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The silence in the room suddenly filled with a ringing in my ears. As my heart began to thud loudly, I handed back his ID.
“You really should let me take your picture,” I said to fill the tense silence.
Travis took it from me and ran a thumb over the photo, his eyes never leaving mine. “Because you think my face is…captivating?”
“Because I can do a better job than that.” I pointed to the card. “Let me take your picture.”
He pushed to the edge of the bed, then turned to look at me. “You gonna come out with us tonight?”
I’d already decided against it after seeing the IDs, but even if I’d been undecided, the light now sparking Travis’s eyes would’ve made me decline.
“I don’t think so.”
He got to his feet and ran his teeth over his lower lip as he looked down at me. “Because of the IDs or because of my face?”
Jesus, I was never going to live that comment down. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
Travis walked to the door and, just as he was about to step through it, stopped and looked back at me. “I don’t need to. You did it for me. Night, stepbrother.”
“Not yet we’re not,” I said as he strolled out of my room like nothing weird had just happened. But something had, because that was the first time I’d ever felt the need to clarify to myself that Travis McKinney wasn’t my actual brother, and I had no idea what that meant.
No idea at all.
I SLAMMED MY computer shut, knowing nowexactlywhat had changed that night.
I’d noticed his stupid face. I’d looked at it the way I did anything beautiful.
I groaned in frustration. I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t going down this road again. I’d been burned by Travis before, and there was no way I was venturing back there.
No way I would ever trust him again.
SIX
caleb
THE DOOR TO my parents’ penthouse mocked me as I stood outside staring at the peephole. I’d lived here my whole life, first with my mom and dad and then Travis and Vera, running the halls and causing chaos. But now as I stood here I hesitated, and all because of what I knew I’d find when I stepped inside.
I was running late, which meant the whole family would likely already be here, and because the universe hated me, that “family” now included the one person in the world I would do anything not to have to sit across from at our monthly dinners.
It wasn’t like I could do anything about it, though. This was the way it had been for a long time now. At least twelve excruciating dinners a year that I had to force myself to attend. I’d tried to skip it once, but was met with never-ending questions as to why. So it was just easier to suck it up and enjoy Vera’s cooking, all the while pretending Travis didn’t exist.
I took in a breath and unlocked the front door, mentally preparing myself for the next couple of hours ahead, and as I stepped inside, the sound of laughter drifted up the hall.
God, what would it feel like to just walk into that room and slip into whatever conversation was happening, not feel like I was the one who would suck the air right out of it? Becausethat always happened whenever Travis and I were in the same room. The air grew thick with whatever toxic emotions we were throwing at one another.
Tonight would be no different.
I made my way toward my dad’s deep chuckle and found Vera and Travis standing at my dad’s bar, where he was pouring them both a drink.
“There you are,” Dad said. “We were worried you might’ve gotten lost.”
“I mean, I was hoping.” Travis spun around on his stool, his lips curving against the lip of his tumbler.
“So sorry to disappoint.”
“Ignore him, honey.” Vera hopped off her stool and kissed my cheek. “The train late again?”
“Again?”
