“It’s nothing,” I mumble, embarrassed to say it to his face.
“Bullshit.” Air whooshes from his mouth. “Look, I know things are shitty between you and Keats, and I can’t pretend to understand why, but—”
“I’m not talking about that,” I snap, cutting him off, my bad mood back in full force.
“I’m not asking you to. I’m just saying I can be your brother and Keats’ brother even if you two aren’t talking. Stop shutting me out. You’ve barely spoken to me since my wedding, and you acted like you were only there because you were forced to be.” Hurt glimmers in his eyes. I’m a selfish prick. Keven is the most selfless of all my brothers, and he’s done so much for our family.
“I was happy to be there,” I truthfully admit. “I’m happy for you, man. Cheryl’s great, and it’s nothing personal. It’s just…” I look down at my feet. I can’t explain to my family without telling them the whole truth, and after all this time, what’s the fucking point?
“Just don’t be a stranger,” Kev says, slapping me on the back. “We miss you. Mom misses you.”
“I see Mom,” I protest.
“You refuse to come to family dinners. It’s hurting her.”
I grind my teeth to the molars. “If you only came to lecture me, you can leave. You know where the door is.”
Kev rests his head in his hands, and I’m betting he’s silently counting to ten. I know I exasperate my entire family. Honestly, you think they’d be happy I’m keeping my distance. I just can’t fucking win no matter what I do.
The silence is suffocating, and I wish Kev would leave so I can smoke another joint, drink another ten beers, and hopefully pass out.
Eventually, Keven lifts his head. “I didn’t come here to lecture you or argue with you. I came to offer my help. Tell me what you need and it’s yours.”
“I met a girl,” I blurt, like I’m ten.
Kev’s lips twitch. “I thought you’d met plenty of girls.”
I flip him the bird. “I’m not talking about a random hookup. I haven’t even kissed this girl.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because she won’t let me. She’ll barely even look at me.”
“I like her already.” He can’t contain his amusement anymore, and a massive grin slips across his mouth.
I jump up. “Forget it. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Kent.” Keven stands, losing the smile. “I think it’s great you’ve met someone. Tell me about her.”
“That’s the thing,” I say, dropping back down onto the couch. “I don’t know much about her because she won’t give me the time of day, so I was hoping you’d do a search on her.” Kev is a computer genius and an FBI agent, so he has the skills to pull this off.
His eyes pop wide. “You want me to investigate a girl you’re interested in? Is there something I should know about her? Is she involved in something illegal or—”
“No.” I shake my head. “It’s nothing like that. I just want you to find out everything there is to know about her. And get me her address too.”
“You want me to help you cheat,” he surmises, narrowing his eyes in my direction.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” My brows scrunch up.
“You can’t investigate someone you’re interested in like she’s a research topic. What about her privacy?”
“I just want to get to know her,” I sulk.
“So get to know her.”
“How?” I throw my hands in the air. “I told you she won’t even talk to me. I have asked her out a million times, and she keeps saying no.”
“Kent.” Kev moves in closer to me, and he’s fighting a smile again. “If you’re serious about getting to know this girl, then you do the work like the rest of us mere mortals.” He rolls his eyes. “Do you think Cheryl made it easy for me after what I did to her in high school? Look at what Selena and Keanu have been through. Faye and Ky. Lana and Kalvin. I could go on. We all had to fight to make things work. If you want to date this girl, then you’ve got to let her see the real you. Show her why she should say yes.”
