan tried to hold back her laughter and gave him a once-over. "It's that you're dressed way too formally. You look like someone's dad at a school event. Then look at me and Liam — casual T-shirts, we both look young. Of course she got confused."

Sean looked down at his outfit, then over at Susan's T-shirt. His expression got even more sullen.

"Why didn't you get me one too?"

Susan blinked. "I figured you wouldn't want to wear something like that."

"The truth is you just didn't think of me at all," Sean said, deflated.

Susan scooted closer and hugged his arm. "You're right, I'm sorry. Feel better now?"

"You don't mean it," Sean said, side-eyeing her.

Susan smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Want to see that I mean it?"

Sean pulled her close, resting his chin on top of her head. "How exactly?"

His hand slipped under the hem of her shirt and found its way up. "Like this? Hard to tell from here — maybe I should help you take this off."

He unclasped her bra as he said it.

Susan pushed him away. "Liam could walk in…"

Speak of the devil.

Liam came padding out of the bathroom, saw his parents tangled up together, slapped both hands over his eyes, and peeked through his fingers.

"Daddy and Mommy, that's embarrassing!"