“Wait, does everyone know that?” I asked and Aaron narrowed his eyes at his girlfriend. If I wasn’t feeling on blast, I’d enjoy his irritation.
“Uh, I guess?” I said, hating the tiny bit of shame that came with it. Kenzie had a line between her eyebrows when she frowned and that little groove made me feel like a total asshole. “I never lie to them. They know the deal, one night only, no phones allowed and there’s nomorning afterbullshit.”
“When do you present all this information to them? Do you have a pamphlet you hand out at parties that details your expectations?” Kenzie put her hand on her hip and Greta cackled into her hands while Aaron looked on with concern. I ignored him and focused on Kenzie.
“They just know,” I said, again, the sinking feeling in my gut unfamiliar and unwelcome. “I’m not a monogamous type of person.”
“Unbelievable,” she said under her breath, and I swore she stiffened her shoulders. “You owe them an explanation up front and no one says that. Sure, you can be a pineapple on pizza or not type of person, but no one is just like, nope, I don’t do committed relationships.”
“No one likes pineapple on their pizza unless they’re crazy.” I’d said the wrong thing because Kenzie glared as though I’d told her Christmas was cancelled. “Great, you are, aren’t you?”
“Guess what I’m ordering tonight,player?” She stuck her tongue out at me and looked so damn proud of herself that I didn’t have the gall to make fun of her. I accepted defeat and took a long chug of the beer our waitress dropped off.
Greta chatted with Mallory—the gorgeous waitress who’d started working there six months ago—and I studied her for a second, but it was fruitless. I couldn’t check her out without seeing Kenzie’s profile and little nose. She wore a faded baseball hat with our team’s logo—a home plate with a cleat—in bright blue and had let her hair hang around her face. She leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands as she chatted with Greta and Mallory. I had no issues watching them, but Aaron cleared his throat and glared at me. “What, man?”
“Letting your hook-ups hang around the house, huh?”
I let out a frustrated breath. “She left at seven, Hilly. It’s not my fault Kenzie was up already and on the couch. She doesn’t seem fazed by it.”
“I thought we were cleaning up our act,” he said through gritted teeth and tried to communicate something with his eyes. Yeah, I knew the scandal that had almost rocked his college scholarship the year before was still fresh on all our minds, but it didn’t mean I, the only single dude in the house, had to give up sex. Because that wasn’t on the table.
“I’m being careful, if you’re worried about pictures or anything…”
“No, I’m worried about my sister.”
“What about, exactly?” I didn’t like the accusing tone in his voice any more than the way he kept looking back and forth between Kenzie and me. “Seriously, she grew up with you for a brother, dude. Ask her how many chicks she saw you sneak out.”
“That’s not here or—wait, how do you know that?”
“She told me.”
Kenzie and Greta laughed real loud, and I turned to stone when Kenzie clamped her hand around my arm. “Guess what! I have a job!”
“Yeah?” I asked, eyeing Greta and Mallory’s wide smiles. “I’m guessing here?”
“Yes! I turn nineteen in a week and can start then. Hell, yeah, go me!” Her smile stretched across her face, her joy radiating off her like rays of light. She leaned into me, doing an awkward combination of a shimmy and a dance, but her smile fell when she looked at her brother. “Why are you mad?”
“You’re young. You shouldn’t have to see TJ’s flings in the morning or work in a bar.”
“What would you have me do then, Aaron? Knit? Buy a coloring book and stay inside at all times, not enjoying life? Tell me.” She crossed her arms and jutted her chin in defiance, and the air seemed to chill around us. It didn’t help that I was stuck on the inside, unable to escape the sibling argument, and Greta’s gaze met mine.
What do we do?she seemed to say. I shrugged. I wasn’t sure why Aaron was being a dick to his sister, but the mention of his name had me remaining in my seat. Kenzie’s green eyes glowed when she got angry, and it enhanced her sun-kissed skin.Not now, asshole.
“I don’t want you having the college experience I did, tempted by the partying and drugs. I was severely against you living in the house but Mom and Dad guilted me to death to agree, making me promise to watch out for you, and if you work in a bar—”
“Forgive me for speaking candidly, brother, but you were a walking STD when you were my age. Why would I be anything like you were when I saw you fall apart? You are not my parent and I don’t need you embarrassing me like this in front of the few people I know.” She stood and I couldn’t find a single trace of the joy that had been there just moments ago on her face. “I’ll try and find a new place for the summer if it means we can’t have a friendship anymore, Aaron. But think about howmylife was growing up with someone like you.” Then she got up.
The urge to berate Aaron came and went. Greta’s face spoke the same thing I felt and she gave him a scathing look before saying, “You fucking dumbass.”
He tensed his jaw, rubbing his hands through his hair, and let out a deep sigh. “I should walk her back.”
“Actually, I’ll make sure she gets home okay. You should let her cool off.” I moved to get out of the booth, but Aaron laughed without humor. “You think it’s funny? You were a dick to her.”
“Why wouldyoumake sure she gets home okay?”
“Because while you’ve spent zero time with her, I have. She hasn’t left the house once her first week here. I’m her only friend, Aaron. So yeah, I’m going to make sure she gets home okay.”
I didn’t worry about his response and took off after her. It didn’t take long. She had her phone out, the light showcasing her frown and tight jaw. She wore her emotions on her sleeve and I hated the hurt in her pinched expression and slumped shoulders. “Hey, I’ll walk you back.”
