Page 110 of Against The Boards

“I do need you. You’re my brother and best friend,” I said with a smile. We clinked beer glasses and took a drink at the same time.

“Except you pretty much ghosted me while I was at Worlds,” he teased.

I frowned. “Sorry. I was busy.”

“Busy with my roommate’s tongue in your mouth?”

I hit him in the chest. “Don’t be an ass. I was busy with his dick in my mouth.”

“Ew! File that under shit I never needed to know.”

I cackled. “What’s going on with you?” I asked.

He eyed me cautiously and crossed to sit in the chair at the table. I followed him and sat across from him. My brother wasn’t a sensitive guy. He was a funny guy who liked to party, and even though I joked he didn’t have feelings, I could tell when he was hurting.

“What do you mean, what’s going on with me?” he asked.

I looked at him over my beer glass. “Tristan, I can tell when something’s bothering you. Is this about Taylor?”

Taylor was this girl he had been seeing casually. He wanted it to be casual, but she wanted a relationship. He let her go but then realized it was a mistake. He had called me about it and had been a complete wreck. The only relationship my brother had that lasted longer than a few months had been in high school with my friend Natalie. She really did a number on him.

“She’s done with me,” he admitted sadly.

“Oh, bud, I’m sorry. What happened?”

He shrugged. “I messed up. I thought I didn’t want a relationship, but it was nice having someone give a shit about TJ the person and not TJ the hockey player. Maybe I don’t want to be a bachelor for life?”

I smirked at him but let him continue.

“Then, seeing you with Benny...man, he loves you. Watching him get up into Dad’s face and defend you sealed the deal on that. If you two can find happiness, maybe I can too.”

“Aw, Tristan! You actually have feelings!”

He glared at me. “Of course, I have fucking feelings. I just don’t announce it to the world like you do.”

“So, did you talk to her?”

He nodded but had a grimace on his face. “Yeah, but she has a boyfriend now, and she said she’s happy.”

I reached across the table to squeeze his hand. “I’m sorry. You’ll find someone.”

He shrugged and took another sip of his beer. “There might be someone, but I’m not sure she’s interested.”

My eyebrow quirked up. “Oh? Who?”

He shook his head. “I’m not telling.”

“Mean!”

He laughed. “You know, I wish you would have told me you applied for the job with the team. I would have helped you. I wouldn’t have told Benny he could move in.”

“Why did you?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

I raised my eyebrow. I knew exactly why he had asked. Despite his party-boy behavior, my brother had some demons to work out, and he didn’t like to be alone with his thoughts.

I took a sip of my beer and waited for him to tell me.