And I can’t get her out of my head?
And I’m pissed off she’s working with my nemesis?
And I think I might be fucking falling for her?
Yeah. Like any of that would go over well.
“No.”
Silence.
He doesn’t believe me, but quite frankly, that’s neither here nor fucking there.
“Hey, I have an idea.”
“What’s that?”
“Remember that game we used to play?”
“What fucking game?” What the hell is he talking about?
“The one where we were brothers?”
Oh.
“Because I have this theory.”
“Really.” This shit oughta be good. Or bad. Depending on where you sit.
Nick quirks a grin and nods. “I think you like Emma.”
“I didn’t fucking say─”
“Up, bup, bup.” He puts a hand up. “See, she’s not like all those other women in your life, if you wanna call it a life.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“It means she doesn’t kiss your ass and blow smoke up there like the rest of them do.”
“They don’t─”
“I think she gives it to you straight and that both pisses you off and makes you─”
“Annoyed as hell?”
“Interested.”
HA! “In?”
“Whether or not she’s the one.”
I choke on something. Spit maybe. “I’m sorry, did you just say, the one?” Really? Like I have time to wonder about that shit.
“Yeah, you know. The one that might just be able to handle your sorry ass and all its cocky, baggage-ridden glory.”
I snort a laugh out at him.
As much as I wanna tell him he’s full of shit, my mouth stops working. All I can do is grab the nerf ball out of his hand and shoot a dirty look or five at him before I leave the room.
I need a drink.
While I’m fulfilling that fantasy, Nick cuts into my thoughts again.
“You really like her, huh?”
I finish the shot and set the glass down, hard. “In a disastrous kinda way, yes.”
I hate admitting that fuckery, but hell, he’s got a point.
A very small, infinitesimal point, but still.
What? I know big words. I don’t necessarily like using them on the daily. People would get the wrong ideas about me if I did.
“So what’s the problem?”
I swig another drink down and turn to face him. “The problem, Nick, is that I don’t think she is who she says she is.”
“You wanna expand on that?”
“Not really.”
My fucking head hurts.
“Well, then…” He takes a shot glass down from the cabinet, pours himself a shot, then fills mine back up. “Maybe you should figure that shit out.”
He holds his glass up and waits for me to take mine. I pick it up and touch his, then we throw the liquid back together. Nothing else is said after that until he reminds me, “We still are, you know.”
“What?”
“Brothers.”
I nod, wishing we were still three instead of two.
The tattoo on my shoulder burns like hell, and I have no fucking idea where my cigarette is.
“I know.”
Nick makes for the other room and plops himself down onto the couch. I stay behind, in the kitchen, and pour myself another shot.
“Isn’t Mia expecting you home?”
“I called her; told her I’d be late. Wanted to check in with you.”
The TV clicks on as I put the glass to my lips. Smooth liquid slides down the back of my throat, and I focus on the burn there as opposed to the burning inside my chest.
“You don’t have to babysit me, you know.”
I set the glass down next to the Patron and join Nick in the living room. He smiles as he pulls out the remote for the Wii and starts up Mario Kart.
“I know.”
X X X
A half-bottle of tequila and fifteen video game races later, my cell phone rings.
“Hey, Jackson.”
“Hey.” I check the time and lose the remote as I sit up straight and eye my brother. I don’t need him knowing about Stix, so I leave the room and talk low in the kitchen.
Shit, it’s late.
Is the room spinning or is that me?
“Everything okay?”
“I’m fine. No bad cops, no good cops, no drug dealers or mob hit men have been seen.”
“So you’re okay?” Did I ask him that already?
“Yeah, totally.”
“Sorry, I didn’t make it back.”
“It’s all good. But you know, you said to check in so…”
“Good deal.”
“Your TV sucks, by the way. Can’t you at least get cable?”
I spot the pile of Xbox bullshit I bought the other day and tell him I’ll bring it over first thing. When he hears Nick asking me to grab him a water, he wants to know, “Is that Emma?”
This guy and Green. Jesus Christ.
“No.”
There’s no way in hell I’m telling him who it really is.
I hear Nick rustling around like he’s getting up in the other room and cut my conversation short. “Listen, I gotta go, kid. We’ll talk in the morning.”
I toss the phone onto the counter just as Nick is walking into the kitchen.
“It’s fucking late.”
“Time flies.” I clap my hands together, then point at him with an afterthought. “Should you be driving?”
“Uh, Jackie?”