He arches an eyebrow, and I drop to the ground.
“You think I’m sleeping with him?” I ask, laughter bubbling up inside me.
Jeff wanders over. “Ready to hit the road, guys?”
The combination of my brother’s confused face and my roomie’s hard stare sets me off.
“What’s up with her?” Jeff asks Lane as I double over, tears streaming down my cheeks.
“No idea.”
I step to the side to try to catch my breath, then head back over to join them, wiping my eyes dry.
“Jeff, meet Lane.”
“No shit.” My brother holds out his hand.
“Lane, this is Jeff,” I continue, doing my best to hold in a giggle.
“What’s so funny, sis?”
“?‘Sis’?” Lane glances back and forth between us.
I pinch my lips shut and nod, losing it again as realization spreads over my friend’s face.
My brother folds his enormous arms over his chest. “You look surprised.”
The two guys stare each other down. I’m expecting Lane to act a little sheepish, but instead he doubles down.
“Well, Lois is glow-in-the-dark pale and could probably shop in the kids’ section. You, on the other hand…”
“Tall, Black, and better-looking than her?” Jeff finishes for him.
“Exactly!”
They bump fists like they’ve known each other all their lives.
“I’m her adopted brother.”
“Now I get it.”
“Didn’t you tell himanythingabout our family?” Jeff asks me as we head for the exit.
“I thought I had.” I bring a finger to my chin.
Lane pretends to start backing away. “You guys are starting to freak me out. I was down for coming, but now…”
As we reach the parking lot, I stop in my tracks and grab his cuff, my bottom lip trembling.
“Are you not happy to see me?” I fake-whine.
“Happy and emotionally blackmailed aren’t mutually exclusive.”
“You two are weird.” Jeff dips into the car and settles himself in the back seat, while Lane drops his bag in the trunk. Suddenly, I’m right back to that first morning when I piled my own stuff in his car. Who would’ve guessed we’d end up like this, four months later? As Igo to shut the trunk, I catch his eye, and I’m pretty sure he’s thinking the same.
“I’m happy you came.”
“Your evil plan paid off.” He shrugs off his jacket. “Fucking hell, this heat is insane.”
