“I shouldn’t leave Emily alone.”
“Donotbring me into this,” Emily said, poking her head into the kitchen. She’d obviously been listening from the hallway. “You were going away anyway. I’m eighteen. I can handle a few days alone without burning the house down.”
Brent looked between Emily and Riley. They seemed to be ganging up on him a lot of late.
Unfortunately, they were also right. He needed a break. Getting to hang out with Riley for a few days, like they had when they were kids, seemed like a great idea.
He would have given anything to be a kid with Riley again right now. This was the closest he was going to get.
“Okay. Oregon it is.”
Riley grinned at him, picking up the phone and turning the speaker setting off again, holding it to his ear.
“You won’t regret this,” he said, going back to waiting patiently for the line to be picked up again.
“Guess I better start planning all the wild parties I’m gonna have while you guys are gone,” Emily said.
Brent turned to her, taking in his all-grown-up little sister, and smiling. “I trust you, okay? You do whatever you want while I’m gone, even if what you want is to invite the whole town over. You’re an adult now.”
Emily blinked at him. Then, slowly, her face softened into a warm smile. “I wasn’t planning on it. Maybe a couple of friends.”
“I’m gonna buy you a box of condoms before we go,” Riley said.
“I’m super gay,” Emily responded.
“Oh. Did I know that?”
Emily chuckled. “No, I don’t think I ever told you.”
“I’m guessing Brent already knows, judging by his total lack of reaction,” Riley said.
Brent did know. He’d been a little surprised when Emily told him, but it wasn’t as though he was totally unused to the idea.
He’d come out to Riley as bi when they were seventeen, but he’d never acted on it. He’d never told Emily, either. Or anyone else.
Just Riley. Riley was the only person who knew Brent was kind of, sort of attracted to men, sometimes.
Brent was as confused about that now as he had been then, since he hadn’t given it a whole lot more thought.
Since Riley hadn’t immediately declared that he loved Brent and they’d be together forever, which had kind of been what Brent had been hoping for at the time, he’d swept the whole thing under the rug and never spoken of it again.
He wasn’t even sure Riley remembered.
“Yes, I’m still here,” Riley said. “We’ve decided to change the flights to Oregon, and we need to change the name on one of the tickets.” He paused. “For tomorrow, please. Doesn’t matter what time.”
“Riley Jules,” he added after another pause. “Thank you so much, you’ve been wonderful. How do I leave positive feedback?”
Brent smiled to himself. Of course Riley wanted to leave a good review. That was who he was.
He had no trouble seeing the good in the world. All the wonder. Brent couldn’t figure out how he did it all the time.
“So, do you have a girlfriend?” Riley asked as soon as he got off the phone.
“No,” Emily said, but she was blushing.
“There’s someone though, right?” Riley grinned. “You have to tell me so I can embarrass you in front of them. What’s the point of having a weird uncle, otherwise?”
“You’re not weird,” Emily said.
