Page 86 of The Other Brother

“I guess not,” I say finally.

Oz’s wordsswirl around my head when I get home. How I’m not the person anyone turns to for important stuff.

I know I joke around a lot. But the idea that no one can trust me with anything serious doesn’t sit well inside me. I mean, I want to be a paramedic. That’s the definition of shit turning serious, isn’t it?

I’m in the kitchen making myself a sandwich when I hear a car pulling up. I’m vaguely hoping it’s Cody, even though I know he’s got a piano lesson this afternoon. I walk out into the hallway, stuffing the sandwich into my mouth.

But it’s not Cody. It’s Mel. She’s barely out of her car before another car pulls into the driveway next to her. Kate’s car.

Something coils deep in my gut.

I open the door just as Mel arrives on the doorstep.

“What are you two doing here?” I ask.

“We want to talk to you.”

Oh God. It’s a sisterly intervention. It’s been a while since I’ve had the delight of one of these. And I have a sneaking suspicion I know the theme of this one.

“Shit, you’re getting huge!” I say to Kate as she arrives inside, trying to distract.

“I am growing another human inside of me,” Kate says stiffly.

“If you lay on the beach right now, I’m pretty sure volunteers would turn up to save the stranded whale.”

“Thanks, Ryan, that’s exactly what I needed to hear.”

“No problem. I live to please.”

“You know, when I saw Cody the other day, he offered to give me a foot massage. You call me a whale. And you wonder why he’s our favorite.”

She’s saying it to rile me up, but I smirk in reply. “I hope you took him up on that offer. Cody gives amazing massages.”

Kate flicks a glance to Mel. “About that.”

“About what?”

“About you and Cody.”

My shoulders stiffen, but I keep my voice light. “Let me guess. You’re here to tell me we're both your brothers, you love us lots, and hope we make each other really happy. That’s so nice of you.”

Kate snorts. “Yeah, that wasn’t exactly what we were planning to lead with.”

“How long has it been going on?” Mel asks.

“Is that any of your business?”

“Actually, I think who our brother dates qualifies as our business under the big sister laws,” Kate says.

The big sister laws. God. They had me convinced they were real for the first ten years of my life.

“And when our brothers are dating each other, it doubly qualifies as our business,” Mel adds.

“I know technically you’re not related. It’s just… weird,” Kate says.

I fold my arms across my chest. “As you said, we’re not related. We barely knew each other before this summer. I don’t get how it’s weird.”

“Um… because of us?” Kate points at Mel then at herself. “Kind of a major thing you have in common that most boyfriends don’t?”