“Can’t, won’t, same thing.”
It’s not. It’s really not. But whatever.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I consider my next step. Kellan’s ideas are generally harmless, but something of this caliber? I want to know that agreeing to this is worth it—for me. “You’re not doing this for a guy, are you?” Like I said, my brother will go to great lengths to get into someone else’s pants.
“No, I’m not.”
“And you’re not in trouble,” I say, to clarify.
A little huff of air sounds from his end, like a laugh that hasn’t fully formed. “No, I’m not in trouble.”
A sudden thought makes my mouth curl up. As easy as that, I’ve thought of what I want in return for doing him this favor. “All right, I’ve thought of my price.” He’s not going to like it, not one bit. And that’s exactly the point.
The silence changes on Kellan’s end. Like a predator lurks not five yards from him, and he doesn’t want to move too quickly for fear of startling it. “What is it?”
“I want to take your Lamborghini out for a drive.”
A sharp breath. It sounds like he chokes on it. “No fucking way, Noah. You know no one touches the Lamb.”
I laugh. God, my brothers are so materialistic. It’s amazes me sometimes. “Then no deal.” If he thinks he’s going to take advantage of me without consequence, he’s dead wrong. Kellan’s Lamborghini is his obsession. His baby. He purchased it last month as a birthday gift for himself. You know, for turning twenty-one, because it’s such a huge accomplishment to be able to drink legally. I told him he was an idiot. The car cost over a quarter of a million dollars. Let’s think about that for a minute. Quarter of a million bucks for metal and rubber. He’s driven it a handful of times because he’s too afraid someone’s going to crash into him. He spent half of his trust fund on the car.
As for me, my trust fund is going into investments. My goal is to get a software engineering job while I learn the ropes of building a business. During that time, I’ll work on my own games. When I feel confident in my experience, I’ll strike out on my own, create my own video game company. Software engineering is great money, but that’s not why I do it. My passion is creating stories. This degree is merely a stepping stone.
“Come on, Noah—”
“Anyway,” I say in an easygoing tone, turning onto my side, “I’m going to hang up now. Need to wake up early for class tomorrow. I’ll talk to you la—”
“Wait!”
I stop. My mouth twitches like crazy.
A rough catch in his voice as he fights his frustration. “Fine. Fuck. I’ll let you drive my Lamb. But only for one day.”
“Two. And I want a full tank of gas and free rein.”
“Fuck that.” Vehement words, a spitting of fear that I’m going to crash his precious vehicle. I’ve never even gotten a parking ticket.
“Then no deal,bro.”
I wait. It won’t take long. I’ve already gotten Kellan to agree, he just doesn’t know it yet.
He growls out, “Two days, and you can’t drive on the highway, and only within the city limits. And your GPS tracker on your phone needs to be on so I know where you are at all times.”
Oh, good Lord. “Whatever you say.” Anything to stop his sniveling. It’s starting to make my ears bleed. “Is that all?”
“Ha. Knew you’d say yes. Now open the damn door. I’m freezing my balls off out here.”
My stomach sinks in dread. I can’t sleep until I fix the other snag in the code. And I can’t fix the code until Kellan leaves me alone. “You’re here?”
“Yep. Got some supplies for you.”
I bite back a groan just as a knock sounds on my door. As usual, Kellan acts without any thought as to whether he’s an inconvenience to someone else.
With reluctance, I slide off the couch and open the door. He shoves inside with a grateful sigh. Kellan wears a snow-dusted winter coat because it’s February in Indiana. Frigid temperatures. Gray skies. Despite this, a stupid grin stretches across a face—a face that looks exactly like mine. Dark hair, dark eyes, sharp bone structure.
His happiness makes me want to shove him out a window. He knows how I feel getting things sprung on me. The anxiety humming under my skin will worsen if I don’t quell it. I determinedly shove it into a far corner of my mind.
My twin sweeps in like he owns the place. Shutting the door, I watch as he peruses my living room. Kellan has visited my apartment only once, and that was to help me move in when we first arrived in Indiana from the UK. Our lives are pretty separate, and aside from weekly friday night dinners, we don’t hang out, and we don’t talk. That’s what works for us.
