“You sure you’re not drinking?” he asks me.
“Changed my mind about that,” I say.
“My man. Help me get the cooler?”
I nod, helping him fill it up and carrying it down to the beach where the rest of my brothers, Penny, and Jessa, are waiting. Penny glances at me, the sunset and fire hitting her face in just the right light.
Why’d she have to be so devastatingly beautiful?
I take my seat, sipping on my beer. I promise myself only two. I can’t keep self-medicating.
“Who would have thought that big bro would bring a girl on vacation? I thought you were going to become a cat lady, Aiden,” Ben jokes, and Aiden rolls his eyes.
“True, I thought his social security would be on auto-pay to Avalon,” I reply, feeling like a dick, but I can’t help it. Watching my brother with his girl on his lap has me feeling jealous. It’s a disgusting trait, but I can’t take it back now.
Aiden narrows his eyes at me, and his girlfriend sticks up for him.
“It will be, except it will be a couples membership.” Ben and Gavin start cackling and I can’t help but to tip my beer and metaphorical hat in her direction. My brother beams at her, happier than a pig in shit, and I’m back to feeling like a lonely asshole.
“Can we talk about something else besides Avalon?” Penny says, looking at me and I shrug my shoulders. “It’s so nice to have another girl. Don’t you fuckers ruin this for me,” Penny says, pointing at each of us. The twins hold up their hands in mock surrender, and she glares at them a little before turning and smiling at Jessa.
“So, what did our precious brother have to do to nab you? It surely wasn’t his ugly mug,” Gavin says to Jessa.
“I did have to look past his face. You’re right.” My twin brothers and Penny laugh as she leans closer to me. “But if I had to pinpoint a moment, it was probably when he took a splinter out of my finger and kissed it.”
Penny makes an aww sound while the twins make noises of revulsion. I look over at Penny and wonder if there was a moment she fell for me too, or if it was all just sex for her. God, when did I become such a loser?
“Disgusting,” Gavin says, verbalizing my own thoughts.
“One day, you two will eventually stop acting like children,” Penny says.
“We’re planning on being single forever,” Ben says for the both of them, and Gavin nods in agreement.
“Single by choice or because no one wants to date you assholes?” Penny asks, and I have to hold back a laugh.
“We can’t all date a bunch of winners like you, Penny,” Gavin says, and Penny glares at my brothers. Feeling particularly called out by that statement, I step in.
“Will you two shut the fuck up, already?” I sneer.
“What about you, Lincoln, hmm? You can’t seem to hold down a girlfriend either,” Ben says, doing what he does best, getting under my skin.
“I’m going to head in for the night,” Penny says, giving her friend a wave and walking back to the house.
“Yeah, I’m done too. Make sure you put the fire out,” I tell the twins and they wave me off as I follow Penny back to the house.
It’s truly pathetic, the way I’m like a lost puppy following her around.
No matter how many times she kicks me, I still want her to want me.
I groan, tossing my beer bottle in the trash and head up to the shit hole room we're staying in together.
She’s lying on the bed with her arms crossed over her torso as she looks at the ceiling fan cycle.
“Scoot over,” I tell her.
The twin bed is pressed against a wall, so she turns to the side, her back to the wall. I lie on my side and stare at her for a few moments.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
