“Thanks, Gar.”
With a pat on his suit-clad shoulder and a heavy sigh, I climbfrom the Escalade and drag myself through the underground garage to the penthouse elevator twenty feet away. I scan my access card and ride the lift to the top, stepping out into my parents’ place with quickly tiring limbs and an anxiously rapid heart.
My phone vibrates in my back pocket, and I scramble to pull it out, damn near dropping the fucker on the marble floors.
Bridget: ACE KELLY! Where are you?? I thought you were going to be at Groove tonight!!
But when I see it’s not Julia telling me she’s on her way here to profess her love for me, I don’t even bother sending a response back. The pull of some pretty college girl is nothing compared to the pit of unrequited love that now sits in my stomach for the girl who’s been my best friend for my whole fucking life.
This is uncharted territory—a new land with different rules and laws and norms. I feel overwhelmed at the idea of finding my way, so it’s probably best if I can con myself into getting some sleep before diving in.
I drag myself to the kitchen to heat some milk to hopefully ease my mind into slumber. I have no idea if milk helps you fall asleep, but with as many times as Julia has made me watchWhite Christmasduring the holidays and I’ve seen Bing Crosby say it helps with nightmares or some shit, I figure it’s worth a shot.
Once the milk is heated, I take a sip and try to revel in the quiet, begging my mind to find some of the same. I have the place to myself, since my parents and Gunnar are on vacation in the Bahamas, and the peace of an empty home in the world of the Kellys is an unexplainable boon. We are loud. We are boisterous. We are fucking unbearable at times.
With my parents and brother out of town, the difference is even more noticeable. They, of course, asked me to go, but I reneged to stay here and hang out with my buds. And Julia.
Which makes sense now that I know I’m in love with her—who wants to go on vacation with their family while the womanthey love stays behind to be potentially wooed by a bunch of swinging dick wielders?
“Am I really in love with Julia?” I ask, my head now in the fridge and my heart in my ass. I already know the answer to that question. Which brings up another question. “Fuck me, how long have I been in love with Julia?”
“Forever, bro.”
Startled, I jump back from the fridge to find Gunnar just standing there in the doorway that leads to the bedroom hallway. A smug, casual smile is plastered on his stupid fucking face. He’s shirtless—he’s always shirtless—and a Cheerio clings to his chin, still wet with milk.
“What the fuck?” I exclaim, my heart pounding in my throat. “What are you doing here?”
“I caught a late-night flight home from the Bahamas. Thatch and Cassie were getting on my nerves.”
This fucking kid.He’s fourteen years old, but he seems to think he’s thirty. Honestly, my baby brother makes me look normal, and let’s be real, we all know I’m not.
“Do Thatch and Cassie know you left?”
He shrugs. “I should probably text them.”
What the fuck?
“Anyway, good night.” He just shrugs, drops his bowl in the sink, and leaves.
I fall back into the cabinet front of our giant fridge. The sound of the elevator dinging thirty seconds later is both a shock and a concern. It’s two o’clock in the morning, and again, he’s only fourteen.
I grab my phone from my pocket quickly and shoot him a text.
Me: Where the fuck are you going at 2am?
Gunnar: Taco Bell. You want some?
Me: You were just eating fucking cereal!
Gunnar: Yeah, but I haven’t shit since yesterday morning. It’ll clean me out.
Gunnar: Actually, it’ll clean you out too. Maybe even wash down some of your lovey dovey panic.
Me: Fuck off
Gunnar: I’m trying to, dude. YOU texted ME
Me: Because you’re fourteen! It’s my job to look after you
