Page 70 of My Brother's Enemy
Tyler indicated that he was going outside, and I nodded. He disappeared out the door.
“Ow. Sweetie.” Eric held up our hands and tried to disentangle the tight grip I had on him. “I need this hand for things, you know, like washing and basic daily living.”
I released immediately. “Sorry. I…” I glanced back to where Tyler had disappeared with his sister. “I…”
He wrapped his hand gently around my arm. Moving in, he rested his head against my shoulder. “It’s like that, huh?”
I sighed, placing my head against his. “Apparently.”
He laced our fingers. “For what it’s worth, he’s dreamy.”
“I know.” I sighed. “That’s the problem.” Eric knew about the hate sex. Now he knew about my feelings. “Did we just become best friends?”
His smile was blinding. “I’d love that. I’m a testy bitch, but I’m a loyal testy bitch.”
“I believe you.”
We laughed, having a moment.
“I could use a friend, to be honest.”
“Girl.” He squeezed me from the side. “Consider me caped up.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but I liked the sound of it.
“Come on.” He started through the crowd, still holding my hand. “Let’s go eavesdrop.”
“Ah. You’re that type of friend.”
He flashed me a grin over his shoulder. “I never said I wasn’t nosy.”
He took me past the bar, where Paul did a doubletake at our joined hands, to a side door. Easing it open, he stepped past a couple workers having a smoke outside. One snorted, shaking his head. “I don’t even want to know, Eric.”
“Yeah? And keep it that way, Bertle,” he shot back.
Bertle tipped his head back, taking a long drag and letting the smoke drift out as he drawled, “I’d like to keep it another way.”
They held a long and intense stare before Eric blinked and shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. “I’m down for that,” he said, his voice a little husky.
Bertle let out another puff of smoke, his eyes smoldering. “Good.”
Eric continued staring, as if in a trance, and I had to nudge him.
“Right,” he said. “Sounds like a plan.” He tugged me down the alley to the parking lot, and we both leaned forward
“—didn’t need to do all this and track down my coworkers. We’re fine, Zoey and me.” That was Sky. She sounded angry, but tearful at the same time.
“I was worried. I am worried. I didn’t say that stuff to—I’m not coming at you, Ski. I’m not saying it’s going to happen again…”
Oh. I fisted Eric’s shirt sleeve. They were talking about Zoey’s overdose.
Tyler’s tone was ragged. “How is Zoey doing? What’s the plan?”
There was silence.
“Skylar.”
She made an exasperated sound. “Fine. She’s home with me, but she is talking to a therapist. Or, they’re talking. She’s not talking to me.”
