Page 15 of Dirty Martini
“Okay. Well, thanks for that,” he huffs, and the irritation in his voice makes my steps stutter. I guess I earned that for being a dick, but it still makes my blood boil.
“Watch it,” I bark, knowing my temper—which is usually very manageable—is getting to me. “You’re lucky I took you here in the first place.”
“I would have been fine going on my own.” Shaking his head at me, he stands his ground. “If you didn’t want to come that badly, then why did you?”
He’s looking at me expectantly, a sharp hint of a backbone in his eyes, but I don’t know how strong he thinks he is with theway his hands shake as they hold his books. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was self-combusting.
I bite down hard on my lip. While I have no problem being honest, I’m not sure if Elton wants me sharing the promise I made. I can see how some people would react to knowing their brother thinks they need some type of babysitter, like they can’t trust them enough to just figure things out on their own. Maybe if I told Everest the truth, he’d get pissed and confront Elton, making this whole thing go away. But even though I hate the responsibility I’ve been given, I don’t actually want to see these two brothers going at each other’s throats.
A throat clears in front of us, and we both notice that we’re in the front of the line. Instead of answering his question, I just wave a hand in front of us. “It’s our turn.”
He holds his ground for just one more second before nodding and heading to pay. The books, of course, are expensive as shit, but he slides his fancy black card easily and doesn’t even gawk at the price.
We exit the bookstore quickly. More like I hightail it out of there and Everest is left to follow in my wake. Foote University Green is in front of us, an expansive manicured lawn lined with palm trees and dorm rooms. I know from previous experience that sometimes UM will hold fairs and concerts here, but right now it’s just filled with students lounging around on blankets and benches. We parked near the Student Center, so that’s where my feet automatically take me. We have to pass by the Hurricane Food Court as we do, and I almost miss it when Everest stops behind me. “What?”
“Are you hungry?” he asks, gesturing at the Pollo Tropical and other little restaurants that line the building. I shake my head, but my stomach grumbles loudly and betrays me. He snorts. “Want to grab some food?”
“Fuck no.” The words come out before I can think better of it. It was an automatic reaction because is he stupid? Does he actually think I want towillinglyspend time with him?
This whole thing is ridiculous. I can’t do this. I can’t be nice to him. It’s physically impossible. I tried my hardest for Elton—as hard as I could—but Everest’s innocent question has ruined any sort of efforts I’ve been trying to make.
He looks flustered, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he opens and closes his mouth. “It was just a question?—”
I can’t help it. Holy shit, I’m losing control. I shove his chest, forcing him to stumble back, because all the rage inside me is just boiling and boiling the longer I’m around him. Somehow, I manage to control myself just a little bit, biting back what I want to say. “We’re going home.”
I start walking back to the car, but Everest is hot on my heels. He reaches for me, trying to slow me down, and I whip my head at him. “Don’tfuckingtouch me.”
He gasps and drops his hand immediately. “Rhys?—”
“I don’t want to hear shit out of you right now,” I seethe, knowing that—to Everest—I’m probably acting irrational, but am I?
Unless Everest is an idiot, he has to know that the bad blood between us runs thick. I don’t believe that this tension is just lost on him. But maybe it is. He’s acting like everything is fine, like we’re friends, and like the past has just magically disappeared.
It fucking hasn’t.
He doesn’t try to stop me or say anything else as I walk away. I hop into my car and barely stop myself from driving away without him. He stumbles in awkwardly, throwing nervous glances my way, but I just ignore his presence. With a clenched jaw, I start the car and head back home.
The drive back is uneasy and filled with awkwardness. My momentary break fills the air with a sense of discomfort. I don’tcare. The less attached Everest gets, the better. This is nothing but a promise to Elton. That’s it.
I just have to remember that, because I don’t know how much longer I can hold myself back from letting the anger win.
CHAPTER SIX
Everest
Elton isthe king of guilt trips.
I wastryingto stay in my room and ignore Rhys after the tense morning we had. Something happened to Rhys today, something I wasn’t prepared for, and I was a fool to think it wouldn’t be like this between us.
Rhys hates me. He loathes me. He didn’t say it, but it was written clear as day in his eyes. The venom, the toxicity, the unadulterated rage that he threw my way at a simple question made me quiver in fear. The evidence that Rhys sees me as an enemy, as a cockroach under his feet, as someone so undeserving of kindness and compassion cuts through me. I deserve it, I so fucking do, butseeingit is different fromthinkingit.
So when Elton rather loudly announced we’d be going out tonight when Rhys and I got home, I nearly shit myself.
I wanted to say no. I really did. I love my brother, but being around him for even just a little bit is hard enough already. All I wanted was to continue to unpack my things, crawl under the covers, and not come out for a few days. I don’t even like going out. Alcohol is fun, and Knox and I drink plenty when we’re in the mood, but I grew out of my partying phase when I wasfourteen. When the very thought of being in a crowded space and forcing myself to be carefree became too much, I shrank into myself, only letting my one friend in. But the look on Elton’s face when hetoldnotaskedme to come showed it all. I couldn’t crush his hope for us to bond.
My hands shake as I stand in front of the sink, my body heating up. I try to splash some cold water on my face to calm myself down, but it accomplishes nothing. I swear, I feel like I’m going to throw up right this second. Maybe I can claim I have food poisoning and skip? Elton wouldn’t be able to blame me for being sick.
“You could at least try to be nicer to him.”
