Page 31 of Unlocked Dive

“She wanted to go to design school as a kid but didn’t have the patience to stay in one place for that long. Or to learn all the math.” I swat away the wine cork she throws at me with the dish towel in my hand. “Show him the Amsterdam series you did last year so he can check out his new playground.”

Echo shoots me a look, but I’m not rescuing him. He’s handled her enthusiasm and her incessant questions surprisinglywell all night, turning his easy flirtatious charm her way. He’s been confident and polite with James as well, his trust-fund manners on full display.

Even now that he’s a little drunk, I’m the one struggling to maintain the facade. The whole time I’m drying and putting away the dishes and catching up with James at the sink, I can’t keep my eyes off him. His flushed cheeks and wine-stained lips heighten his already-dramatic coloring to paralyzing levels, and I’m jealous of every brush of his arm against Elke’s, every bump of their knees under the island.

When he catches me staring for the hundredth time, he bites his lip to hold in a smile, arching his brow. It’s getting easier to banish Gabriel every time Echo claims the gesture, overwriting old memories with new. My lips quirk in response, and I shake my head as he bends back to Elke’s iPad.

“So,” he says, shoulders trembling with suppressed laughter. “Amsterdam?”

“So,” Elke responds, deadpan. “Are you fucking my big brother?”

I freeze, fingers tightening reflexively on the wineglass in my hand, as James’s head comes up beside me and Echo’s eyes flash to mine.

“Not yet.” He holds my gaze a second longer before turning to her with a shrug. “He’s playing hard to get.”

“Really? That doesn’t sound like Coen.”

“Elke.”

They both ignore me.

“Oh yeah,” Echo continues. “He’s been a paragon of self-control. Apparently, he’s immune to my wiles.”

“Tell me more.”

“Elke, give it a rest.”

James is watching us now, the dishes forgotten in the sink.

“This is you playing nice?” I add to Echo when he finally looks at me again.

“You said keep it in my pants.” He turns on his stool, knees opening, and spreads his arms. “Fully covered.”

“You’re quite the brat, aren’t you?” Elke giggles like a goddamn teenager, and I can feel James tensing at my side. “I bet you could teach Coen a thing or two.”

“You have no idea.” Echo tilts his head at me. “Gonna send me to my room now?”

“That might be a little awkward since it’s currently my room.” My sister tosses me a devious smile. “But I’m happy to switch and take the couch.”

“Jesus, Elke.”Damage control.“Can you keep your mouth shut for five fucking seconds?”

“I’m only trying to help.”

“No you’re not. You’re trying to stir up shit, as usual.”

“Wait.”James. “Before you two get into one of your sibling battles, can I ask a question?” He doesn’t wait for my reply. “I thought Echo was supposed to be your student?”

“He is.”Here we go.

Is it too late to turn back the clock and stop myself from staring at Echo for five seconds too long? To prevent the inevitable collision of curiosity and pride? I should have taken James out to dinner and left Echo and Elke to babysit each other.

You wanted to show him off.

“So this is all bullshit? Or is ‘student’ some kind of new euphemism for fuck toy in the gay community?” Sarcasm drips from James’s voice.

Echo bursts out laughing. “Don’t you live in San Francisco?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” James glowers at him.