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Jimmy should’ve known it was a bad idea the moment Lizzie knocked on his bedroom door at 6 p.m. sharp.
“Get dressed,” she said brightly.
“For what?” Jimmy asked, already suspicious.
“Our Valentine’s reservation, obviously.”
Jimmy blinked. “Our?”
Joel appeared behind her, already in a nice jacket, looking far too pleased with himself. “You’re our emotional support single.”
“I am NOT—”
“You live here,” Lizzie cut in sweetly. “Which means you’re coming.”
“I asked Grian,” Jimmy protested.
“And I said no,” Grian’s voice called from somewhere down the hall speakerphone, because of course he was on the call. “I value my sanity.”
Scar’s faint laughter echoed in the background.
Jimmy stared at the phone. “You’re my cousin. You’re supposed to help me.”
“I am helping,” Grian said. “By not being you tonight.”
The call ended.
Jimmy turned slowly back to the married menace duo.
“Please,” he tried. “Have mercy.”
Joel slung an arm around his shoulders. “Absolutely not.”
—
The restaurant was aggressively romantic.
Candles. Roses. Soft music. Couples everywhere.
And then there was Jimmy.
Sitting across from Joel and Lizzie, holding a third menu like he’d accidentally joined a business meeting about love.
Lizzie reached across the table to take Joel’s hand.
Jimmy stared very hard at the bread basket.
“So,” Joel said casually. “How’s the single life treating you?”
Jimmy made a wounded noise. “I don’t have to be here.”
“You absolutely do,” Lizzie said. “You can’t just mope at home eating cereal.”
“I wasn’t moping.”
“You were watching romantic comedies alone.”
“That was research!”
Joel leaned forward. “Research for what?”
Jimmy opened his mouth.
Closed it.
“…Moving on.”
A waiter came by with a single rose.
“For the lady,” he said, handing it to Lizzie.
Joel beamed.
Jimmy raised his hand slightly. “Do you have a spare for the tragic brother?”
The waiter hesitated. “…No?”
“Unbelievable,” Jimmy muttered.
—
By the time dessert came, Jimmy had given up pretending he wasn’t third-wheeling.
He was absolutely third-wheeling.
Joel fed Lizzie a bite of cake.
Jimmy slowly turned his chair to face the wall.
“Don’t be dramatic,” Lizzie laughed.
“I am surrounded by romance,” Jimmy replied. “This is emotional warfare.”
Joel grinned. “You’ll thank us one day.”
“For what?”
“For reminding you what standards look like.”
Jimmy considered that.
Then pointed at them. “If my future partner is half as annoying as you two, I’m blaming you.”
Lizzie leaned over and kissed his cheek. “That’s the spirit.”
Jimmy flushed. “Stop being affectionate at me.”
Joel stood, tossing some cash on the table. “Alright, emotional support single. Let’s go home.”
Jimmy followed them out into the cool night air, still complaining—but walking between them anyway.
And when Lizzie casually looped her arm through his on the other side, he didn’t pull away.
He just sighed dramatically.
“…Next year I’m busy.”
“Sure you are,” Joel said.
And Jimmy pretended not to smile.