Page 86 of My Brother’s Best Friends Entanglement

"Yeah? Then why were you always having to stay late at our house because you'd missed the bus again."

"You know why," I say, voice dropping.

She sobers. "Yeah. You talked to them lately?"

"And say what?"

"I'm successful, assholes. So suck my giant dick."

I almost spit out my beer. "Little Lexi-Lou with the mouth again."

"What?" She has a vicious look on her face. "I'd love to see the look on their faces if they saw how you were today." Her fingers break a corner off the baguette and she shoves it in her mouth. "Did you tell them?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because they wouldn't have come."

She sighs. "My dad would've been so proud of you."

I swallow, the backs of my eyes burning. "Yeah? You think?"

"I know. Idiots though you all were, my dad always thought you were good guys." I hold my hand out to her, and she takes it, crawling back into my lap. "They're missing out, not being here to see it all. But I also think they don't deserve to so..."

I sigh, and rest my chin on her head. "I know. I'm conflicted about it all the time. I mean, other than my sister, Sophie, she's still a sweetheart, I rarely talk to the rest. They had no part of my success, so why should I care if they're here to share in it."

She stiffens but doesn't say anything, and I don't push. I'm not sure I should. What right do I have to the thoughts in her head? She'll share them if she's comfortable.

"What about you?" I say, not only because I'd rather talk about literally anything but my family, but because I actually want to know. "Tell me about Sydney."

"Literally nothing to tell. I go to uni, I come home to study. I sleep. I get up. I go to uni."

I take a slow sip, telling myself to ask this next bit like it doesn't matter one way or the other. "Did you date?"

She glances up at me, and there's a flicker of something amused in it. "Some. A little. Now and then, I guess. I mean, I wasn't a total hermit."

"Those are all ways of saying 'yes', Alexia."

She snorts but doesn’t elaborate.

Finally, I have no choice but to ask. "Anyone serious?"

She tilts her head as if mulling it over. "Define serious."

"That's not a no."

"I'm clarifying the parameters. You might think six months is serious."

"You dated someone for six months?" My hand grips the bottle.

"I was saying, you might think six months is serious. I mean, do you?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, okay. Interesting."

I blink. I'm going to have an actual heart attack getting her to answer this fucking question. "And?"