Page 134 of My Brother’s Best Friends Entanglement

“The hell, sis?”

“You don't want to get bed sores, do you,” she practically shrieks. “Try getting a woman to date you then!”

He mumbles, “guess not,” and lies back, letting her fuss over him.

She finishes and storms out, mumbling about men and brothers and idiots in general. We all watch her leave.

Rhys moves to follow but Leon stops him.

“Hang on,” Leon says. “While she's out of the room — I know she's acting a bit, okay, a lot, psycho right now. But thank you. All three of you. For looking after her while I was out of town. And while I've been here. I know she's probably being a handful. But know you're looking out for her makes everything a little easier for me. Best mates a bloke could ask for.”

Nobody says anything for a second.

I look at Zachary. Zachary looks at Rhys. Rhys looks at the door.

None of us say what we're all thinking: what have we done.

THIRTY-EIGHT

Rhys

“You need to go, Alexia,” Leon tells her, his face scrunched into a look of sheer irritation. “Rhys looks like he's about to burst a gasket.”

It's been over a week since Leon woke up and three days since they let him come home. I'm leaning in the doorway of what used to be my room and is currently Leon's and Alexia's room.

“He can go. I didn't say he had to wait for me,” she says, cutting a piece of bandage tape and making him hold it while she tightens the dressing around his torso. “And anyway, I'm busy checking you⁠—”

Leon cuts her off. “My what? My blood pressure, which the nurse, who we're all paying, who gets here in twelve minutes, is literally trained to do?”

She snips her scissors at him. “I also offered to help with your dressing changes⁠—”

“Have my little sister change my bandages like I'm in nappies? Hard pass.”

“It's your ribs, Leon, not a nappy.”

“My description's funnier.”

I shift my weight against the doorframe as I watch her. Dark circles ring her eyes, no amount of makeup able to cover them. She's barely sleeping. I wish she'd use the damn cot we set up for her, but she'd rather sit up in a hard chair watching him breathe all night than risk missing it if he stops.

“Bro.” Leon looks past her, straight at me. “Take her away. I'm begging you. Marry her if that's what it takes. I'll pay a dowry. Do people still do that? I'll throw in a goat or whatever. Or a bottle of that sake you like.”

The scissors come dangerously close to his face. “Stop trying to sell me off,” she hisses.

“Hey, I tried giving you away for free first. No takers,” he jokes.

I mutter something under my breath about her not having a shortage of prospects. Her eyes flick to me just as Marcus shoulders past into the room and drops onto the bed next to Leon, grabbing the remote and pointing it at the TV. “Out, both of you. I'm clocking in.”

Alexia starts rattling off a list, the nurse's number, his meds schedule, his last temperature, and I step in and grab her arm to get her moving. My hand closes tighter around her arm than it would have a month ago. That's not okay with me.

“Wait. One minute,” she says, digging her heels in. “We want to talk to you guys about something.”

“Not me.” Leon jerks his thumb. “Her.”

She grits her teeth then keeps talking. “We think maybe we should find somewhere else to stay for a bit. Just while Leon's getting better.”

“No,” I say.

She huffs. “We're taking up your room. Leon's here, I'm here, the nurse is here for at least another month, and if Mum does what she's threatening and comes too, she'll need somewhere to stay. It's too disruptive.”