SEH The Next Generation

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

As Robbie shifted his position in bed, his hand made contact with his pillow. He didn’t want to get up. In fact, all he wanted was to sleep for a few more hours or a few more days. Sundays were made to rest and he was going to make sure he got his beauty sleep. He pulled his blanket over his head and closed his eyes tight, doing his best to fall asleep again.

A loud buzzing sound resounded through the air, vibrating through the bed and his body. He’d fallen asleep with his cell phone in his bed. Who the hell was calling him now? And most importantly, what did they want? The buzzing continued and stopped a few seconds later. Robbie, who still had his head hidden from sight, yawned loudly, stretching. What did these kids want so early in the morning anyways? Kids!?

He shivered, blood going completely cold. He wasn’t living at the orphanage anymore! He was now living with the Hawkings! He sat up straight, pulling the covers away from his body. He searched for his phone on the bed and found it underneath one of the extra pillows. Nicky’s name flashed on the screen, repeatedly, making his legs weak and numb. He waved his hand over the device and unlocked his cell phone, going straight for his inbox.

Get up and get ready for an outdoor adventure!

Outdoor adventure? What was Nicky talking about? Nicky was under house arrest for driving like a maniac behind the wheels, so he was definitely pulling his leg. However, did Nick and John remove his punishment? Was he finally allowed to go outside the property lines? Was he? Robbie sat on the edge of his bed and yawned again. His vision was foggy while his eyes felt heavy and itchy. He took a deep breath, his mind going back to Nicky and his perfect body. His shorts stretched as his d**k became hard and stiff. All he wanted at that moment was to be next to Nicky, kissing him, feeling him and breathing him.

No! He had to calm down and remove those dirty thoughts from his head. Nicky was his brother. He was family. He wasn’t Chad or a stranger. He was his new older brother. Besides, he couldn’t betray Nick and John by lusting after their son. He didn’t even know if Nicky was straight or not. So he couldn’t see him as a man or a potential lover. He needed to see him as his brother and sibling.

Taking a deep breath, Robbie stood and headed straight for the bathroom to wash away his fantasies and filthy thoughts.

A few minutes later, Robbie examined himself in the mirror for the one thousandth time. He combed his hair and changed his clothes at least twenty times. Still, he wasn’t happy with his white shirt and short khaki pants. Where were they going anyway? Nicky had said an outdoor adventure, but that could basically mean anything. Knowing how athletic Nicky was, it probably meant mountain climbing or running, things he wasn’t really fond of or good at. He fixed his hair one last time and bathed himself in his new cologne for a second time. He wanted to look good and smell good for Nicky.

Robbie took one last look in the mirror and headed to the door. Looking around the study room, he soon realized that he had completely forgotten to snoop around the thousands of books clouding every inch of the walls. He made a mental note to do it later or when he found the time. Right now he needed to get to Nicky and fast. Robbie went straight for the hallway and heard a few pots and muffled sounds coming from the kitchen. The first person he saw as he entered the large space was John who was busily stirring something inside a pot. “Morning!” he announced.

“Good morning.” John focused on him. “How did you sleep?”

“Amazing!” Robbie walked to the counter and pulled out a chair. He sat down and looked around. No one else was there. “Where’s everyone?”

“Lily is out with Oliver; that’s her boyfriend of three years.” John explained as he covered the pot on top of the stove. “And the Nicks are out shopping for a few more things for tonight’s party.”

“Oh! So it’s just us then?”

“Yes.” John returned to the counter. “Hungry?”

“A little.”

“What do you want to eat? Waffles? Pancakes? Toast?”

“How about cereal with milk?” Robbie suggested not wanting to give John lots of trouble.

“Sure.” John walked to one of the cupboards and retrieved a bowl from inside. He then pulled out a drawer and took out a spoon from its imprisonment. He set them up in front of Robbie and smiled warmly. “What’s your type of cereal?”

Robbie sighed. “I love Honey Bunches of Oats.”

“Me too!” John went up to another cupboard. “With almonds?”

“You bet!” Robbie beamed, showing him two thumbs up.

John took out the box from inside and went up to the refrigerator to retrieve a pitcher of fresh milk. He placed them next to Robbie and bowed elegantly. “Breakfast is served.”

“Thank you!” Robbie answered with a smile as he served himself some cereal.

“So,” John walked back to the stove. “You like it here?”

“Hell yeah!” Robbie mumbled around his mouthful of cereal. “You guys are awesome!”

John stirred the pot in front of him. “I’m glad.”

“Do you know where Nicky is taking me today?”

“Hiking. Nick is tagging along too.”

Robbie’s body went slightly cold. Nick was coming along too? He hadn’t had the time to talk to him, but as far as he could see, Nick was the coolest guy on earth. “Nick?”

“Yeah. He wants this little trip to be some sort of male bonding time between you three.”

Robbie chuckled. “I really can’t wait. Nick seems cool and very generous.”

“That he is! That’s actually one of the things that attracted me the most to him.”

“He must have been the most popular guy in school back then.”

John chuckled. “Yeah he was, but deep inside there was a man waiting to be found.”

Robbie’s heart sank a little toward his stomach. He absolutely loved the way John talked about Nick. He seemed to shine and radiate his very own glow whenever he mentioned his name. That was true love, not artificially sweet love that many confused with real love. John really loved Nick. He could feel it in his bones.

“Aren’t you coming with us?”

“I wish, but I’ve got so much to do.” John walked to a cupboard and retrieved a few pots from inside. “Today’s like our version of Christmas in summer.”

Robbie laughed. “Really?”

“Yeah. We all get together and have a nice family supper.”

“Sounds like fun!” Robbie took one last spoon of his cereal. “I really can’t wait to meet everyone. I’m not going to lie. I’m a little nervous, but if they’re half as amazing as you guys, I’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. Just put a little distance between yourself and Madison.”

Robbie laughed. “Hey! I like her. She seems cool.”

“That she is.”

The door swung open and Nick came inside carrying a few bags in his hand. A few? He was carrying at least ten! Nicky appeared from behind him with even more bags in his hands. They set them down on the table and sighed deeply.

“Why did you guys bring all of them at once?” John scolded them.

Nick went up to him and kissed him. “We’re men. We don’t carry one or two. We carry twenty or die trying.”

John rolled his eyes. “Well, Mr. Macho Man, Robbie has been waiting for you guys so hurry along. I’ve got so much to do.”

“Really?” Nick turned to Robbie. “You ready? Because we are.”

“I am!”

“Okay.” John picked two backpacks from the floor and placed them on the counter. Both bags were packed to maximum capacity. “One has real food and the other junk food.”

“Yes!” Nicky approached the bag with his favorite junk food inside and picked it up, strapping it on his back. “Ready, Robbie?”

“Yeah.” Robbie went up to the second backpack, but Nick beat him to it.

“I got it.”

“You can take the cooler,” John retrieved a small cooler, with a green shoulder strap, from underneath the counter.

“Thanks.” He took it from his hands and strapped it over his shoulder.

“Let’s go then!” Nick wrapped an arm around John and kissed his lips. “See you tonight.”

“See you.” He smiled dreamily. “Take care of yourself and the boys.”

“I will.” Nick grinned, kissing him again.

“Come on!” Nicky nudged Robbie in the stomach with his elbow. “You don’t want to see how sugary they get when saying goodbye.”

Robbie laughed and followed Nicky to the door. In all honesty, he wanted to see it. Nick was one hot son of a gun, but Nicky was probably sick of seeing it all the time. Once outside, Nicky directed him to the backdoors of the Escalade where they jumped inside and proceeded to wait for Nick. As they waited, Nicky took out his cellphone and began texting his fingers away. Who was he texting all the time? Clearly, he wasn’t texting Robbie or anyone else in the house. Then, who could it be?

“Ready?” Nick jumped behind the wheels.

“Ready!” Robbie answered excitedly. Nicky, however, was still glued to his phone.

“Nicky.” Nick glared at his son through the rearview mirror.

“Sorry, Pops.” He put his phone away. “I’m ready now.”

“Good.” Nick put the car in reverse and backed down the driveway.

Once they hit the highway, they made a right heading away from town.

Nicky turned to him. “You’ll love it where we’re going. It’s one of my favorite places in the world.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. We all love it, except for Lily. She hates hiking.”

“Stop talking bad about your sister whenever she’s not around. The walls have ears.”

Nicky laughed. “You know I love her, Pops, but can’t wait for her to go back to school.”

“Speaking of school.” Nick said, glancing at Robbie through the rearview mirror. “I talked to the principal of Elite High and got you enrolled in this upcoming school year.”

Robbie’s blood went cold, making him weak and numb. “You did?”

“Yes. We all graduated from Elite High so I’m hoping you and Nicky keep the family tradition going.”

“Will Robbie be in some of my classes, Pops?”

“That I don’t know, but you guys will have at least one class together. Back in the old days, there weren’t as many students as today, so John and I had all our classes together.”

“I sure hope so because being the new kid in school sucks.”

Robbie took a deep breath, feeling anxious and excited. At his old school, a public school, he didn’t have any friends. He would often wander the hallways alone and barely passed all of his subjects. But now, it was a very different scenario. He had a reputation to uphold. He was a Hawking-Ames. Which basically meant that people expected more from him. From what he knew, Lily graduated valedictorian and Nicky was going to follow in his sister’s footsteps next year. Looking at it closely, being a Hawking-Ames sounded like a very bad idea now.

“Earth to Robbie!” Nick honked the car horn.

“Sorry.” Robbie flinched.

“Where were you, man?”

Robbie took a deep breath. “At Elite High.” He chuckled. “It sounds like a tough school.”

“Just do your best. I didn’t graduate with honors, but look how far I got. Sometimes, the people you expect to fail turn out to do pretty well in life.”

“Yeah.” Nicky agreed with his father. “Look at Eminem, he’s a f*****g multimillionaire.”

“Language.” Nick glared at him.

“But you said, ‘f**k’ the other day when you slammed your finger with the hammer.”

“Yes, I did. In the case of physical injury, it’s appropriate. But you’re my son and no son of mine will use such foul language.”

Nicky laughed, turning to Robbie. “Dad always says that in those exact words.”

Nick chuckled. “Don’t tell him I said the ‘f’ word or mock him.”

“And what if I do?” Nicky grinned, evilly.

“I’ll ground you until the day you die.”

“I won’t say a word.”

Robbie laughed, definitely enjoying his life with his new family. They drove nonstop until they reached the entrance of what seemed to be a nature park on the side of the highway. As Robbie looked around, his eyes fell on a sign with the words, Lake Armstrong Regional Park, in big bold letters. Nick parked the Escalade in a small parking lot that was hidden among the trees and they all jumped down, carrying their bags.

“I love this place!” Nicky exclaimed as he looked around. “Nothing but nature.”

In the distance, Robbie’s eyes fell on a few more vehicles. They were definitely not alone. As he continued to look around, his eyes fell on several pathways that led into the woods and beyond.

“You can take any of them and they’ll take you to the lake at the heart of the park.” Nicky explained to him. “But we’re not going there today.”

“We’re not?”

“Yeah. Right, Old Man?”

“Right!” Nick nodded. “We’re going to a small waterfall a short hike from here. You’ll love it there. It’s very isolated and private.”

“Let’s get started then!” Nicky announced leading the way.

Nick rolled his eyes and they began to follow him down the dusty little path. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, simply enjoying the quietness and the several sounds resounding through the air.

“Hear that?” Nicky came to an abrupt stop.

Robbie stood next to him, doing his best to listen to whatever had gotten his attention, but he heard absolutely nothing, just the singing of a few birds and crickets.

“I don’t hear anything,” Robbie admitted.

“Exactly!” Nicky sighed, walking down the pathway.

“He loves it here.” Nick explained.

“I can tell.” Robbie grinned as Nicky walked ahead, stomping his feet up and down.

“I’m glad Allison told us about you,” Nick confessed to him.

“You are?” Robbie’s body tensed a little.

“Yeah. You’re exactly what we needed. Another kid to run after.”

Robbie chuckled, imagining himself running around in circles with Nick and John chasing after him.

“Not literally, but you get the picture.”

“Thank you for everything, Nick.” Robbie’s heart pounded in his ears. “For opening the doors to your home and letting me in.”

“No problem. I know you’re not a kid. You’re a teenager and we might get in your way sometimes, but it’ll be for your own good. And I’m dead serious about this, Robbie, if you ever need anyone to talk to, John and I are here to listen. I know we’re not your parents and no one could ever replace them, but we’re here for you.”

A knot developed in Robbie’s throat, depriving him out of air. He took a deep breath and calmed down. “Thanks once again and I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

“Good. Oh yes! John also told me to tell you not to do drugs and to always use protection.”

Robbie chuckled loudly. Did John actually tell him what to say? Was he the real mastermind behind this little trip? Of course he was! He was John Freaking Ames!

“Come on.” Nick placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as they tried to catch up with Nicky who was up ahead.

Once they caught up with him, they walked together, talking about the hundreds of wild animals and flowers found at the nature park. Robbie learned a lot that day. He even learned that Nicky was a Boy Scout when he was younger. That was the main reason why he loved the great outdoors. Lily, on the other hand, preferred to stay indoors with her parents.

After walking for what seemed like forever, they reached a small waterfall surrounded by thousands of flowers. At the foot of the cliff, was a small lake with sparkling crystal water.

“Whoa!” Robbie breathed. “This place is amazing.”

“I know right?” Nicky dropped the bag on the floor. “Pops? I’m hungry.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Nick dropped his bag on the floor and looked inside. He took out several sandwiches and handed him a few. Within seconds, Nicky unwrapped them and began to devour them on the spot.

“Slowdown will ya?”

“Sorry.” Nicky sat on the ground while Robbie sat next to him, placing the cooler between them. Nicky reached for the cooler and popped it open. He took out a can of Pepsi and drank more than half of it. “Damn! I love Pepsi.”

Nick rolled his eyes and handed Robbie three sandwiches. “Eat before Mr. Termite here leaves us with no food.”

Nicky smiled meekly and continued eating his sandwiches. Nick sat down next to Robbie and they ate in silence, simply enjoying their surroundings. The breeze blew gently, the birds sung their enchanting tunes and the summer sun shone brighter than ever.

“This place is awesome!” Robbie pointed out.

“I’d a feeling you would like it.” Nicky lay down on his back. He clasped his hands behind his head and sighed. “I love it here.”

“Yeah.” Nick munched on his last sandwich. “Me too.”

“Can we jump in?” Nicky asked, sitting up.

“Be my guest.” Nick lay back down.

“Awesome! Come on, little bro!” Nicky got to his feet, taking off his shirt.

Robbie’s heart stopped and skipped a few beats as his eyes fell on Nicky’s amazing torso. His back muscles were toned like those of a wild tiger and his biceps were perfectly round. Robbie perused every inch of Nicky’s broad shoulders, defined pectorals and perfect six pack abs. Nicky’s body was sculpted to perfection and precision. Robbie’s gaze fell on Nicky’s chest and abdomen. Tiny hairs peppered every inch of them.

“You shave?” Robbie blurted out, covering his mouth and regretting his question.

“Yeah.” Nicky took off his shoes and socks. “Just my chest and abs. I usually trim down there.” He winked at him.

Robbie felt dizzy. The air around him seemed to have evaporated into nothing because he couldn’t think or function properly.

“Come on!” Nicky took off his pants and jumped inside the water in his ass-hugging boxer briefs. He resurfaced and smiled. “Don’t be a buzz kill.”

Robbie glanced at Nick who was still lying down. “It’s up to you. You can swim, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then go for it. Just let me take a nice quiet nap.”

Robbie got to his feet, taking off his shirt, shoes, socks and finally his pants. He ran to where Nicky was and jumped in, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. He completely regretted it. The water felt as if thousands of needles were piercing through his skin, rendering sick and extremely cold. And then, he saw him, a memory surfacing from out of the blue. An older man who looked oddly familiar. His face was blurry, but he could definitely tell that he was older than Nick. The man held him from his arms and murmured a few indistinct words of encouragement. Was this man teaching how to swim? The second he resurfaced, his vision faded and he found himself in front of Nicky, swimming in the middle of nowhere, or at least that was what he hoped.

“It’s freezing!” He told him.

“Yeah. I forgot to mention it.”

“You punk!” He threw some water on his face.

“Let’s do this!” Nicky yelled and started splashing Robbie’s face.

All Robbie could do was turn around and cover his face from harm. Out of nowhere, Nicky wrapped his strong arms around Robbie’s leaner frame, pulling him towards the edge of the lake. Robbie laughed as he kicked and tried his best to set himself free.

“Oh come on! Do you honestly think you can overpower me with your girly strength?”

“No!” Robbie replied, laughing. “But I can try!”

Robbie continued kicking and waving his arms helplessly. Nicky was simply too strong for him. Robbie’s underwear tightened in the front as he felt Nicky’s strong arms around him, squeezing him tight. Nicky spun him around and held him by the waist.

“I should body slam you.” He smirked.

Nicky’s smirk faded. He looked down between them and let Robbie go. Had Nicky felt it? Had Nicky really felt his boner rubbing against him? Blood drained from Robbie’s face as he tried to speak, but no words would form in his mouth.

“Nicky—”

Nicky scratched the back of his head. “It’s okay, man. I get them a lot too, but usually cold water kills them.”

Robbie’s mouth dropped open and then close. “It’s just that th—”

“Don’t worry. As I said, I get them as well. All men do so just let it go. Okay?”

Robbie carefully examined every inch of the man standing in front of him. Nicky was the bomb! He was cool, handsome and kindhearted. He expected the worst from him, but he took it calmly and very maturely.

A beeping sound echoed through the air and Nicky’s eyes fell on his pants near the edge of the water. He dashed towards them, helplessly doing his best to get to them as soon as possible. It was his phone again. Nicky was once again stuck in the digital world.

Nick woke up about an hour later. The second he was up, however, Nicky hid his phone away. Was he not allowed to use it? Definitely not since he used it about eighty percent of the time. Maybe he was not allowed to use it on their outdoor adventure. Either way, Robbie needed to know who he was texting all the time. Maybe, he should just ask him. He needed to know if Nicky had a girlfriend or boyfriend. That way, he could set his mind on not liking him too much. That was exactly what he was going to do. He was going to ask Nicky if he had a girlfriend and move on depending on his answer.

“Ready to go?” Nick handed him a towel that he brought along.

“Yeah.” Robbie dried his hair and back. “I like it here. It was fun.”

“I knew you’d love it,” Nicky wrapped the towel around his waist. He then proceeded to take off his wet underwear. “And you loved it a little too much.” He smirked.

Robbie looked away, trying to hide the redness of cheeks.

“Will you shut up and hurry?” Nick told Nicky, walking up to him and leaving Robbie to change in private.

“All right!” Nicky complained, putting on his pants. “Just being the evil older brother.”

Once they were looking away, Robbie took off his underwear and hopped into his pants. It looked like Nicky wasn’t going to let the incident go that easily. Nicky was definitely going to torture him a little bit.

The walk back was mostly silent. Nicky tried his best to text behind his father’s back while he and Nick discussed the wildlife at the park. Nick was an amazing individual. Robbie could clearly see why everyone in New Jersey loved him. However, there seemed to be two sides to Nick that only a few knew. There was the Nick that everyone saw with the capability of talking his way out of everything and anything, and the more private and reserved Nick that only came out to his family and friends. Both sides of him were awesome and amazing and Robbie couldn’t wait to get to know him more.

It was around four in the afternoon when they finally reached the parking lot, exhausted and tired. They jumped inside the white Escalade and Nick drove them home. John was waiting for them at the door the second they made themselves visible through the trees surrounding the property.

“Had fun?” he asked them as they went up to the door.

“Yeah!” Robbie beamed. Overall, it had been an amazing day. He had gotten closer to both Nicks and learned a lot from them. Yes, he’d gotten a little too close to one of them, but regardless of that, it had been an incredible day.

“Good.” John told them. “Leave everything here and take a shower. You guys are running late.”

“My sweet and loving, Jaan.” Nick embraced him. “What would I ever do without you?”

“I ask myself the same question every single day.”

“Ugh!” Nicky complained, dropping his bag at the foot of the door. He turned to Robbie and elbowed him slightly. “Come on, it’s getting too sugary here.”

Robbie chuckled and dropped the cooler on the floor.

“Go on!” John ushered them with his hands. “Shower and get ready.”

“We will!” Nicky walked past them with Robbie on his heels. They walked in silence and headed straight for the study room. Nicky went to his door while Robbie went to his. He was about to open it when Nicky spoke up. “Hey!”

“Yeah?” Robbie turned to him as Nicky took off his shirt.

“Put on one of the shirts that I picked for you at the mall yesterday.”

Robbie’s stomach churned, feet going completely cold. How could he forget those shirts? Thanks to them, they had their first real encounter.

“I will.” He blushed, looking away.

“Cool.” Nicky replied, disappearing through his door.

Robbie took a deep breath and stepped into his room, heart pounding hard against his chest. Was he really falling for Nicky? Was Nicky even flirting with him or was it just male bonding time for him? Either way, he was going to do his best to please Nicky as much as he could.

* * * * *

Robbie stood in front of his full-length mirror looking sharp in his blue shirt and black pants. After spending an hour deciding what to wear, he finally took a deep breath and went straight for the door before he changed his mind for the fourteenth time. He simply couldn’t believe it. He was finally going to meet them. He was finally going to meet Nick and John’s family and friends. He walked across the study room and strolled down the short hallway that resounded with low playing music and the happy laughter of what sounded like John and a woman. It didn’t sound like Allison or Madison or anyone he knew as a matter of fact. Then who could it be?

As he went into the kitchen, his attention fell on a man with short black hair and brown eyes. He stood, happily, next to a woman with red hair that reached her neck and black charcoal eyes. Who in the world was this? Was this that famous Kitty Robinson also known as John’s second best friend? Was she?

The second her eyes fell on him, the mysterious woman smiled and waved, enthusiastically. It was then that John noticed him standing behind him like a thief in the middle of the night.

“Hey!” John beamed. “There you are! Come meet Kitty and Ryan.”

Robbie approached them slowly, doing his best to control his fast breathing and trembling body.

“Hi!” Kitty squealed, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him tight. Kitty smelled good, like wild cherries in the middle of a rainy forest. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

“Same here.” Robbie focused on Ryan.

“Nice to meet you, man.” Ryan offered him his hand which he shook.

John placed a gentle hand on Robbie’s shoulder. “As you know, this is Robbie. Robbie, this is Kitty and Ryan Robinson. These two are also Nicky’s godparents. There’s also a huge chance that Kitty will be your music teacher for this upcoming school year.”

“Really?” Robbie glanced at her.

“Yes.” She crossed her fingers. “Fingers crossed!”

“Are you a teacher too?” he asked Ryan.

“Not at all!” Ryan chuckled. “I’m more of the managing type. Have you heard about Kitty’s Rock Hard Cafés?”

“Yeah.” Who didn’t know them? They were all over town.

“Well, I run them all.”

“That’s so cool!”

“Yeah, but they were my idea.” Kitty interjected.

Ryan wrapped his arms around her, kissing one of her cheeks. “I know, sweetheart, and it’s the best idea you ever had.”

“Guys!” Kitty shouted. “Come meet Robbie!”

Several footsteps echoed throughout the house, and from the backdoor, three boys appeared racing each other. The smallest of the three, looked at least six or seven years old with short black hair and dark charcoal eyes. The other two were definitely twins since they were the exact replica of each other. They both had short red hair and dark brown eyes.

“This little guy is Ian.” Kitty pointed to the youngest. “Say hi, baby.”

“Hi.” Ian replied as he hid behind his father’s legs.

“He’s a little shy.” Kitty explained. “And these two are my twins, Darwin and Davis. They’ll be starting Elite High this upcoming school year.”

“Nice to meet you, man!” they said in unison. “Stop that. Jinx! You’re buying this time.”

“Guys,” Ryan murmured under his breath.

“Sorry, Dad.” they said as one.

Robbie laughed. “It’s so nice to meet you all.”

The front door swung open and two men appeared in the doorway, smiling happily. Behind them was a teen with short blond hair and light blue eyes.

“Jacob! James!” John shouted as he went up to them. He hugged them tight and smiled, warmly. “I’m so glad you guys could make it. And look at you, Josh! You got so big overnight. You should see Nicky. He’s almost as tall as you.”

“No lie,” Kitty interjected. “He grew at least three feet in one week.”

“Robbie!” John called out to him. “Come here!”

Robbie hurried to his side.

“This is Jacob and James, and their son, Josh.”

Up close, the trio was hot as hell. Jacob had short black hair with a few white hair neatly decorating his head, green eyes and an amazing upper body. James was the opposite. He had short brown hair and honey brown eyes that went perfectly with his round and angelic face. Josh, however, took Robbie’s breath away. He was the tallest of the three and by far, the hottest. He had short blond hair, light blue eyes and perfectly tanned skin. He reminded him a lot of Nick.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Robbie.” He shook all of their hands.

“Welcome to the family.” Jacob told him, smiling.

“Thanks.” Robbie looked away, trying to hide the redness of his cheeks.

“Hey!” Madison appeared from behind them. “Party’s here!”

Everyone around him laughed heartily. Robbie’s eyes soon fell on the man walking behind her. He was built like an ox and must have been an extremely handsome man back in his youth. A thick beard covered his jaw and his blue eyes shone brighter than the sun.

“There he is!” the man announced. “The new member of our family. Can I be his godparent too?”

John laughed, rolling his eyes. “Robbie. You know Madison, but this is her husband, Bryan, also known as Lily’s godfather.”

Bryan went up to him and gave him a bear hug, lifting him off the ground and cracking most of his bones.

“He reminds me of my little brother.” Bryan chuckled, placing him on the ground again. “Kids! Come and meet your new cousin!”

A kid, no older than six ran through the door, smiling happily. He had short blond hair like his father and piercing blue eyes.

“Hi!” He hugged Robbie and ran to Ian who ran away from him. And just like that, they were chasing each other around the house.

“His name is Christian and he’s a little hyperactive,” Madison explained. “Abby! Where are you?”

A girl no older than sixteen appeared through the door. She had long, curly blonde hair and crystal blue eyes that shone brighter than the stars. Without a doubt, this was Madison’s precious blood. As soon as her gaze fell on Josh, she looked away rolling her eyes. Josh, who had been silent all the time, escaped through the backdoor, disappearing from sight.

“One comes through the door and the other vanishes into a cloud of smoke.” Bryan shook his head. “Children.”

“Dad!” Abby shot him a look. She focused on Robbie instead and smiled, showing off her vibrant white teeth. “Hi! I’m Abby.”

“Nice to meet you!” Robbie waved at her.

“Where’s Nick?” Bryan interrupted them.

“At the grill house with Nicky.” John informed him.

“Cool.” He glanced at the guys around him. “Let’s say hi to the Old Man.”

With those words, Ryan, Bryan, Jacob and James left the room. The twins retreated to the living room while Ian and Christian ran through the front door, laughing and pushing each other. John, Madison and Kitty walked back to the kitchen, leaving Robbie and Abby behind to socialize.

“When I was in the seventh grade, I peed my pants.”

“What?” Robbie asked with a laugh.

Abby giggled. “I wanted to break the ice by saying the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me.”

Robbie found her comment completely amusing and entertaining. “Well, I vomited over my favorite shirt last year during lunch. I was so freaking sick that day. Allison had to come and pick me up.”

Abby laughed. “Sounds awful.”

“Yeah.” Robbie scratched the back of his head.

“And speaking of the devil.” Abby murmured under her breath.

Robbie turned around and found Allison walking in with her husband, Brad, whom he had only met once or twice. Behind them was a guy with short brown hair and deep blue eyes. It was Brandon Junior, their son.

“Hey there!” Allison went up to him and hugged him tight. “How are you?”

“Good,” Robbie replied, focusing on Brad who refused to look his way. For some reason or the other, Brad had never liked him. “Meeting everyone.”

“That’s awesome!”

“Hey!” John came over to them, looking a little sad. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

“Where’s Nick?” Brad asked.

“At the grill house.”

With those words, Brad left the room, ignoring him completely.

“What’s up with Uncle Brad?” Abby glanced at the man who almost ran out of the room.

Allison sighed. “He’s not feeling well.”

“Hey there, Robbie!” Brandon Junior went up to him.

“Hey! How have you been? I haven’t seen you in ages.”

“Good.” He turned to Allison. “Mom can I hang out with the twins?”

“Sure.” She ruffled his short brown hair affectionately.

Brandon ran to the living room and sat down next to the twins, engaging them in a conversation.

“Want to help me out?” John asked Allison.

“Sure!”

Robbie watched Allison and John head back into the kitchen to join Madison and Kitty. Something was definitely off with Allison. She seemed happy, but sad at the same time. What was going on with her? Was she okay? Maybe Allison and Brad were fighting, but why would they? Why would anyone fight with Allison? She was just so sweet and kind.

“They’re going through a rough patch.” Abby interrupted his thoughts.

“What?” Robbie glanced at her.

“Or so I heard from mom and dad.”

“Really?” Robbie felt extremely sad for the only woman who had been with him since day one. “I hope they patch things up. She’s a great woman.”

“Yeah. You’ll attend Elite High, right?”

“Yes, I will.” Robbie answered, enthusiastically. “I’ll be a junior. What about you?”

“Junior too. Taylor and Tim too.”

“Who are they?” Robbie asked, scratching his head. No one had mentioned them so he had no idea who they were.

“Don’t worry. You’ll meet them soon.”

“What about Josh?”

Abby’s demeanor changed in a matter of seconds. Her constant smile faded away and she looked somber, almost angry.

“Josh too.” She grunted.

A knocking came from behind them and John looked their way. He smiled, warmly. “Can you guys get that?”

“Sure, Uncle John.” Abby shouted, pulling Robbie by his arm and dragging him to the front door, which she swung open.

Robbie’s eyes fell on a tall figure blocking the outside view from sight. His short raven hair pointed out in all directions and his deep blue eyes shone brighter than the stars above. His black shirt stretched over his upper torso, helplessly clinging on for dear life and enhancing all of his muscles and flawless frame. Who was this guy and why was he so perfect and beautiful? He looked like an angel that fell from the heavens above. Was he even real? Or was he a figment of his imagination? Whoever he was, Robbie needed to find out.

For a second, their eyes met. The stranger’s mouth dropped open as his eyes carefully examined Robbie from head to toe. He shook his head slightly and smiled like a movie star in a silent film.

“Hi!” He beamed, staring into Robbie’s eyes. “I’m Tim.”