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“Nah, actually…”
“Come on, son. We’ll match.”
I smiled while he took one off and put it on my wrist. Then he placed his wrist beside mine.
“Crunk.”
“Excuse me? What did you just say?”
“Crunk. Sounds like you’re not up on the latest slang.”
“Crunk. Amazing,” I repeated.
“Now you’re getting it.”
* * *
The family meal on Sunday was hell. My nephews tried to get me to play with them, but I was so exhausted I ended up sitting in an easy chair waiting for Oliver and Leah to get there. My mother asked me again if something was up, because this was the second time in my life I hadn’t shown up late. Emily settled down next to me while her kids played in the room with Justin.
“How are things at the café?” I asked.
“The usual. Justin’s too impatient.”
“I thought the opposite.”
“I wouldn’t say so. He’s got his bad days, even if it doesn’t seem like it. He told me he talked to you about the problem.”
“Yeah, a little bit. It’ll get worked out.”
I got up when the doorbell rang.
I stared at Leah when I opened the door, gawking like an imbecile, until Oliver got in the way, hugging me and clapping me so hard on the back I almost coughed up a lung.
“You left me hanging Friday, you son of a bitch!” he shouted.
“Shh, the kids are here. No curse words,” Emily warned him.
“I had a cold,” I lied.
“You should have grabbed a tissue.”
“Very funny,” I grunted.
I avoided greeting Leah with the usual kiss on the cheek so I wouldn’t have to get close to her… I wasn’t sure it was a good idea.
From the corner of my eye, I could see her disappointed expression.
My mother came out with the food and asked us all to take our seats at the table. I sat down next to Leah. I spent the entire damned meal wanting to grab her hand under the table. Or worse, slide my hand between her legs. It was fucked up, and it didn’t help having Oliver right in front of me, talking and telling stories nonstop. I barely took a bite before getting up before dessert and telling them I was going.
“So early? Why?” Mom asked, horrified.
“I’ve got…an assignment I need to turn in tomorrow.”
My brother was the only person who grimaced when I lied, as if he knew it wasn’t true. I said a quick goodbye after setting a date with Oliver for that afternoon so he could drop Leah off before going to the airport.
Hours. That was all. A few hours.
I grabbed my surfboard and got lost in the waves.
