Page 78 of My Brother’s Best Friends Entanglement

"Hey," Marcus says, cocking his head towards the back door. "Come outside with me for a few minutes. Grab some fresh air."

I don't think about refusing him, even for a second.

On the back porch, the cool late spring air is a relief against my skin after the heat of the crowded house. I sit down on the step, and he drops down beside me close enough that our shoulders touch.

"So," he says. "Fake boyfriend privileges. What do they come with?"

I bite back the urge to grin like an idiot. "Nothing. That's why they're fake."

He adopts a look of mock surprise. "That's unfair. I just defended your honour against a man named, I'm guessing, Brad or Chad or..."

I giggle, he's not wrong. "I wonder if it's a coincidence that they rhyme with 'sad' and 'bad'. For a moment there, I was worried he was going to get 'mad'."

Marcus leans over, pressing his shoulder to mine. "You had nothing to worry about. I was there."

"Yeah? And what would you have done?"

He turns, so he's facing me. "Anything it took to keep you safe. You know that right? That I'll always take care of you. I would never let anyone hurt you."

Suddenly the night air has taken a stifling grip on my breath. How hard would it be just to grab the front of his shirt and pull him in for a kiss right now?

But instead, I gently push him away, his chest hard under my palm. "Stop playing with me, Marcus."

He lets me push him away, but he holds my gaze for another moment. "Fine, if you don't want to talk about how you look fucking amazing tonight and how glad I am I blew off the guys tonight and came here instead, then tell me, how's uni going? Leon said you're loving it."

I take a moment to try to forget the first part of what he said before I reply.

"It's great. I'm still deciding what I'm going to do next year, though. I'm applying to a few different programs," I say. And swallow before I tell him something I've only told one other person. "A couple are interstate."

In the dark I can make out a frown fixing to his forehead. "Interstate? You're thinking of moving out of Adelaide?"

I nod. "I think I've nailed it down to Sydney." I pick at a splinter on the step. "I haven't decided anything. I've only just put in the applications. I won't find out for a few months."

"Lexi, you can't move." He says it like he actually has an opinion on it either.

I shrug. "I might have to. I'll miss my family, but Leon and mum will figure it out. They have each other."

He doesn't say anything else for a few minutes. "Fuck," he finally says. "You really might be leaving?"

I drop my head down onto my knees, chin resting between them. "Who knows? It might be the best thing I'll have ever done for my life." I close my eyes, enjoying the ease of our talk, the comfort of sharing with him. "Or I might be back in three months, with my failing tail between my legs, never wanting to set foot in another school ever again." There's a fleeting touch on my arm, but when I look down, there's nothing there. Just Marcus's hand resting on the step between us.

We listen to a whole song from beginning to end. The bass vibrating in the air, moving it against our skin.

A few times I think he's going to say something, a hitch in his breathing, but then nothing. I know because I do the same.

Finally, he breaks the silence. "I'll miss you, if you go, Lexi," he breathes into the night. "And it's making me think things I shouldn't."

"Like what?" I turn to face him to see him already looking at me.

"Like if I don't take the chance now...I'll never know what it could've been." His hand reaches out to touch my chin, tipping it up so my eyes meet him. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"No," I exhale.

A breath huffs out of his nose. "Then I've been an idiot. Because how could you not know how I feel about you."

And then he leans in slowly, giving me every chance to change my mind, his eyes dropping to my mouth and back up like he's checking, and when I don't pull away he closes the last of the distance, one hand coming up to my jaw, careful.

And then his lips are on mine.