Page 54 of Burn Bright
“Dude, you take thirty-second showers.” Tom interjects as he comes out of the cabinet with an armful of hair products. “If you weren’t masturbating, what were you doing?”
Fuck my life. “You want to know, then you’d have to tell me the last person you jacked off to.” This’ll get them to back off…I think.
Eliot opens his hands. “That’s only fair. Mine was a hate-jerking.”
I make a face. “What does that even mean?”
“It means I was jacking off to my enemy’s sister as a fuck you.”
Do I even want to ask who that is? Anyone who marginally slights our family, Eliot has written off and the list is long.
Tom acts busy reading a product label.
“And you?” I wonder.
“Hmm?”
Eliot shoves his arm. “Share.”
Tom shoots him a wide-eyed look. So…he doesn’t want to share with me? Great, he’s giving me an out too. I say, “We don’t have to tell each other anything?—”
“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s that, uh, it’s secret-ish.” Tom cinches one eye closed. “From Beckett.”
My brows jump. “You’re keeping a secret from Beckett? Why?”
Eliot’s lips drop in disappointment at Tom. “Brother, no.”
“I can’t fucking help it, Eliot. He’shot.Like extremely fucking hot, and he winked at me.”
“That was one time, and it might’ve been an eye twitch,” Eliot refutes, then clues me in, “it’s Leo Valavanis.”
My frown heavies. “Beckett seriouslyhateshim.” I’ve never heard Beckett curse someone out like he does Leo. Honestly, I’m not even sure Tom’s hostility toward Harriet is equivalent.
Eliot nods. “It’s one thing to hate-jerk to get back at an enemy. Another thing to fuck your brother’s mortal foe.”
Tom groans, “I’m not actually going to hook up with Leo. I know it’s probably not possible.”
“Impossible,” Eliot amends.
“Impossible,” Tom agrees, then stares me down. “Your turn.”
I’m really going to have to admit this. Telling them I was just standing in the shower wasting water will send off a million alarm signals. Eliot is already laser-focused on me, waiting for the answer.
I want to say the truth, but how the hell do I do that? There’s a war within me to even say her name. Tom’s not a fan of hers after she auditioned to be his drummer, and it’d only drawtension between us. I’m trying,trying, not to cause any further friction.
I run the towel against the back of my neck. “She’s a girl from college.”
Eliot rinses his mouth. “Do we know her?”
“You might.” I act like it’s unimportant, trying to throw them off the scent.
“Seems like we do,” Tom says, appearing satisfied with my answer. He’s half-reading the label to a hair product, then tossing the bottle back in a bin.
I reknot the towel around my waist. “I have a meeting with my advisor.” I wind past both their bodies to reach the exit, but Eliot quickly puts a hand on the door before I grab the knob.
“Why the caginess?” His brows furrow. “We’re brothers,brother.” He leans more of his weight on the door, impeding me from leaving. “Which reminds me, I’m creating a group calendar. We’re all going to share our schedules with each other.I’ll send you the link.”
I frown. “Charlie too?”
