Page 105 of Bronx

Is Kevin on fucking drugs?

There’s no way in hell I’m contacting Sasha about anything, especially if it involves her moving back to my town.

I’m not the reserved twin brother of Bronx Masterson anymore. I’m not just going to eat whatever passive aggressive shit her snobby ass family dishes out to me and smile through it all. I’m not going to fuck her senseless in the back of a car, under the stars in the park, or in a shitty short stay motel because her parents won’t let me in the front door.

Things are different now.

If Kevin wants to ensure the safety of his big sister, then maybe he should get his ass on a plane and make sure of it.

Since when is Sasha my responsibility?

I hear laughter floating through the walls of the office, and it snaps me back into reality. My family is out there celebrating a win and they’re waiting for me.

Fuck this email.

I’ve spent too much time on it as it is.

I exit my email program and close my laptop. After this drink with my Mom, I think I’ll give the chick I met at the club last week a call. I like her because she seems to be looking for a super uncomplicated thing, just like me.

Imagine my surprise when I’m halfway to the corner booth and see my aunts fawning over another man, who looks just like me and is quickly on his way to becoming good and drunk.

“Twin!” Bronx greets me with an unusual exuberance that’s fueled by whiskey and pure asshole foolishness.

“Awwww,” Aunt Sloan comments. “Look at the two of them. They’re just as adorable as they were when they were kids. You’ll see, Adriana, they grow up so fast. You blink your eyes and your kids are unrecognizable, yet the same.”

The thing is, I know my brother just about as well as I know myself and something’s off. His new normal is low and quiet, not loud and social. The way he’s acting right now can only mean that he’s in a world of pain. I just didn’t realize he was capable of feeling anything lower than he already has.

After I give my aunts the obligatory hugs hello, I say to Bronx, “let me talk to you a minute.”

“Ooh, doesn’t he sound super serious?” he asks the group, mocking me.

The aunts are giggling, probably already a few drinks in before they arrived, but my mom is not. She knows exactly what I know about Bronx and she’s worried too.

I can’t have that shit.

“Bronx, my office, now,” I demand.

He mockingly salutes me, but stands anyway and sways side to side as he follows me back to my office. I wink at my Mom, assuring her that I’ve got things handled, and she returns my gesture with a small smile.

Once he’s staggered in, I slam the door and give him the kind of look our Father has given us many times before.

“What are you doing showing up here, drunk?”

Bronx catapults himself on the brown leather sofa I have in the office.

“Don’t people get drunk here?”

“You just embarrassed your Mother out there.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? Ma ain’t embarrassed of me.”

“What do you want, Bronx? Why are you here?”

“When the hell did you become so serious?” he laughs.

“I’ve always been this serious.”

“That explains everything, then.”