Page 221 of We Shouldn't Be Together
Drew turns toward the bathroom door. “I’ll head to the soccer field and straighten him out.”
I tug him back. “No, I don’t want you to force Kai into doing anything.”
“You want me to do nothing?”
“No, I just want you to be on my side and not mess anything up.” I rub the icy ache from my ribs. “Especially now that Dad is on the warpath.”
Drew slings an arm around me. “I hate seeing you like this. Want me to make Dad mad? It won’t be hard, and it’ll give you and Kai some breathing room to work stuff out.”
“I don’t want you getting into more trouble.”
“But I want to help you.”
I massage my temples. “If you could get rid of this headache, it’d be a great start.”
Drew reaches around me, fishing aspirin out of the cabinet drawer. “Here.”
I smile at him appreciatively. “Thanks.”
“You want a distraction?”
“Desperately.”
“Okay, we’ll do something to take your mind off this. You’re always nagging me to join you guys for family night. Well, I’m announcing family night is happening right now.”
I cringe. “I don’t want that. Dad is being so…”
“Tab, I’m not planning on ruining our night,” he says in a lighter tone. “I’m talking about going out with just the siblings. What do you say?”
I smile at the gesture. “Where are we going?”
Drew lifts my hand. “I know your hand’s a little messed up, but how do you feel about bowling?”
I wiggle my bandaged finger. “Well, I don’t bowl with this hand, so I’m all good. Wow, we haven’t gone bowling in forever.”
“Bowling!” Corbin screeches, rushing toward the doorway.
I groan at him. “Were you eavesdropping, you little rat?”
Corbin pouts and stamps his foot. “I’m no rat.”
Drew laughs and then gestures at our little brother. “Go get your shoes on.”
“Yes!” Corbin cheers, running back into his bedroom.
“Do we really need to bring him?” I mutter, dragging my feet toward the hallway.
“I know you’re jealous of him because he took your spot as the baby of the family.”
I scoff, making my way into my bedroom. “I’m not jealous of him.”
In front of my vanity mirror, I scoop my hair into a makeshift ponytail. In the hall, Drew is calling out to Freddy to join us. Freddy asks three times for Drew to repeat himself. Understandable. Our aloof brother is taking us bowling. It’s not exactly a usual occurrence.
Images of Kai and Jamie filter through my mind until I can’t stand it anymore. I drop my hands and huff as my hair cascades over my shoulders. It’s definitely time to hurl my feelings down a bowling lane and smash some pins.
When I meet Drew in the hall, he double-takes at me. “Is that what you’re wearing?”
“What?”
