Page 64 of Three Pucking Ex's Brothers

My senior year, I thought Kira Colby actuallylikedme and had asked me out because she thought I was cute. When I overheard her talking to her friend in the girls bathroom—because I’d gone to the water fountain at the most inopportune time—telling her friend she couldn’t wait to meet Brett andtrade up, I felt like shit for days.

I think I realized then that not everyone is who they say they are, and maybe I rationalized that it was easier to be single if the world was full of people like Kira.

But talking to Nora today…it made me wantmore.I didn’t want her to leave my truck, wanted to keep her talking about everything under the sun just so I could listen to her. I liked listening to her…even if it was about how shitty my brother was.

“You want to know the crazy part?” I ask as I put my shoes on.

“What?” Zack leans back languidly, looking at me in question.

“I’m not surprised.”

Zack raises an eyebrow. “What?”

“I mean, Brett’s famous now, right? It’s not like he’s ever had a serious girlfriend, period, and now that he’s like, a local celebrity…”

“Yeah, but…it’s one thing to play the field and another to date a woman for a year.”

“My point exactly,” I say sharply. “You and Chloe have been together forever, whether you weretogetheror not,” I remind him. “But Brett’s always been the guy with a new date on his arm every Christmas. I don’t know why anyone is surprised that he let his little head do the talking and fucked up something good.”

Zack nods. “Guess you’re right, but you can’t tell me you’re pissed off or distracted just because your playboy brother fucked a princess from another castle.”

I purse my lips as I stand, grabbing for my duffel and shutting my locker. Zack does the same.

“So whatreallyhas your knickers in a twist, T?”

I debate telling him the truth, worried he’ll judge me. But in truth, I want to tellsomeone.Judgment or not, I feel like I need to talk, and Zack always lets me talk.

He looks around the room full of our teammates, some half-dressed, others already working on making their exit.

“Tell you what, you can tell me in the car. When it’s just the two of us.”

I feel a little less on the spot and nod in agreement. “Okay.”

I follow him out, feeling a fraction better. When the cool air kisses my skin, I breathe a sigh of relief. I pile into the passenger seat of Zack’s Malibu, and as soon as he turns the car on, music blares through the speakers. Some emo-sounding stuff I don’t know, but then again I can’t keep up with his shifting music tastes.

Most of what I listen to is binaural beats and low-fi because I can’t stand loud noisy music that’s too overstimulating. My mind is stimulated enough, thank you very much.

He turns the radio down a bit, enough that I know he can hear me, and as he backs out of the parking lot, he says, “Spill.”

I don’t think, I just start talking, the words finding their way out of me of their own accord. “Freddie and Rush brought Nora home last night.”

Zack turns to me with wide eyes. “What?”

“I mean, not like they brought her home in like…the sexual sense?—”

I know that wasn’t their intention, if only because Rush and Freddie have never been the type of guys to hit on another man’s girl. Especially their brother’s. No, I know they were at the club, and judging from the dress I saw on the coffee table, I’d wager Nora was there with them. Though I could infer it was a meet-up situation and not that they were hanging out together like theywenttogether. Rush, Freddie, and Nora have never hung out outside of family stuff, to my knowledge.

“I mean, I’m pretty sure they were drunk. At least, Rush and Nora probably were since we all know Freddie doesn’t drink.” I squirm in my seat as the words come easily despite the fact that Idon’twant to say them.

My phone buzzes in my my pocket, but I can’t pick it up right now. Not with my damn heart in my throat as I admit to Zack my darkest secret yet.

“I saw them. Last night…Nora and…Rush,” I say carefully. “On the couch together. They were kissing and?—”

“Oh shit.” Zack whistles. “You think she was cheating on your brother with Rush?”

My eyes widen. “What? No!” I say, shaking my head. “Why would you?—”

“I mean, you said he cheated on her, right? Did she tell you that or?—”