Glitch (Next Level Book 1)
Glitch: Chapter 21

We pull up to the most adorable little house with blue siding, a papasan chair on the tiny front porch, a half-dead plant that’s only got a few blooms left, and a wind chime made with feathers, sticks and I think bamboo shoots.

I’m nervous. Meeting family is a big deal. I haven’t gone this far with any boyfriend since high school and that doesn’t count. Everyone knew me back then and I’m far from home now.

Glitch grabs my hand and laces our fingers together. I swear whenever I feel uneasy, he picks up on it and does something subtle to reassure me. Like now, when he gives my hand a squeeze. I can’t believe how natural we are with each other. Annnnd I can’t believe I’m about to walk into his sister’s house covered in paint, with no underwear on.

Glitch insisted on keeping them at his house, so I’ve been commando all damn day. It was nice, until now.

“Relax.” He jiggles my arm. “She won’t bite. I promise.”

“What if she doesn’t think I’m good enough for you?” The words tumble out as we stand on Erin’s porch. Glitch turns me to face him. “Never think that about yourself, Ara.”

But I do. I always have. I’ve never felt good enough, not until the day I got my first commission on my own and that’s been a while. My insecurities keep trying to land on my shoulder and whisper bullshit in my ear. However, when Glitch glowers—and I do mean glowers at me—my system resets because I know better. I do, damnit. I’ve made it on my own. I’ve gotten this far. I’m pretty awesome, actually. I’ve got a concept I’m working on at the studio, and I have the hottest boyfriend in the universe.

“There it is.” He winks at me. “There’s my Kitty.”

I blow out a breath that’s only half a laugh.

“Ready?”

“Mmm hmm.”

The door opens before Glitch touches the doorknob.

“Uncle Glitch!” A boy grabs his hand and drags him inside first. “Mom said I could get my games back right when you got here, so get in here!”

Glitch gets pulled along by the kid and I’m pulled in by Glitch.

“Erin, come get your unruly demon spawn!”

“Beetle! Lay off! Give your uncle a minute to get through the damn door!”

I’m dragged into a home that’s pure chaos. It’s the best thing ever. Toys, Pokémon cards, and Nerf gun bullets are scattered everywhere.

“Did you burn the tortillas?” Glitch says, as we cut into the kitchen.

Erin’s fanning the smoke detector and the place smells like burnt corn. “Only one.”

Glitch lets go of my hand and opens a window and then marches over to the back sliding glass door to open that too.

I stay out of the way, unsure of what I should do. Looking around, I bite my bottom lip. The furniture here is old and well worn. The rooms are cozy and cramped. I absolutely love this house.

“I’m Erin,” says a beautiful woman with Glitch’s same eye color and big smile. It’s easy to see they’re related. “That’s Beetle.”

Beetle waves from the TV, a controller in his hand.

“I’m shocked you’re giving him playing rights tonight.” Glitch strolls back to the kitchen where he left me.

“I figured this was a good way to keep him occupied so we can actually talk about things other than Pokémon for a change.” Erin looks at me and shrugs. “He’s only allowed a half-hour of screen time a day if he has good grades, so this is a super big deal to him.”

What kid wouldn’t be psyched for unlimited game plays for a night? I can hardly blame him.

“But it’s for AFTER HE EATS ALL HIS DINNER!” she yells.

“I willllllllll!” Beetle yells back.

My God, they’re loud. As someone who spends most of her days and nights alone, it’s a shock to my system. It’s nice.

“Okay!” Erin claps her hands. “Glitch, make the guac. Ara?”

“Yes?”

“Get busy on the margaritas.”

Glitch plucks three avocados from a bowl and starts juggling them. Two fall on the floor almost immediately.

Erin rubs her temples. “Oh my God, this dinner is going to be awful. Stop bruising the food, asshole.”

“I’m just trying to keep the bar as low as you do, Erin. Can’t eat perfectly good guac with burnt ass tortillas.”

She throws a jalapeno at him. He tosses it back at her.

“Welcome to family dinner, Ara.” Erin flashes me a big smile. I can’t lie, she’s making it easy to like her. A lot.

Dinner goes off without another fire or even a cut finger. My margaritas are strong, but Erin swears they should be stronger since she has to put up with Glitch for the night. It’s obvious she’s teasing because they act more like best friends, not brother and sister.

Glitch and Beetle strike up a conversation about math, and Erin rolls her eyes and turns her focus solely on me. “My brother is a terrible influence.”

“Clearly.” I nod, watching how great he is with his nephew. They’re going over fractions. After a few minutes, they stop talking and turn to Erin.

“Mom. Can I now?”

Erin narrows her gaze at Beetle, then his plate, then to Glitch. “Two more bites and then yes, you may.”

Beetle stuffs his mouth with just the ends of his soft taco shell and leaves the rice, beans, and guac on his plate. “Thank youuuuu!” He shoots off from his chair. “You coming, Uncle Glitch?”

He’s torn. We can both see it. “Just for a minute,” he says after I wink at him. “But I’m here on a date, Beetle. You’re cramping my style.”

“You have no style.”

“Ouch.” Glitch frowns and clutches his heart as he stares at his nephew. “You cut to the quick, man. That hurt.”

Beetle cracks up and runs into the living room. Glitch chases him and manages to catch Beetle in a few seconds. Then he flips the boy upside down and pretends to shake his brains out of his ears. Beetle’s peeling laughter fills the house.

Erin and I burst out laughing. She holds her chest and leans forward, nearly dipping her hair in the sour cream. “Wow. How strong are these things?” She takes another sip of her margarita.

“You just complained they weren’t strong enough!” I laugh.

“I mean…” Erin takes another sip. “Mmm yeah, this is fucking yummy.”

“Language!” Glitch hollers.

Erin mouths “Fuck You” back at him silently. “It’s been a while since I’ve felt this giddy. I don’t think it’s the tequila. I think it’s the company.”

I know the feeling. “It’s wonderful to meet you. This dinner was amazing.” I get up and start collecting the dishes.

Erin places two more plates in the sink and leans against the counter. “So…” she shoots me a narrowed gaze. “When are you two getting married?”

I almost drop my glass. “Ummm.”

“Look, Glitch has never brought a girl home before. Not ever. If you aren’t the one, you wouldn’t be in my kitchen right now.”

I glance into the living room. Glitch’s back is to me. Can he hear us talking?

Erin goes on. “And he’s covered in paint. That’s not like him either.”

My stomach twists.

“He’s controlled and methodical, always. And a neat freak.”

Glitch’s voice rises from the living room. “I can hear you, Er.”

“Good!” Erin rolls her eyes at me playfully. “He’s an asshole about the way I load the dishwasher.”

“There’s a method!” he barks back. Glitch doesn’t even bother to turn around. All we see is the back of his head on the couch, and Beetle’s equally dark head of hair next to him.

Erin shouts back, “There’s gonna be a method to how I kick your ass next time you rearrange my silverware!”

Glitch flips her the bird over his shoulder and Beetle has somehow crept up behind us to snag a lime wedge. He looks up at me and smiles. “They’re always like this. You’ll get used to it.” He shoves the lime wedge in his mouth, between his front teeth and smiles at me again, with big, green lime teeth, before dashing back to the couch again.

Glitch gawks at him. “Whose side are you on, man?”

“My mom’s.”

“Traitor.” Glitch ruffles his hair, and I see they’ve pulled up Minecraft.

“He’s been bullied a lot in school,” Erin says in a soft tone. “Some kids apparently stole all his stuff in some world on there. He’s been really bummed about it.”

“Some kids are total assholes.”

“Some adults are total assholes.”

“Fair.” We clink our glasses and finish clearing the table.

Erin waves her hand over the filled sink. “Leave ‘em. I’d rather sit outside and talk.”

I follow her to the back patio. The small, fenced-in yard has a bike leaning against a tiny shed, and there’s a miniature half-pipe ramp and trampoline. “Your house is fantastic.”

“Thanks.” Erin plops into a chair. “It was our parent’s house.”

My heart sinks a little.

“Beetle’s in Glitch’s old room, which he loves. Fucker had the bigger closet when we were growing up.”

“Did he even use it for clothes?”

“Of course not.”

We both laugh. Guess something’s don’t change since his current closet is a recording studio.

Erin tilts her head. “Tell me more about you, Ara.”

“There’s not a lot to tell. I’d rather hear more about Glitch, honestly.”

“Well, I guess I’ll start at the beginning.” Erin slams her now empty margarita on the table between us. “He didn’t have many friends growing up. Got bullied a lot for his voice.”

White hot anger burns through me. “What?”

“They used to call him Deep Throat. It was a fucking nightmare. And it only got worse once our parents died.” She pauses. “You knew they were dead, right?”

“Mmm hmm.”

This must surprise her because Erin’s eyebrows shoot to her hairline. “He never talks about them.”

But he did to me. I cautiously take another sip of my drink before setting it down.

Erin pulls her hair back and ties it with a hairband. “After our parents died, I raised him, and now he’s helping me raise my son. We’re as close as it gets.”

“Close enough to call you at two thirty in the morning about dinner.”

“I don’t sleep much. Neither does he. We’re never on Do not disturb.” She rubs her eyes and yawns.

“Were you serious when you said he’s never brought a woman home before?”

“Dead serious, Ara.”

“Not even in high school?”

“He didn’t go to prom. He’s never dated a girl longer than a minute, and I can’t even remember the last time that was. It’s been forever. I was starting to lose hope.”

My brows knit together.

“He’s amazing, and no one sees it because he’s always working, or with me and Beetle.”

“He loves his job. And you guys are important to him.” Erin lets out a long exhale and stares up at the sky. “He shouldn’t have to fill the role of the person who walked out on us.”

“I’m sure Glitch doesn’t do anything without wanting to do it with his whole heart. It’s obvious he loves you both a lot.”

“He does. But he needs a life.” She glances behind her. Through the window, we can both see them playing the video game. “He had a full scholarship to MIT. Got his degree and, in full Glitch-the-control-freak fashion, he turned down every job offer and stayed back to be with us. Opened his computer shop instead of moving onto bigger, better things.”

“Maybe he considers what he’s built bigger and better. I can’t imagine him working an office job. Or answering to someone else.”

“You’ve got that right.” Erin shakes her head, sighing. “By the time Beetle was four, Glitch expanded his store and created a sanctuary for kids to go to after school. He even has tutors set up to help some of them who are struggling with certain subjects.”

“Wow.”

“He didn’t tell you any of that?”

I shake my head. “We’re still pretty new with each other.”

“Not that new. You’re the one he plays with online, right? With Trey?”

I nod. I can’t believe she knew that. It makes me feel warm inside that Glitch might have mentioned me to Erin, even when we were virtually nothing.

“He probably wouldn’t have bragged about his accomplishments to you. He sucks at talking about himself. My brother is all about lifting others up. It’s his method of coping, I think. At least, that’s what his therapist said back when I would make him go when he was in high school.”

I don’t doubt it. “He’s an amazing guy.”

“Yeah, he is. So please don’t break his heart.” Erin heads inside, coming back out with two glasses of water a moment later. “Anyways…” She hands one over. “Sometimes I think he wishes he’d been the oldest so he could take care of me. I know he stuck around because he felt indebted. I wish he wouldn’t, though.”

“You wish he hadn’t stuck around?”

Erin shakes her head. “Feel indebted.”

“You had to grow up fast. I’m sure he wishes it was different for you too.”

Erin shrugs. “We made the best of a terrible thing. Can’t do any more than that. Getting pregnant with Beetle put a wrinkle in my life plans, but I wouldn’t trade him for the world. Instead of college, I got to keep this house, which I love, and I used the money set for my education to put towards raising my son. Glitch’s portion of the college fund was used to build his business since he had a full ride to college.”

I’m not at all surprised he got a full ride to MIT. “He’s a genius.”

“Totally.” Erin fidgets as she watches them through the window. “I think his college years were his best and worst years, to be honest. He hated being away from me and Beetle. Came home as often as possible to help me. But he met guys there who are still his friends, and I’m forever grateful for Trey. He’s great at getting Glitch to step out of his comfort zone.”

I’m grateful for Trey too.

“Glitch stuck close to home after graduation and is a huge part of Beetle’s life.” She eyes me up. “Are you a fan of kids?”

“Love them.” And I do. “My mom was an art teacher.”

“Sweet!” Erin chugs her glass of water. “I miss getting drunk.”

“I wouldn’t want a hangover with a kid around.”

“He’s so loud. Why are boys so loud?”

Glitch pokes his head out from the sliding glass door. “What are you two talking about?”

Erin rolls her eyes. “You, asshole.”

He stomps into the backyard and tips my chair back to kiss me upside down. “How drunk are the two of you?”

“Not even a little,” I say.

“Can you help us?”

I stand up. “Yeah, sure, with what?”