“Oh, it’s a birthday party? For whom? Jesus?”
My sass surprised him. I saw it in how his head jerked toward me, like he was incredulous at my audacity. I never spoke to him like that.
But fuck it.
I was tired and over his bullshit, and I knew he was getting buried tonight.
“This was a very expensive party,” he said, narrowing his gaze as he pulled us to a stop. “Maybe you should show a little gratitude.”
“And maybe you should stop pretending tonight has anything to do withme.”
Again, that surprise lit his face, then his nostrils flared, his skin turning red as he opened his mouth. But I didn’t get to hear whatever he wanted to say, because in a sweep, my eyes were covered from behind, and I couldn’t help but smile when I realized exactly who it was.
“Guess who?”
I ripped his hands away, turning to see my not-so-little brother looking far too grown in his tuxedo. He was taller than I was by a full two feet, but that didn’t stop me from leaping up to throw my arms around his neck and pull him into a fierce hug.
“You made it!”
“You think I’d miss it?” He laughed into my ear, spinning me around before setting my feet on the ground again. “That whole finals bit was a lie.”
“I had a sneaky suspicion, considering most finals are done by early December. Besides, you’d already promised you’d come. I knew my baby brother wouldn’t bail on me.”
“I thought I could surprise you. Why didn’t you question me?”
“I wanted to let you think you surprised me.”
Georgie grinned, taking me under his arm and threatening to dig his knuckles into my head, but he stopped short, kissing my hair, instead. “Punk.”
“Brat,” I shot back.
And then he gave me another squeeze, his adoration for me palpable. “Missed you.”
“Missed you more.”
It was the wildest thing, to look at the man Georgie had become. I still remembered the tiny baby sleeping in a crib in my bedroom. I remembered the frightened little boy who came under my guardianship. I remembered the awkward teenager trying to figure it all out.
And I saw so much in him.
I saw my mother, her bright blue eyes and wide smile. But I also saw Jay, his impressive height and shocking dark hair. I saw years of fear and terror, a child just trying to survive. And I saw the man who emerged, who went easy on me as I stepped in to care for him, who became the best man despite the horrible one who’d spawned him.
If anything was missing from tonight, it was him — and now that he was here, my heart felt whole.
“Nathan,” Georgie said next, still beaming as he went in for a hug.
I didn’t miss how stiff Nathan was when he returned the gesture. His eyes were hard on mine, an unspoken promise that we weren’t done talking yet.
“Great to see you, kid,” Nathan said when he pulled back, framing Georgie’s arms and smiling with pride. “Or should I say Doctor?”
“Not yet,” Georgie said, smiling, but I swore he looked uncomfortable. He shoved his hands in his pockets, his smile becoming a closed-lip one as he looked from Nathan to me and back. “What do you say, sis? Forty years old… does that mean you can’t hang and take a shot with your little brother at the bar?”
“Oh, she definitely won’t be taking any shots tonight,” Nathan answered for me. “There are a lot of important—”
“Please,” I cut in, looping my arm through Georgie’s without acknowledging Nathan. “I’ll taketwoshots, and I won’t grimace like a little baby the way you always do.”
“It was a pickle back!” he defended.
I laughed, and then we were floating away, and Georgie waved at Nathan over his shoulder, promising to bring me back.
