“In part, yes, but it’s not for now.” His gaze went to where Ziggy stood. “I came to my senses. Love will do that to you.”
“I fucking doubt it,” Kodi grumbled.
Kari heard Bowie call goodbye, and he waved absently at him, his mind running over what Silas had said. Could love make Bowie come to his senses?
Only if you’re honest.
Kari chewed over that as he followed behind Kodi’s car to their childhood home, having overheard the conversation that the PAs were all heading to collect Emmy then go to the lake. Kari held on to his wolf’s sense of urgency to get to the talking side of things, so he could claim Bowie the way they wanted to.
As he exited the car, he noticed Kodi heading inside the house. There was no sign of Lennon’s vehicle in the driveway. Had Lennon taken Bowie back to the apartment instead of coming here?
Silas pulled up next to Kari’s car, and he noted Rue and Monty had traveled with him and Ziggy.
Kari didn’t wait for them and strode up to the front door Kodi had left open, hearing Frey’s excited chatter and Emmy gurgling happily. The hallway was crowded; Hollis and Taylin were with Dad and Popi. Booker was cuddling Frey, who held Emmy. Jupiter was right there, wearing an expression full of impatience. There was no sign of Kodi.
Booker glowered at Jupiter as if warning him to leave Frey be with Emmy. It was comical, and he’d have laughed if he wasn’t feeling as if he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. His anxiety grew by the second as he kept glancing at the doorway, expecting Bowie to appear any second, only there wasn’t any sign of him.
“Monty, can you ring Lennon and tell him to head straight to the lake carpark?” Frey questioned, moving out of Booker’s arms and sidestepping Jupiter. “Emmy needs a nap and if I leave it too long, she’ll end up grumpy like her daddy.”
“Can do.” Monty disappeared back outside, and Kari resisted following to check whether Bowie was with them.
Popi slipped an arm around Kari’s waist. His clothes smelled of cookie dough, and he sported an inquisitive look that Kari was very familiar with.
“Did we have a talk last night?”
The quiet question had him kiss Popi on the forehead. “No, it wasn’t the time, Popi.”
Kari wanted privacy for such a conversation, and a cabin with paper-thin walls was not it. Not when his brothers were on either side of him and had the potential of overhearing. And talkingabout it now, when everyone was crowding the hallway was so not happening. “And now is not the time, Popi.”
Kari acted like he’d not seen the warning light in Popi’s eyes that said he wasn’t going to let this go. He had no one to blame but himself. He’d been the one to call Popi and blab in his moment of weakness. He tugged out of Popi’s hold gently.
“Need to go pee,” he muttered, escaping and only letting his breath go when he shut the downstairs bathroom door.
He laid his head against the wood and closed his eyes against the thumping headache he was developing. He didn’t know how long he stood just as he was when a knock on the door brought his head up and his eyes open.
“Yep?” he called, stepping back from the locked door.
“I’m heading to Ren’s to grab a burger and a beer. Wanna come?”
Kodi’s question, though it came through wood, held a begging quality to it that Kari didn’t miss and would never ignore. “Yeah, just give me a few minutes.”
You’re delaying.
Kodi needs to talk. You sense it too, so give over.
Kari splashed cold water on his face, not looking at himself in the mirror. The cold did little to help with the dragging fatigue he felt after a sleepless night holding Bowie, searching for a way forward when Popi’s initial solution was not the answer.
When he exited the bathroom, Kodi was lounging against the wall, arms folded. There, in his eyes, was the reason Kari pushed away his own worries.
“You can drive.”
“Don’t I always!” Kari muttered and walked after Kodi, who seemed in an all fired rush as he charged off.
After hurried goodbyes to their parents, Kari got back into his car. The second Kodi was strapped in, he drove off. Out ofthe driveway and on their way, Kari glanced at Kodi briefly and asked, “So, are you gonna tell me what’s up?”
The conversation with Kodi had required several beers and Kari ended up getting a cab back to Bowie’s apartment. Not drunk but feeling the effects, the alcohol cushioned some of the reality of the conversation he’d had with his twin. There were some things Kari didn’t need to know about his brother, and now that he knew, he wished he didn’t.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, entering the foyer. It was empty, so Kari strode through to the elevator and typed in the code. He hummed to break the silence, nerves dancing in his stomach. The liquor that had held them in check evaporated during the elevator’s assent to Bowie’s floor.
