Sustain
Page 28
“Good.” My hand let go of the blanket, just a bit. The material loosened around me, but I was still clutching onto it. “I didn’t know where you were going with that.”
He grunted, and his hand rested on the back of his neck. “Neither did I. This whole thing, you and me, I have no clue what’s going on. You’ve got me spinning. Then again, you always did that to me before. I’d be wound so tightly, I didn’t know if I was up or down some of the time.”
“So?” My lips were suddenly dry. My tongue darted out to wet them, and I gestured to the bed. “What does this mean?”
He straightened from the doorway and took a step closer to me. His hand hooked on his jeans, hanging there. “That’s what I’m saying. I’ve got no clue, but I won’t be a dick anymore.”
“Oh.” I was confused. “Well…thank you?”
He gestured to the ceiling. “Listen, let me get some coffee. I’ll come back down, and we can figure our shit out.”
That sounded wonderful. I closed my eyes, relishing the sound of Luke heading upstairs. He was going to get something for me. He was coming back. We were going to talk about ‘us.’ My hand curled into the sheet. Us. I hadn’t thought…I blinked back a sudden onslaught of tears. I hadn’t thought this would ever happen. An emotion was filling me, but I didn’t want to figure it out. I’d let it simmer there. I didn’t want to deal with whatever the emotion was, because if I did, and if it didn’t work out with Luke, I couldn’t handle it. I needed to stop myself from jumping too far ahead.
There was an ‘us.’ That was enough.
For now.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
“Hey!”
Someone knocked again.
“Bri? Luke? Let me in!” A voice yelled through the back door as they kept pounding on it.
I had tensed at first and went to the basement doorway, but I held back. Recognizing Braden’s voice, I relaxed, but when Luke walked across the floor for the door, my muscles tightened once again. He wasn’t—I thought he’d call through the door, but not let him in. Nope. It was in slow motion, like watching an accident happening, but I couldn’t stop it. His hand unlocked the door and wrapped around the doorknob. It twisted to the right, and yes, I sucked in my breath. He opened the door.
But nope.
His foot acted as a doorstopper. With only his head and shoulders in the doorway, Luke still blocked Braden from coming downstairs. I scurried from the doorway and grabbed my clothes. I could hear the murmur of conversation, but it was only a matter of moments before Braden pushed his way through, or Luke would let him inside. Either way, I knew my brother was going to see me in my post-coital glow. As I ran my hands through my hair, trying to smooth it out, I tried to tell myself this wasn’t a walk-of-shame. I had nothing to be ashamed of, and I wasn’t walking anywhere. Still. It was embarrassing.
“Yeah?” Braden’s voice was clearer now.
The door opened.
He stepped inside, and Luke moved back, allowing him to enter. I double-checked my appearance in the mirror. I thought I looked okay. Rolling my eyes, I knew this was ridiculous. Like Braden wouldn’t know what we had done?
The steps creaked under their weight. They were both coming downstairs.
“…we have to go. It’d be good for the band.”
Luke replied, “She crashed here tonight. You can ask her.”
“Hey!” Braden saw me.
I looked up. Moving from the bathroom, I smoothed out my shirt. My reflection showed that I looked presentable, but the mirror was more smudged than clean, so the real test would be my brother’s reaction. He did nothing. He only threw his arm around my shoulder and jostled me. “My favorite twin sister.”
“What do you want?”
He laughed, giving me a loving squeeze. “Nothing…that you shouldn’t want.”
My eyes narrowed. “Spill it, brother. I have a shift to get ready for in a couple of hours.”
“Okay.” He released me, but held up a finger. “One, you need to get out of that shift. Two, go home and shower. You reek of sex. That’s like spoon-feeding Emerson. You know how he is.”
Luke and I shared a look. Yep. He had noticed. I’d been an idiot to hope he hadn’t. Crossing my arms over my chest, I tuned in as Braden continued with his list. He had four fingers in the air, saying, “…it’s for the band. We can’t not go, you know?” He waved those fingers at Luke. “Right? You’re with me.”
“I am.”
“You are?” I cocked my head to the side. What was going on?
“Of course, he is.” Braden was shaking his head, his eyes filling with disbelief. “You don’t agree?”
“What is happening?”
The four fingers dropped back to his side, and my brother looked at me like I had grown an extra head. I checked both sides, and nope, there wasn’t a second growth there. I murmured, “Say it again, Bray. I missed the third finger.” I cringed. “And I didn’t mean that how it came out.”
The disbelief slid away, and my brother’s eyes sparkled. The corners of his mouth pinched inwards as he tried not to laugh.
“Come on.” I groaned. “Tell me what the third point was. I didn’t hear it.”
“Okay.” Two short laughs slipped from him. “The Feast is tonight. You know, where all the bands get together and take turns jamming on the stage. No outsiders are allowed. Only everyone who matters—”
His chest puffed up. He was going to launch into a spiel about The Feast, but I held up a hand, stopping him. “We know what The Feast is. We’re in the same band.”
“I know.” His mouth turned down. “Last year all those college students came. Not cool. I know it was Mel from D’s Boobs that let everyone know. No outsiders allowed—”
Luke interjected, “Unless they’re invited.” His arms were crossed over his chest, and I tried not to stare at him. Ogling Luke in front of my brother, especially after the night we had, wasn’t needed, but still…my eyes lingered on a bird tattooed over his bicep.
“One or two,” Braden snapped. “Not thirty.”
“I know.” Luke’s arms unfolded, and his hands slid inside his pockets. His jeans slipped an inch lower, exposing how his obliques cut into a V, heading downward. It was like a big arrow pointing where to go. My hand twitched, and my mouth watered. Goodness gracious. Ripping my eyes away, I knew my cheeks were flushed. I had to get ahold of myself, but I’d just been with him moments ago. The feel of his body on mine as his arms held me was addicting.
He grunted, and his hand rested on the back of his neck. “Neither did I. This whole thing, you and me, I have no clue what’s going on. You’ve got me spinning. Then again, you always did that to me before. I’d be wound so tightly, I didn’t know if I was up or down some of the time.”
“So?” My lips were suddenly dry. My tongue darted out to wet them, and I gestured to the bed. “What does this mean?”
He straightened from the doorway and took a step closer to me. His hand hooked on his jeans, hanging there. “That’s what I’m saying. I’ve got no clue, but I won’t be a dick anymore.”
“Oh.” I was confused. “Well…thank you?”
He gestured to the ceiling. “Listen, let me get some coffee. I’ll come back down, and we can figure our shit out.”
That sounded wonderful. I closed my eyes, relishing the sound of Luke heading upstairs. He was going to get something for me. He was coming back. We were going to talk about ‘us.’ My hand curled into the sheet. Us. I hadn’t thought…I blinked back a sudden onslaught of tears. I hadn’t thought this would ever happen. An emotion was filling me, but I didn’t want to figure it out. I’d let it simmer there. I didn’t want to deal with whatever the emotion was, because if I did, and if it didn’t work out with Luke, I couldn’t handle it. I needed to stop myself from jumping too far ahead.
There was an ‘us.’ That was enough.
For now.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
“Hey!”
Someone knocked again.
“Bri? Luke? Let me in!” A voice yelled through the back door as they kept pounding on it.
I had tensed at first and went to the basement doorway, but I held back. Recognizing Braden’s voice, I relaxed, but when Luke walked across the floor for the door, my muscles tightened once again. He wasn’t—I thought he’d call through the door, but not let him in. Nope. It was in slow motion, like watching an accident happening, but I couldn’t stop it. His hand unlocked the door and wrapped around the doorknob. It twisted to the right, and yes, I sucked in my breath. He opened the door.
But nope.
His foot acted as a doorstopper. With only his head and shoulders in the doorway, Luke still blocked Braden from coming downstairs. I scurried from the doorway and grabbed my clothes. I could hear the murmur of conversation, but it was only a matter of moments before Braden pushed his way through, or Luke would let him inside. Either way, I knew my brother was going to see me in my post-coital glow. As I ran my hands through my hair, trying to smooth it out, I tried to tell myself this wasn’t a walk-of-shame. I had nothing to be ashamed of, and I wasn’t walking anywhere. Still. It was embarrassing.
“Yeah?” Braden’s voice was clearer now.
The door opened.
He stepped inside, and Luke moved back, allowing him to enter. I double-checked my appearance in the mirror. I thought I looked okay. Rolling my eyes, I knew this was ridiculous. Like Braden wouldn’t know what we had done?
The steps creaked under their weight. They were both coming downstairs.
“…we have to go. It’d be good for the band.”
Luke replied, “She crashed here tonight. You can ask her.”
“Hey!” Braden saw me.
I looked up. Moving from the bathroom, I smoothed out my shirt. My reflection showed that I looked presentable, but the mirror was more smudged than clean, so the real test would be my brother’s reaction. He did nothing. He only threw his arm around my shoulder and jostled me. “My favorite twin sister.”
“What do you want?”
He laughed, giving me a loving squeeze. “Nothing…that you shouldn’t want.”
My eyes narrowed. “Spill it, brother. I have a shift to get ready for in a couple of hours.”
“Okay.” He released me, but held up a finger. “One, you need to get out of that shift. Two, go home and shower. You reek of sex. That’s like spoon-feeding Emerson. You know how he is.”
Luke and I shared a look. Yep. He had noticed. I’d been an idiot to hope he hadn’t. Crossing my arms over my chest, I tuned in as Braden continued with his list. He had four fingers in the air, saying, “…it’s for the band. We can’t not go, you know?” He waved those fingers at Luke. “Right? You’re with me.”
“I am.”
“You are?” I cocked my head to the side. What was going on?
“Of course, he is.” Braden was shaking his head, his eyes filling with disbelief. “You don’t agree?”
“What is happening?”
The four fingers dropped back to his side, and my brother looked at me like I had grown an extra head. I checked both sides, and nope, there wasn’t a second growth there. I murmured, “Say it again, Bray. I missed the third finger.” I cringed. “And I didn’t mean that how it came out.”
The disbelief slid away, and my brother’s eyes sparkled. The corners of his mouth pinched inwards as he tried not to laugh.
“Come on.” I groaned. “Tell me what the third point was. I didn’t hear it.”
“Okay.” Two short laughs slipped from him. “The Feast is tonight. You know, where all the bands get together and take turns jamming on the stage. No outsiders are allowed. Only everyone who matters—”
His chest puffed up. He was going to launch into a spiel about The Feast, but I held up a hand, stopping him. “We know what The Feast is. We’re in the same band.”
“I know.” His mouth turned down. “Last year all those college students came. Not cool. I know it was Mel from D’s Boobs that let everyone know. No outsiders allowed—”
Luke interjected, “Unless they’re invited.” His arms were crossed over his chest, and I tried not to stare at him. Ogling Luke in front of my brother, especially after the night we had, wasn’t needed, but still…my eyes lingered on a bird tattooed over his bicep.
“One or two,” Braden snapped. “Not thirty.”
“I know.” Luke’s arms unfolded, and his hands slid inside his pockets. His jeans slipped an inch lower, exposing how his obliques cut into a V, heading downward. It was like a big arrow pointing where to go. My hand twitched, and my mouth watered. Goodness gracious. Ripping my eyes away, I knew my cheeks were flushed. I had to get ahold of myself, but I’d just been with him moments ago. The feel of his body on mine as his arms held me was addicting.
