Page 31 of Unsaid Things

Aaron came through the door, closing it behind him, clucking his tongue at her. “That’s not very sisterly of you, Abby.”

She led him to the dining room table, not wanting him to get comfortable on the couch. “Abandoning Mom and me for two years isn’t very brotherly.” She sat down, not offering him a glass of water or anything. “Why are you here, Aaron? What do you want?”

Pulling out the chair across from her, he leaned back, slouching down, one ankle propped on the opposite knee. “I thought we covered this before. I came to visit Mom for Christmas. And now I want to see how you’re doing. Make sure this guy is treating you right.”

With a bark of laughter, Abby shook her head. “Whatever, Aaron. You haven’t given a shit since you left. Why now all of a sudden? Where’ve you been? Why did you come back?”

“Oooh. ‘Shit,’ Abby? Your language has devolved since I left. Your boyfriend a bad influence?”

“You know, it hasn’t escaped my notice that every time I ask you a question you refuse to answer or change the subject.”

He smirked again. “You always were the smart one.”

She stared at him. His expression didn’t change. “Okay. Well, you’ve seen where I live. Now it’s time for you to go. I have homework.” She stood.

He didn’t budge. “I thought you said you had plans.”

“I do. That’s why I need to get my homework done now. Time to go. It shouldn’t be a problem for you. You’re good at leaving.”

His hand flew to his chest, clutching at his sweatshirt under his open coat. “You wound me, Abby.”

She didn’t say anything, waiting for him to stand up. The sound of the door handle turning broke their staring contest, Abby’s head swiveling toward the sound.

Lance walked through the door. “Hey, Abby. How was your—“ He cut off when he saw Abby standing at the table, her brother sitting across from her. “What’s going on here?”

“Aaron came by for an unexpected visit. He was just leaving.” Abby stared at her brother some more.

He stood, slowly unfolding himself, puffing out his chest as he stepped closer to Lance. “So this is the boyfriend, huh?” He glanced pointedly around the apartment. “I’d’ve expected better from some guy with a full time job. According to Mom, you make good money.”

A muscle ticked in Lance’s jaw as he set down his keys on the little table near the door and took off his coat. “Is that why you’re here? Money?”

“No, Lance—“ Abby tried to break through the extra tension between Lance and her brother.

Aaron cut her off. “Why? You got some for me?”

“Aaron!”

Lance stared him down, his nostrils flaring. “If I do, you’ll leave and leave her alone.” It wasn’t a question, but a hard command. Abby had never heard Lance use that tone of voice, not even when he’d been angry at his dad when they were in Texas.

Abby tried to step between them, but Lance reached out and pulled her to his side. Aaron still wore his smirk, his blue eyes calculating as they ran over her and Lance standing together. Lance reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, taking out a handful of bills and holding them out toward her brother. “Here. This is all the cash I have on me. Take it and leave.”

Abby drew in a breath, ready to object, but the pressure of Lance’s fingers on her hip stopped her.

Aaron looked them over again, reached out, and snatched the wad of bills from Lance’s fingers. He gave them both a nod, his shoulder colliding with Lance as he passed them to leave. Abby knew it was deliberate.

Once the door clicked close, Lance strode over and flipped the deadbolt and the lock on the handle before coming back to Abby. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. “You okay?”

Abby nodded. “Yeah. He showed up like ten minutes before you got home. He still won’t tell me why he’s here.”

“What did he say?”

“Just that he wanted to visit Mom and make sure you were treating me right.”

Lance made a sound in his throat that Abby couldn’t decipher.

She pressed her face into the fabric of his dress shirt, inhaling him, letting his scent fill her to replace the smell of stale smoke that followed her brother around and letting the feel of his arms around her ground her again. “I wish he’d just leave. We were fine without him. Why is he here? What does he want? I wish he’d never come.”

Lance ran his hands up and down her back, soothing her. “I know. Me too.”

When Lance inhaled to say something else, Abby pulled back and pasted on the brightest smile she could manage. “Hungry?” She didn’t want to hash this out right now. There were too many things going through her mind. Worry, irritation, frustration. She needed to sort it out, and not get in a fight with Lance over him giving her brother money. That would seem like just a little taste to Aaron, and he’d be back for more now. But it was done, and she’d let it happen.

His brows were still drawn down, his eyes searching hers, but he let go of whatever else he might’ve said, brushing his lips against hers in another brief kiss. “Starving. Did you have anything planned for dinner?”

“Not really. Delivery? Or should we go get something?”

“Let’s go get something. Let me change real quick.”

He disappeared into the bedroom, leaving the door open while he discarded his work clothes for jeans and a long-sleeve henley shirt. Abby put on her shoes and jacket while she waited for him, completing the actions on autopilot. Aaron had grown more and more manipulative as a teenager, and his sudden reappearance and evasiveness meant he was working some kind of angle. Money seemed to be the key to Aaron’s appearance today. Once Lance gave him the cash he left without protest. Why did he need it? She harbored no illusions that what Lance gave him was enough to get him to leave for good. And she knew that he would leave again at some point. He’d done it once already. She’d rather he just go sooner than later so she could quit worrying about it. How much money did he need to leave? And could she come up with it without involving Lance?

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