“Oh, uh, I don’t know if we have much in common. He’s in med school. He’s probably so smart.”
“So are you,” Holden said in a stern voice that told me not to bother arguing. “You’re a mechanical engineering major. That’s incredible, you know? I’m so proud of you.”
I cringed. He wouldn’t be proud if he saw my grades—or how often I was finding reasons to miss class. I had to do better. I had to suck it up.
My brothers had set aside money for me. Holden, especially, wanted me to have this. He’d had to leave college to deal with our imploding family, and I should appreciate that I had the freedom to pursue any life I wanted.
Only…what if this wasn’t that life?
“…never hurts to have more friends, Bailey,” Holden was saying. “You need people you can talk to. Aiden could be that guy.”
I swallowed hard. “Yeah, okay. I gotta go, though. Um, homework. You know how it is.”
“Yeah, man. Keep doing what you’re doing. We’ll see you soon.”
“Okay.”
“But not too soon! Focus on your studies.”
I laughed. It was either that or cry. “Got it.”
“Love you.”
“You too. Tell everyone that I…”
“I will. But you can call them too. We’re all here. We haven’t gone anywhere.”
No, but I had. I’d never felt further from my brothers than right now. I disconnected the call and wiped my eyes. I checked the time on my phone. Damn. I’d already missed the study group meeting to prepare for the ethics exam.
I should probably suck it up and study on my own, or…
Flynn came back up to see his brother today, Holden said. And Holdenwantedme to meet up with Aiden. That was one small thing I could do for my brother, since I was failing so miserably at all the rest.
I cut the engine but left the keys in the ignition and opened the roll-down garage door. Owen and Petie were pulling up in a monster pickup as I walked out.
They parked behind my Camaro, and Owen hopped out the passenger-side door.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going, wrench monkey!”
I rolled my eyes at the nickname he’d come up for me. It was insulting, but that was just Owen.
“Finished up. I’ll have to take her for a test drive, but?—”
“You’re not driving her,” he said. “I’ll take her for a spin. You better not have been blowing smoke up my ass about knowing what you’re doing.”
“Just thank me for providing top-notch service for nothing, you asswipe.”
He laughed, an expression of boyish glee crossing his face. “Can’t wait. You know, your Camaro would make for a great street racer.”
I chuckled as I reached for the driver’s-side door. “No, thanks. I’m a mechanic, not a driver.”
“Why not both?” Petie said, a glimmer in his eye.
I loved to take my Camaro on the highway and open her up to higher speeds. But street racing was dangerous and illegal. People got hurt, and I wasn’t about to get tangled up in that.
“I have to go, guys. Catch you later.”
“I’ll give you a call when I get that nitrous oxide injector,” Owen said.
