Page 8 of Seven+Four

So, I tried to put some distance between us—not easy when he’s part of my family—and then the truth about him having abiological brother came out. Our relationship is a mess of epic proportions now.For me at least. Pushing him away was the best option. And yet, I’m incapable of not feeling happy whenever he’s near me, despite all the confusion and anguish he creates whenever he’s close. He’s ineluctable. Impossible to fight or pull away from. Maybe because this—not only physical—distance between us feels foreign to me. I’m used to having him around all the time. The near absence of boundaries was caused by his sociopathic nature but also by my inability to say no to him.The absence of firm definitions of our respective roles, though, that’s all Uri.

At the end of the day, ending that kind of codependent relationship was a good decision. Even though there’s still a part of me that feels perpetually cold without him.

Is a little of him better than a lot of nothing?I’m not sure.

“Super Model is here,” Lori teases Uri. “Does that mean we have to stop having a blast talking smack about him?”

Uri reaches the table. His eyes remain firmly on my face as he replies, “Lori, you’re like a human boomerang, always coming back with more shit.”

“My Grizzly!” Rami’s exclamation takes my attention away from them. He greets Hunter with a kiss, a bit tooFrenchfor a public place.

“Little Wasp.” As soon as he hears his nickname, Lori jumps and runs to Bez. Uri swiftly takes the chair next to me. His arm falls on the back of my chair, fingers playing with the end of my braid. I suck in a breath. Why am I always so aware of him?

Ollie finally hangs up his phone.

“How is Sully?” I ask, trying hard to distract myself.

“Preparing to move to college. He looks okay. I’m the one apprehensive as fuck.”

“But it was his decision to live on campus, right?” Michael asks as he sits on Raph’s lap. Seeing my brother so possessive of someone else always makes me smile. Raph and I were the only ones legally adopted by Meg and Linda because we had no relatives alive. We lived only the two of us in Meg’s huge house for roughly six months before the others moved in with us from the group home. We also started Bear-Stone Labs together from scratch. He’s the second brother I’ve shared most of my life with. The first will always be Uri, even though I have never really thought of him as a brother. How could I ever have these kinds of…reactions to a brother?

Ollie nods. “The therapist said it will do Sully good to leave his comfort zone and go be with people his own age.”

Lori steps behind him and grabs his shoulders. “We will all check on him, right, Reacher?” Lori looks at Rami. He has funny nicknames for all of us. He calls me Angel… If he only knew the dark desires I keep inside.

“Yes,” Rami tries to reassure Ollie. “Serena is on it. Don’t worry.”

“I know. It’s just…it’s been so hard for him since he was taken and…” Ollie still feels guilty about his brother’s kidnapping. It almost broke both of them.

“We know. But Sully-doo is a fighter, strong and resilient,” Michael reminds him.

“Ren is going to the same college.” Raph looks at Hunter. Ren is one of the triplet boys who live with him and Rami.

“Yeah, he’s trying a few classes. He’ll help Sully out.”

“They’re both studying veterinary medicine, and they’re already chummy chums. Experiencing college will be good for Sully-doo. I can attest to that,” Lori adds. He’s studying to become a lawyer, since his paralegal work at Gabe’s law firm doesn’t satisfy him anymore.

“Dare can help to keep an eye on him as well. He’s become my mini-me hacker, working for Hunter’s PI agency.” Rami takes a sip of mimosa.

“Does he cover his junk in lace, too?” Lori smirks shamelessly.

The spray of mimosa couldn’t be better aimed, and I gasp as I witness the scene unfurling in front of me. Rami turns his head as the drink spews from his mouth, hitting Gabe, who is standing on his right. He coughs hard as he bends over to catch his breath while Hunter pats his back.

“Are you on glue?” Rami coughs out. “Making me think about Dare like that!”

“Quit your bellyaching nonsense,” Bez grumbles, looking down at the wet spot on his suit. I’m not sure who he is talking to.

“Better being the one to spit than being soaked in someone else’s saliva.” Gabe is wiping himself with one of the napkins from the table, trying to get the combination of spit and mimosa off his suit—while Bez growls furiously.

“Well, I’m more of aswallowerthan a spitter.” Lori winks at him. Then he grabs his suit lapels and pushes himself on the tips of his toes. His face is still far from Gabe/Bez’s since he’s tiny compared to them. “Need me to remind you?”

I hear Rami muttering, “I wish I was a fly.”

“Ugh,” Ollie elbows him with a disgusted face.

“Training a few would be great. Flies would make great detectives,” Hunter states. He is so big and handsome.

“They already are. The first recorded use of flies in a criminal investigation was in 13th-century China. By studying the fly population and their larval stages at a crime scene, the buzzing creatures help forensic scientists estimate the time of death.” Michael is addressing us like he would in one of his college classes. They’re always filled with students. He’s a great teacher.

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