Total pages in book: 13
Estimated words: 11683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 47(@250wpm)___ 39(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 47(@250wpm)___ 39(@300wpm)
Speaking of…
“He gave me a bonus too,” I reveal, unable to hold back my own smile now. “I had a little left over for ice cream. I’d say don’t get used to it, but I think we can. Things are looking up.”
Aside from Andy being disgusted with me.
“A little left over? What did you buy?”
I can barely contain my excitement, but I hold it back. This surprise will be revealed when Andy is speaking to me again. It’s the nicest thing we’ve ever had.
“Come on,” I grunt, clutching the back of his neck. “Help me get Andy to forgive me and I’ll tell you both.”
He puts the ice cream in the freezer and then follows me to the one and only bedroom in our trailer. I’d wanted to spring for something bigger, but my income barely puts food on the table and keeps the utilities on. Well, until now.
Andy is lying face down on his air mattress. I can tell he’s still pissed by the way he breathes heavily, his entire body trembling. It guts me all over again. I’m such an idiot.
“Dex got ice cream,” Nate says, leaning his head on my shoulder.
Andy tenses but turns his head to peek at us. “What kind?”
“Our favorites,” Nate reveals, “but Dex forgot to buy himself some.”
I drink in Andy’s facial features, willing them to soften and for him to give me his easy smile. It hurts not receiving it from him considering it’s often been the only thing to get me through some of my darkest times.
“You’re trying to buy my love,” Andy grumbles, but his amber eyes are bright with excitement.
“Is it working?” I manage to ask, my voice soft and filled with shame.
He sits up and runs his fingers through his dark hair. “I’ll let you know.”
Nate snakes his arm around my waist. “Dex has a surprise for us.”
Andy, despite his anger, perks up, brows rising. “What? A television?”
Guilt rushes through me. Since my brothers are in college, going to school full-time with their grant money they were awarded, they don’t have time to also work. It’s up to me to keep them fed and sheltered. There’s just not much extra.
“They’re distracting anyway,” Andy tells me, a smile tugging at his pink lips. “I’d probably just watch cooking shows and not do my homework. What is it?”
I drag my gaze from my brother, taking in the small space. When we first moved here, the man who rented the trailer to us, Vern, felt sorry for our lack of…well, anything. He brought us a couch from the Salvation Army, a rickety wooden kitchen table with four chairs, and three gently used air mattresses. The three twin-sized air mattresses are crammed next to each other in the small room and we share a plastic dresser purchased for ten bucks at Dollar General.
It’s not much better than what we had growing up, but it’s ours.
No one can hurt us here.
Unless you count me and my stupid decision to fuck Andy’s only friend.
“You remember back at our old house when we’d take turns sleeping on the bed?” I ask, unable to contain my grin.
“Nate always ended up on that bed,” Andy grumbles, but he’s not mad.
“Our house was cold,” Nate says. “You two are warm.”
Lies. Nate’s just a cuddler. And living in the south can get pretty hot sometimes. Not that either of us ever kicked him out. It was usually me and Andy taking turns sleeping on the floor because two were all that could fit on our dilapidated mattress.
I check my watch I’ve had for five years—only an hour until my surprise arrives. When my uncle came to see Mom before she died, he gave me the watch on his wrist, Andy the shoes on his feet, and Nate all the money in his wallet. He said goodbye to his sister and then was gone just hours before she left us too.
“Come on,” I say, offering Andy my hand. “Let’s make dinner. The surprise will be here in an hour. You’ll see.”
Andy slides his hand into mine and my heart squeezes in my chest. I’d thought, for a moment, that I’d fucked up royally. But, when Nate holds out his arm and Andy steps forward to hug us, I think maybe I dodged a bullet.
My eyes prickle with tears as I bury my face against Andy’s neck. He smells like soap and sunshine and hope.
“I don’t need friends like that anyway,” Andy says with a sigh. “Real friends don’t fuck your brother.”
Shame once again crawls all over me like spiders, invading every inch of my skin. I shudder, trying like hell to shake away the awful feeling.
“Still love you, Dex.” Andy pulls away and dazzles me with a grin. “Even when you do stupid shit to piss me off.” He drops a kiss to my forehead and then one to Nate’s. “I’m starving.”