My Best Friend's Brother: A Standalone Friends to Lovers Romance (Soulmates Series Book 2) (20 page)

Chapter 36: Shane

It
was after nine when the online tournament finally ended. I could've kept
playing, but I was happy with the two thousand dollar profit I'd made.

Plus,
I was new to the site. If I won too much money too early, I risked getting
blocked from higher grossing games.

I
logged out, hoping my winnings would clear my account before the weekend rolled
around.

Which
reminded me.

I
picked up my phone and leaned back, tapping through to my most recent text
thread with Andi.

"Fancy
coming to a stoplight party this weekend?" I typed before hitting send.
Then I set the phone down and flipped my econ book open to where a half
finished practice test was holding my page.

"Is
that like a Tupperware party because I don't think I'm in the market for any
traffic lights?"

I
tapped the keys. "There will also be orange cones and racing flags
available."

"You
trying to piss me off?"

I
sighed. "You've never heard of a stoplight party?"

"Have
you never heard of picking up the phone?"

I
rolled my eyes and hit dial.

"Shane.
Why, hello? To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?" she asked.

"I
didn't want to bother you in case it was past your bedtime."

"For
your information," she said. "I haven't been in bed before ten since
I was a teenager."

"Maybe
you haven't had a good enough reason to be."

"Perhaps."

"You
at home?"

"Yeah,"
she said. "Having a sexy night in with Freud."

"Sounds
creepy."

"Sometimes
it can be."

"I
could come over and tell you what I've been dreaming about lately if you’d like
a chance to practice your psychobabble."

"It's
called psychoanalysis, actually, and I'm pretty sure I can guess what you've
been dreaming about."

I
smiled.

"What
are you up to?" she asked.

"Econ."

"Someday
we'll wish homework was our biggest problem."

"So
I've heard." I leaned back in my chair and twirled a pencil between my
fingers. "So you want to come to the party or what?"

"Do
I have to dress like a traffic signal?"

"Not
unless you want to."

"Go
on."

"The
stoplight refers to the color cup you drink out of,” I said. "Red if
you're unavailable, yellow if it's complicated, and green if you're single and
looking."

"And
you think Freud is creepy?"

I
raised my eyebrows. "Interested?"

"I'm
interested in what color cup you plan to drink out of."

"Come
to the party and find out."

Silence.

"It's
not until Friday," I said. "In case that silence was you putting your
shoes on to come right over."

She
laughed. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"You
know me so well."

"I
thought I did."

I
furrowed my brows. "And now you're not so sure?"

"No.
It's not that."

"What
is it?"

"It's
just- being the object of your attention is hard work."

"You
ought to be used to it by now."

"Why
do you say that?"

"Because
you've always held my attention, Andi. You just didn't realize it."

"Do
I get to choose my own cup color?"

"Of
course."

"And
if I chose green?" she asked.

"I'll
be first in line to chat you up."

"That's
sweet."

"I
have my moments."

"You
didn't happen to see Mike's Facebook did you?" she asked.

"No.
Why?"

"Looks
like he's transferring to Southern."

I
clenched my fist around the pencil. "Have you heard from him?"

"No."

"Then
his actions aren't my concern." Did she creep him? Does she still care?

"I
didn't see it myself. I blocked him after that night I stayed at yours. Anyway,
I just mentioned it because-"

I
leaned forward.

"I
wanted to thank you."

I
pursed my lips.

"For
looking out for me."

"I'm
always going to look out for you.”

"I
know."

"And
not just cause of how hot you are."

"I'm
being serious, Shane."

"So
am I," I said. "Does that mean you'll come?"

"Will
my attendance suffice as cheesy hash payback?"

"It
will."

"I'll
see you Friday then."

"Wear
something slutty."

"The
party sounds slutty enough as it is without-"

My
phone came to life in my hands. Izzy. "Fine. Surprise me. I
gotta
go." I hung up when she was halfway done saying
goodbye. Fuck.

"Hey,"
I said, feigning a casualty I didn't feel.

"Are
you with a woman right now?" Izzy asked.

"What?
No?"

"You
sound breathless."

"You’re
so dramatic."

"Were
you just on the phone with her? Is that why you didn't answer my Facebook
message?"

"No.
I didn't answer your message because I forgot I was online-" Did Andi know
that? Is that why she asked if I knew about Mike? "And because I'm
studying for a quiz."

"Who
is she?"

"There
is no she."

"Oh
please. You haven't bitched about a sorority girl in weeks, which means
somebody is keeping you pleasantly distracted."

"Her
name is Econ."

"Are
you telling me I'm wrong?"

"I
know better than to use those words," I said, leaning an elbow on my desk.

"Especially
if it's a lie. Why won't you tell me?"

I
squeezed the bridge of my nose. "You're like a goddamn pit bull."

"Is
she blonde?"

"No."

"Is
she in a house?"

I
dropped my hand. "No."

"See?
Was that so hard? I like her already."

"Good,
I'm glad. Speaking of women you like, did you think of anything clever yet for
Mom and Dad's Anniversary-?"

"Oh
no you don't. I want to know more about this girl you like so much that you've
been screening my calls."

I
sighed.

"Or
should I keep calling until I catch you drunk and trick you into saying too
much."

"That
happened one time."

“I’m
aware,” she said. "And I assure you that I'm in no hurry to repeat the
tactic since your attention to detail was a nightmare for us both."

"Have
I mentioned that your relentlessness is what I most hate about you?"

"People
say I get that from my big brother.”

I
groaned. "What do you want to know?"

"Her
name would be a good start."

"Why?
So you can creep the shit out of her social media accounts? Try again."

She
sighed. "Fine. What is your favorite thing about her and don't be
gross."

I
pursed my lips. There were so many things to choose from, but I knew my sister
the drama queen would never settle for anything vague.

"I
don't have all day."

"I
like the way my chest feels when she laughs."

"Oh
god. You're farther gone than I thought. How did you hide this from me for so
long?"

"I
assumed you knew since your inkling muscle is always twitching away."

"That's
understandable," she said. "So I forgive your negligence. Now what's
her name?"

"I'd
like to wait until I know whether or not it's serious before I fill you
in."

"Where's
the fun in that? I live for angst and drama! Please don't deny me the play by
play."

"Sorry
to disappoint you."

"Would
I like her?"

I
scratched the back of my head. "I'm sure you would."

"Are
her tits real?"

I
squeezed my eyes shut, my mind drawn back to the image of Andi laying in the
back of the hay filled trailer, the night sky reflected in her eyes, my hands
on her-

"Well?"

"I'm
hanging up now."

"Tell
me one more thing about her," she said. "And I'll let you go."

I
leaned back in my chair.

"It
doesn't have to be about her tits."

"She's
perfect," I said. "And I'd be lucky to have her."

"Gag
me, Shane."

"So
I'm not going to jinx the whole thing by gossiping about it with you."

"You're
no fun."

“I
know a woman who would disagree.”

She
laughed. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Fair
enough,” I said.

Just
as long as it’s not anytime soon.

Flashback: Shane

I was
about to knock on the door when I heard the lawn mower fire up in the back
yard. So I walked around the house and waited patiently for Mr. Oliver to
notice me.

As
soon as he did, he powered the mower off and raised a hand in my direction.

"Shane,"
he said, wiping his palms on his jeans. "Great to see you, buddy. What's
up?"

"Nothing
much, Mr. O. I was just wondering if Andi was around. Thought she might want
to-"

"Shane,
honey-" Mrs. Oliver's voice spilled out the screened back door. "Come
on in."

Mr.
Oliver lowered his face and voice. "Just to give you a heads up, Andi’s
sulking. Won't eat. Won't talk to us. Won't come out of her room."

I
furrowed my brow. "Since when?"

"Since
this morning. She found a half dead baby bird. It was World War Three."

I
nodded.

A
moment later, Mrs. Oliver's hand was on my shoulder. "Can I get you a
lemonade or something?"

"Sure,"
I said. "That would be great."

She
nodded and led me inside, blowing me away once again with her warmth and capacity
for making people feel welcome.

Then
she gave me the scoop on what Andi was so upset about while I drank my
lemonade.

Apparently
she found a fallen baby robin on the front porch and went to a lot of trouble
putting it back in its nest with its sibling. She even went so far as to scoop
it up with some newspaper so she wouldn’t transfer her scent to it.

According
to her mom, she was elated afterwards that she'd been able to give the baby a
fighting chance. That didn’t surprise me at all since Andi had been a sucker
for underdogs as long as I’d known her.

If
we played kickball in gym, she always picked the handicapped kids for her team
first. If a new kid showed up one day, she'd always risk detention helping them
figure out where their classes were. She was the kind of person who literally
helped old ladies cross the road.

It
was sweet, and despite the fact that her patience often tested my own, I
wouldn't have changed it.

She
often joked that she was “debilitating helpful,” but I knew she appreciated the
trait because it proved that she was, in fact, her mother's daughter and that
her fertilized egg hadn't accidentally been misplaced at the lab during her
complicated birth.

Anyway,
an hour later, the baby bird had been chucked out of its nest again, except
this time- although it was still breathing- its neck had snapped.

"That's
when she got hysterical," Mrs. Oliver said, pushing some warm chocolate
chip cookies onto the plate in front of me.

I
reached for one right away. "And she's been in her room ever since?"

"She
had a funeral first."

I
nodded.

"But
I think the fact that she buried the bird alive sent her further over the
edge."

My
eyes grew wide as I chewed.

"Rick
offered to bash it with something and put it out of its misery, you know?"
She laid her pink fingernails on the counter and shook her head. "But Andi
couldn't bear the thought."

I
swallowed. "Sounds like a mess alright."

"If
you can get her to eat a cookie," she said, nodding at the plate. "I
would consider that real progress."

I
slid off the tall barstool and lifted the plate. "I'll do my best. And
thanks for the cookies. Between you and me, they're the best on the
block."

Her
eyes smiled at me as I rounded the corner and headed upstairs.

"Andi?"
I said, tapping lightly on the door. "It's Shane. Can I come in?"

She
didn't answer.

I
twisted the knob with my free hand and stepped in her room. She was lying face
down on her bed, her cheek crushed against the pillow so I could see her bee
stung eyes.

She
was wearing a thin tank top, and I let my eyes travel first over the smooth
skin on her shoulders before letting them linger on her skimpy shorts, which
had a lace trim along the bottom that did little to cover her thighs at all.

It
wasn't the first time I wondered when she got so… feminine.

"Hi,"
she said, blinking her bloodshot eyes at me.

I
set the cookies down on her nightstand and pulled her desk chair up beside her
twin bed, which was wedged into the corner of the small room.

"What's
up?" she asked, without any of her usual chirpiness.

"Izzy
gets back from her drama camp today." I glanced at the lucky kitty clock on
the wall, swinging its paw like it was impatient for me to make progress.
"I thought you might want to go to the train station with me to pick her
up."

"Oh
yeah. I told her I'd be there."

"I'm
sure she would understand if you couldn't make it-"

She
laughed. "Oh yeah. That sounds like Izzy."

"No
I mean it. It sounds like you had a pretty big day already."

"If
by pretty big you mean the worst day ever, then yeah. It's been a pretty big
day." She rolled onto her side.

I
fought the urge to look at the shallow line of cleavage that peeked out from
her tank top. "At least you tried to help, Andi. A lot of people wouldn't
have even gone to the trouble."

She
rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "Yeah, well. A lot of
people are just as bad as that murderous, negligent, evil robin living on our
front porch.”

I
raised my eyebrows.

She
lifted her head. "And it's still there!”

I
bit the inside of my cheek.

“My
parents said it's the circle of life and all this crap and that just because
she's a shitty mom doesn't mean she deserves to lose her home."

"And
you disagree?"

She
rolled towards me again and curled herself into a ball. "Yeah. I think she
should fuck off with the precious chick she let live, the one she didn't toss out
of her nest like a piece of garbage."

I
moved to sit on the edge of the bed and laid a hand on her arm.

"I
don't want to see her every day and be reminded of the way her baby- who was
still hairless with bulging blind eyes, by the way- looked as it took its last
breath."

"I
know. And I'm sorry about-"

"Major
Tom."

I
smiled. "Yeah. I’m sorry about Major Tom. Maybe you could show me his
grave later."

She
sniffled. "I tried to make it nice. I put some rocks and twigs around it
and laid a flower over him."

"I’m
sure it’s lovely."

"I
hope so."

"I
think you did a good thing, Andi. I know it was awful and that you're upset,
but at least Major Tom didn't come and go from this world without making an
impression."

She
closed her eyes and laid a hand over mine where it was resting on her shoulder.
"How soon does Izzy's train get in?"

"Not
for a while. Why?"

She
looked up at me, her eyes still full of pain. "Would it be weird if I
asked you to hold me for a few minutes?"

I
shook my head. "Not at all."

I
crawled over her and lowered myself between her and the wall.

Then,
just as I was about to wrap my arm around her, she rolled towards me and buried
her head against the nape of my neck.

"Thank
you," she whispered.

And
as I hugged her close, I realized it was the first time we’d ever laid in a bed
together.

Just
the two of us.