Page 44 of Missed Steps
It’s not what I’d expected the first question to be after my revelation, but I’m happy for the diversion. Chris isn’t happy. I already knew he wouldn’t be. I’m not thrilled about the whole losing a leg thing, either.
I’m about to ask about his climb to fill the silence, but I have a sneaking suspicion that right about now Chris is cursing the fact that he was gone and out of range for cell service for months. He was only days out of service when the accident happened.
“We were out at a small pub down shop-street,” Mark says as he places three cups of tea down on the countertop. “Kyle entered us in the trivia-quiz championships.”
“It didn’t say anything on their Facebook page about how hard the quiz was,” I object.
“Out of a hundred, we answered about ten correctly?” Mark glances at me for confirmation.
“More like five.”
“Good to see the impact a college education is having, right?” Mark jokes. The timer I set for the oven pings and Mark urges me to stay sitting as he retrieves and cuts the pizza for us.
I reach for a slice. “There weren’t questions about my course. If there was, I would have gotten them right.”
“There was, actually,” Mark says. “You got it wrong.”
He looks amused when I shoot him a glare. “‘Who invented accounting’is not a question related to accounting. I learn how to account in class; we don’t have history lessons about it. How was I supposed to know that?”
“The Babylonians, wasn’t it?” Chris asks, still sounding distracted. He’s touched neither tea nor pizza.
I glare at him, vexed. Especially when I see Mark grin.
“I entered the quiz with the wrong brother,” Mark teases.
Despite my uncomfortable reveal, it’s a pleasant dinner. And that is all thanks to Mark. He keeps it light. Keeps the silence at bay. Keeps me talking, and even prods a few reactions out of Chris, who looks absolutely wrecked.
“Chris,” I say, as the last slice of pizza disappears into someone’s mouth, “You need to turn in for the night. No offence, but you look ready to keel over.”
Chris comes around the counter to me, rubbing my hair and planting a kiss on the crown of my head. “You’re right. I’ll see you in the morning.” His gaze slips to Mark, and I tense, waiting for him to react. Mark returns his gaze without backing down.
“Mark,” Chris says his name, acknowledging him, before going to his room.
As soon as the door shuts, I grin at Mark. “He likes you.”
Mark exhales, clearly amused. “He most certainly does not.”
“He does,” I insist. “He would have kicked you out of the apartment otherwise. He’s done that before, when I brought over friends he didn’t like.”
Mark is unconvinced and shrugs his answer.
“Thank you, by the way. You made it easier for me.”
“I didn’t do anything, Kyle.”
“Yes, you did,” I say. I stand up and stretch with a wince. “I’ve gotta take this off. It’s sore.”
“Do you want me to head home?” Mark asks.
I glance at him. While I’m sure nothing will happen now that my brother is in the apartment, I would like to spend more time with Mark. Even though our kiss by the front door was interrupted, I can’t help but think that the date night was, overall, successful. That’s my perspective, at least. Mark could very well have found it all boring and droll, with the part of the evening he’d been looking forward to getting interrupted.
“I’ll put on a movie if you want to join me? Um, I can’t continue from before with Chris around.” Flames of heat warm my face as I add that part.
“I’m down for a movie,” Mark says.
“Okay, so.” I glance away from Mark. “I have to,” I gesture to my prosthetic, “take it off for a bit. Or I can wait till after the movie, actually.”
“You said it’s sore,” Mark points out. “We’ll get a blanket so you can watch the movie comfortably with it covered up?”
