Simon sighed. He let his forehead hit the door. It smacked against it with athunkthat was way more painful than he’d intended it to be. Wincing, Simon stepped back and rubbed the site of impact. It feltwet. Was he bleeding? A look at his hand told him no, he wasn’t.
At least he had that going for him.
“Listen,” Simon pushed. “I understand if you need some time alone. All of us have bad days. But you’ve at least got to talk to me, alright? If you don’t want to talk right this second, can you ask me to come back in ten minutes? I know that it’s your room, and your room is your sanctuary, but trust me, I wouldn’t be bothering you for nothing.”
“Go away, Simon,” Shep said. Simon had expected him to sound miserable, or broken up, or overly emotional—something had caused him to slam the door and bolt for his room, after all—but Shep displayed none of the telltale signs of abundant emotion. Instead, he sounded defensive, like he was an animal backed into a corner, and Simon was a handler attempting to coax him back into his cage.
“Shep.” Simon’s voice was firmer this time. “Don’t be like this. You could have just politely told me to leave, and I would have. What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
“Simon,leave,” Shep demanded. The command drove Simon to stand straighter, like by gaining an inch or two, he’d have better control over the situation. Shep was his little brother, but Simon was his legal guardian, damn it, and he wasn’t going to let himself be bossed around.
“I’m opening the door.” Simon set his hand on the handle and started to turn it, but was met by resistance. Shep was on the other side, twisting the doorknob the opposite way. “Shep!”
“Go.Away.Simon,” Shep repeated through gritted teeth. “Justgo!”
That wasn’t happening. Not now. Simon twisted the knob harder, his grip so tight his knuckles began to turn white. The old metal heated his palm, causing it to sweat. Still, Shep didn’t relent. Simon refused to give up.
“Open this door!” Simon ordered through gritted teeth. “Shep!”
“No!” Shep hissed.
Grunting, Simon squeezed his eyes shut and focused all his strength into his grip. He broadened his stance and set his free hand against the door, determined to win. In most things, he was lenient, but Shep’s behavior couldn’t be rewarded. He couldn’t be soft.
Simon twisted until beads of sweat dotted his brow. His hand and wrist ached. Then, groaning in protest, the mechanism holding the doorknob in place creaked. There was a click, and something popped inside the knob. The whole installation failed all at once, and the knob shot from Simon’s hand to the floor.
Figuring that Shep would brace the door with his body to prevent entry, Simon pushed the door with his shoulder, putting his full weight behind his attempt. He was met with no resistance. The door flew open, and he crashed through the doorway and collided with the side of Shep’s bed, which he dropped down onto with a startled bellow.
Two details caught Simon’s eye immediately.
The first: the sheets were freshly laundered and the bed had been made—Simon couldn’t recall a time in recent memory when Shep had ever been so tidy.
The second: a girl Shep’s age sat on the bed, her hands cupped on her knees and the hood of her bomber jacket pulled over her head.
Simon gawked. He looked from the girl to his brother, searching for answers he knew he wouldn’t get.
There was agirlin Shep’s room—a girl who looked like shewantedto be there. Simon hadn’t been aware that Shep was even acquainted with any girls, let alone friendly enough with one to bring her home.
Simon, splayed across Shep’s bed as elegantly as a baby deer on ice, gawked at her. The girl flashed him a nervous smile and folded her hands awkwardly on her lap. “Uh… hi.”
But Simon didn’t have time to respond. A vibration buzzed his right ass cheek, followed promptly by the first thrilling beats of a familiar melody.
A ringtone.
Hisringtone.
Simon’s pulse skyrocketed.
Harlow.
