Page 128 of Burn Bright

“Cute but worthless unless you have brick, wood, and wheat.” He turns to me. “Which is going to be hard to get when you have nothing.”

I stare at little brick pieces on the colorful board. “I don’t think I have much of a chance here, anyway.”

Xander scoots his chair closer to me. “You care if I help him?” he asks Harriet, and I’m not sure who’s more surprised—me or her.

“You are family. I would only expect as much.” She chews on a smile. “Make sure he doesn’t pawn off his T-shirt too.”

“Jesus, if Ben strips, we have worse problems.”

I laugh and nod to Harriet. “You wouldn’t want this shirt?” It’s a white ringer tee that sayslove the planetin blue lettering.

“If you want to include it with the brick, I won’t complain.”

Xander cuts me another look like,please don’t show your abs in here.It will draw attention to our table, and since he’s allergic to the spotlight, I’m not trying to make my cousin go into anaphylactic shock. I just show him my cards, letting him help me.

Xander inspects them. “Ben will give youonebrick for two sheep.”

“Cheapo.”

“We can’t let you make the longest road and end the game in two seconds, and he needs the brick to do literally anything.”

“Fine. I won’t leave him destitute. Here you go, Cobalt boy.” She slides over two sheep. “The Hale to the rescue.”

I wonder if she knows the impact those words have on Xander. If she can see him intake a deeper breath. He tries to play it off by concentrating on my hand and his. My smile widens, and we end up joking, laughing, trading cards, trying to thwart each other from building new settlements.

Xander helps me win.

I’m used to my brothers being out for blood duringCandy Land. Don’t even talk about Monopoly.Eliot will buy up every property you need. Taking the W isn’t why my chest rises, my lungs fill, though. It’s feeling the ice melt between us for the first time in years.

I shouldn’t gamble with today. I should leave this one good thing exactly where it is. I could ride this feeling into the morning. The euphoria of knowing something has gone epically right.

Then Xander invites us back to his apartment to hang out and discuss our group presentation for Classical Mythology. Yeah, we’re presenting together and not by choice. Our professor chose groups depending on seat arrangements, and we were all sitting side by side by side.

I’m torn on being around him for longer.

The desire to hang out with Xander overrides the fear. Maybe because Harriet is with me. So I take the risk.

29

BEN COBALT

Xander’s apartment is similarly laid out to my brothers’ place three floors above, except Xander’s is a two-bedroom he shares with Easton and resembles more of a casual crash pad. Gray sectional, ginormous television, gaming system, and state-of-the-art surround sound.

He moved in this summer, but this is my first time stepping foot here.

My effort to rebuild anything with Xander hasn’t been great. Tonight, I realize how much I want to leave things better than they were with him. I feel like I finally have a chance to.

He’s opening the fridge. “You two want a beer?”

“Sure, what do you have?” Harriet asks, slinging her backpack on the sectional. She slides into the corner cushions.

“Koning, Miller, Yuengling.”

“I’ll take a Yuengling.”

He pulls out two glass bottles, then asks, “Ben?”

“I’m good with my water.” I sit on one side of Harriet and watch Xander pop the caps. I wonder how often he drinks.