Page 108 of The Other Brother

Frank manages an upturn of his lips. “Ethan what?”

Kate’s eyes dart to Chris. “We haven’t decided on a middle name yet.”

“Ethan Ryan has a nice ring to it,” I say. “Just putting it out there.”

Kate rolls her eyes. “Thanks, Ryan. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Mum reluctantly hands Ethan over to Frank, and Cody approaches, staring down at Ethan with his brow furrowed, with that Cody look of concentration.

The pain stabs at me unexpectedly, and my eyes sting.

“I’m going to grab something from the vending machine,” I mutter, avoiding eye contact as I leave.

On the way to the vending machine, I spot a bathroom, so I duck inside.

Gripping the sides of the basin, I stare at myself in the mirror. I look haunted, like I’ve just seen all theChuckymovies back-to-back.

I really need to get my shit together.

I’m splashing some water on my face when the bathroom door opens.

Cody.

Shit.

We stare at each other.

Did he follow me in here? Or is it a total coincidence?

Hope surges inside me that he wanted to talk to me, but Cody looks seriously freaked.

The hope dies a dismal death. Coincidence then.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey,” I reply, my voice thick.

The last bathroom we were in together was at Kate’s baby shower. Was that really only a few weeks ago? I wonder if Cody is remembering that now.

He hesitates, then comes over to stand at the sink next to me. His hand trembles as he turns on the tap.

“Your mum seems better,” I say as I grab some paper towels. My eyes meet his in the mirror.

Unspoken words lie trapped on my tongue.Will you ever want me again? Will you ever get past your dad’s disapproval? Do you feel anything near the same way about me as I feel for you?

“Yeah,” he says.

I finish drying my hands.

My hand is on the doorknob when Cody speaks. “Ryan.” His voice is coated in so much anguish and desperation that I whirl around.

He closes the distance between us in a few steps, and he’s kissing me.

Actually, it goes past the definition of kissing. Cody is consuming my mouth. I can taste his desperation, feel it in the way his tongue tangles with mine, the way his lips are unyieldingly hard. I kiss him back with the same ferocity. Like I’m an addict getting my first hit in weeks.

We stumble back against the door. Cody crowding me so I can feel his whole body pressed against mine.

It feels incredible. Amazing.