Page 28 of The Other Brother

“I thought he was a dorky goody-two-shoes who always tried to upstage you,” Harvey continues.

I wince hearing the words come out of Harvey’s mouth. Because I’m fairly sure they’re an echo of something I’ve said.

“Yeah, I might have been a bit premature with my opinion. He’s actually a good guy.”

“From what the people you’ve hooked up with say, it’s not the only thing you’re premature about.” Harvey chortles at his own joke.

I roll my eyes as I squirt some lime syrup into the bowl and give everything an overenthusiastic swirl. I then grab a handful of mint leaves from the fridge to sprinkle on top, because we’ve got private school people here, and I’m going for classy.

“Anyone want some punch?” I ask loudly.

“Yes please,” Annabel calls out from across the room where she’s on the couch next to Eddie.

I ladle some punch into a glass then walk it over to her, trying not to glance at the way her lowcut tank top highlights her impressive cleavage.

“Now that’s what I call hospitality,” she says, taking a sip.

“You know me, superior in all dimensions,” I say.

Annabel replies with a knowing smirk. I know her mind has probably gone somewhere X-rated. We’ve done the casual hook up thing a few times. I’ve never been interested in doing the relationship thing with anyone; they look like more trouble than they’re worth. Normally I’d be up for a bit of flirty banter though—along with soccer and surfing, it’s a sport that I excel at—but Cody’s sitting right there watching our exchange. So instead I glance at him. “You want to try my incredible punch?”

Cody shakes his head, unsettling his dark curls. “Nah, I’m fine thanks.”

“So, how do you guys know each other?” Eddie asks, glancing between us.

Cody's shoulders stiffen. He shoots me a look.

“It’s complicated,” I say.

“Complicated?”

“Yeah. You know my sisters? Mel and Kate?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, they’re his sisters too.”

Eddie’s brow crumbles. “So, you’re like, stepbrothers?”

“No. My mum and his dad were married to each other, like, twenty years ago, and they had Mel and Kate. Then after they separated, my mum married my dad, and they had me, and Cody’s dad married his mum and had him.”

“Right. So. Complicated then,” Eddie says.

“Yeah, complicated,” Cody echoes. For a second his gaze clashes with mine. I don’t recognize the look in his eyes.

From Eddie’s expression I can see he has more questions brewing, so I intercept them.

“You want punch or beer?” I nod at his empty bottle.

“Beer, thanks.”

I turn and head back to the kitchen and grab one of the beers Oz has opened before trekking back across the room to hand it to Eddie.

“Thanks, man.”

“I think I might start the barbecue,” I say.

I grab some meat from the fridge and wander outside, trying to work out why I’m feeling so weird.