Peggy's apartment.
Erika flicked her hair back and flashed Adam her brightest smile.
So, who's Adam?
He's the kind of guy who gets it right away.
And just like that—
"Does your hand still hurt?"
Adam grabbed Peggy's hand, inspecting it with a worried look, his voice dripping with concern.
"…"
Both Peggy and her sister Erika blinked, totally thrown off.
What's going on here?
For Peggy, no matter how cozy things got in the bedroom, Adam had never been this mushy in public before.
He didn't seem like the type either.
And honestly, Peggy wasn't big on this whole public-display-of-affection thing anyway.
"I'm fine," she said, pulling her hand back and shooting Adam a little frown.
"Whether you're fine or not, I'll be the judge of that."
Adam went full-on domineering CEO mode, snagging her hand again and gently toying with it like it was his personal treasure.
"…"
Peggy glanced at Erika, whose expression was starting to look off, and suddenly it clicked. She didn't say anything more, just let Adam indulge his little power trip.
Erika wasn't dumb either.
She'd been around the block—boyfriend after boyfriend—and had a sixth sense for this kind of vibe.
She caught Adam's drift immediately.
And it made her stomach twist even more.
Normal guys, like her flirty jerk of a boyfriend, would usually want both sisters, right?
Sure, she hated how her boyfriend teased Peggy, but right now, she hated Adam's lovey-dovey show-off routine even more.
If she remembered correctly, Adam was a total player back in high school.
A guy like that—shouldn't he be more intrigued by her status as the big sister?
What's with the act?
Or… was Peggy's charm really that irresistible?
Then again, thinking about Peggy's stunning looks and her untouchable achievements, Erika felt a wave of helplessness wash over her.
Other women might not have that kind of pull, but her little sister? She wasn't your average gal.
Turning a playboy into a loyal good guy? Yeah, that actually seemed plausible with Peggy.
"Erika, you must be hungry. Let's grab some food together," Adam said warmly, his peripheral vision catching Erika's shift. The flirty spark in her eyes was gone, replaced by a hint of gloom. He figured he'd pushed enough, so he let go of Peggy's hand and tossed out the invite.
It's not like he was some prudish old-fashioned type who scoffed at certain "combinations."
Nah, he just cared about Peggy more.
She'd just "given him a kid," and hitting on her sister right after? That wasn't something a pure, upright guy like Adam would do.
Plus, sure, Erika was pretty—decent enough—but in Adam's eyes, after seeing countless beauties, she was maybe a seven out of ten.
Compared to Peggy, the ultimate gorgeous scientist girl,
Carolyn's saintly aura,
Heather's commanding presence,
MAX's sharp-tongued sass,
Robin's cool heroism,
Nora's sultry queen vibes,
Kate's hot detective energy,
Jennifer's Transformers-level edge,
and Alice's "you can't handle my boyfriend, but you can't handle me either" tenacity—
not to mention the encrypted folder in Adam's mind full of other standout women—Erika's looks didn't quite measure up. And she didn't have that captivating soul to make up for it either.
Special status or not, she wasn't that big a deal.
Adam had made time to come here specifically to win Erika over and clear out any instability around Peggy. No way was he about to stir up trouble for himself.
Erika?
Nah, not worth it!
"It's been a while since we last saw each other, huh?" Adam said, trying to spark some convo since Erika seemed down.
"Yeah, it has," Erika replied, glancing at Adam and Peggy sitting together. Her tone turned snarky. "If I remember right, Peggy was, what, eleven back then? And you were… seventeen? Eighteen?"
"Time really flies," Adam said with a smile, dodging her jab. "Mrs. Watson's getting remarried soon, huh? Erika, have you met David? Solid guy, right?"
"Solid or not, who cares?" Erika shot back with a cold laugh. "How long's it gonna last anyway?"
Even though she still held a grudge against her mom for walking out, she couldn't say a single bad word about David after meeting him.
In just a short time, David had given her a taste of fatherly love she hadn't felt in forever—not since her real dad remarried and basically forgot about her.
But like Peggy, she wasn't big on believing in marriage. She just wasn't as hardcore about it as her sister.
"Has David seen the bruise on your face?" Adam asked, easing into the real topic.
"Yeah," Erika said, her hand brushing the faded mark on her cheek where her boyfriend had hit her. Her expression got complicated—part sadness over the abuse, part warmth from David stepping up for her like a dad.
But she was used to her boyfriend's hot-and-cold routine: sweet and romantic one minute, violent the next.
And David? He was too civilized to do much about it.
patreon:belamy20
In the end, it all just fizzled out.
"Dick's not always like that," Erika said, finally remembering her boyfriend had been hauled off. She tried to defend him. "Don't hurt him, okay?"
"No worries," Adam said with a grin. "Peggy already stuck her neck out for you. Why would I bother messing with him? I just didn't want him hurting Peggy's family again, so I had a cop give him a little scare. You're not seriously worried the police would hurt him, are you?"
"…"
Erika's face twisted weirdly.
She hadn't been too concerned at first, but now that Adam mentioned "cop," she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Still, she couldn't exactly say, "Oh yeah, American cops can be dangerous," could she?
"How's your mom doing with David lately?" Adam asked, switching gears to give Erika a breather.
"They're fine," Erika said, shoving down her worries and sarcasm. "They're getting married soon. I'm helping Mom plan the wedding. I actually came over to talk to Peggy about being a bridesmaid."
After meeting Adam, her feelings for her boyfriend suddenly didn't seem so strong anymore. The urge to defend him faded too.
"Bridesmaid?" Adam raised an eyebrow. "Peggy, for her mom?"
"Yup," Erika said. "Not just Peggy—me too. Mom doesn't have any super close girlfriends, and she wanted both of us in the wedding, so she figured Peggy and I could be bridesmaids. My boyfriend Dick was supposed to be a groomsman…"
"Peggy's not into it?" Adam cut in.
"She's waiting to see if you're free," Erika said, her voice dripping with jealousy. "She wants you as her groomsman."
"I don't like walking the red carpet with randoms," Peggy said, frowning.
Adam grinned at Peggy, then turned to Erika. "When's it happening? Where?"
"At David's hometown, some little place in Washington," Erika said. "Two weeks from now, November 18th."
Then she griped, "Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner, and they only got engaged a few weeks ago. I don't get why they're rushing it so much. It's all so last-minute."
Adam chuckled to himself.
No kidding—they're not young anymore, David's busy with his startup, so of course they're cutting corners and speeding things up.
Heck, maybe it's even a shotgun wedding.
If they wait too long, the bride might not fit in her dress!
No wonder they're in a hurry.
"Peggy, I can make time that day. Wanna go together?" Adam asked. He'd had late-night heart-to-hearts with her before and knew that beneath her aloof, icy exterior, she had emotional needs too.
She didn't not want to go.
She just didn't want to go alone and end up paired with some random guy—or, well, random monkey—walking down the aisle.
Because with Erika and her boyfriend set as bridesmaid and groomsman, Peggy would have to link arms with some stranger for the ceremony.
"Okay," Peggy said, locking eyes with Adam, a tiny smile tugging at her lips.
"…"
Erika, who'd been helping plan the whole thing, suddenly felt like bailing.