She put a finger to her lips and snuck them into the side office, which had been turned into a craft room. Justine liked the light colored furniture and big desk upon which a sewing machine and basket of yarn had been set.
“What’s up?” Xavier asked.
“Shh. Do you not see me sneaking you inside?” Auggie poked her head out then closed the office door. “Quick notes: Top’shere as Mom’s ‘date.’ I invited Benji because he looked sad when I saw him wandering the street outside the condo.”
“Wandering the streets?” Xavier’s brow went up. “Really? He barely leaves to go to work.”
“And the gym,” Justine added. “What? I saw him with a gym bag the other day.”
Auggie cleared her throat. “I was swinging by to pick you up. I hadn’t realized you’d already cozied up to the upstairs chick.” Auggie nodded at Justine, her gaze on her brother. “Thanks for telling me.”
He snorted. “Like you didn’t already know. You forced it out of me at Roxie’s.” He turned to Justine. “We also share a twin brain.”
“Ah.” Twin brain?
“I did know,” Auggie admitted. “But it would have been nice for you to tell me, like, officially. Without me prying the truth from your stubborn mouth. I had to hear it from Judy at the bagel shop. She saw you two smooching in public. Disgusting.”
Justine blushed. “PDAs aren’t really my thing, but your brother is impossible to resist.”
He turned to her. “I am, aren’t I?”
Auggie’s lips twitched. “Super disgusting.”
“Right. So why did you pull us in here, exactly?” he asked her.
“So you don’t act like a jackass when you see Top and Mom making eyes at each other. And be nice to Benji.”
“I’m always nice to Benji.” Xavier frowned. “What do you mean making eyes at each other?”
“See?” Auggie turned to Justine. “He won’t admit it, because my brother thinks he’s above such things, but he gets jealous when Mom finds a guy she really likes.”
“What? That’s not true.”
Justine watched the twins go back and forth, amused at how alike they were, despite Xavier’s claims that Auggie was super dramatic.
Auggie sounded smug. “It’s totally true. Mom didn’t date all that much while we were around. Dad died our senior year of high school. We were already in the Marine Corps when she’d opened up to seeing anyone. But when we’d visit, Xavier would bristle if she seemed to like a guy.”
“Now you’re just lying.”
“Oh? Seems to me you only tolerate the idiots she’s gone out with. But if there was someone decent, you picked him apart.”
“I never did that.” Xavier sounded angry.
Auggie turned to Justine and shrugged. “See? Her last boyfriend was a real jerk, but we tried to be nice to him for Mom’s sake. My brother can do fake-nice really well. But when Mom was into Jared eight years ago, you weren’t so fake nice, were you?”
He looked even angrier, and Justine had the notion Auggie might be right about him. “Your point is we should act normal about Top and Benji being here,” she said before Xavier could argue with his sister.
“Yeah.” The woman glared at Xavier. “Be. Nice.” She turned and left.
Xavier rubbed his beard and glared at the doorway. “I donothave a problem with my mother being happy. I love her.”
“Maybe you love her so much you don’t think any man is good enough for her,” she suggested, something her aunt had once advised in herAunt Truthcolumn.
He opened and closed his mouth. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
She hugged him. “Xavier. You love your mom. That’s nothing to be upset about. So you’re protective. You’re a good son.”
“Am I if I don’t want her to be happy?” He looked miserable, so she kissed him.
