“Brother?” Grinder’s brows are raised, amusement dancing in his eyes. He isn’t even shocked. Did he figure it out already?
“You know, don’t you? And you’re still trying to get in my pants?” Maybe they don’t have the ‘don’t fuck my sister’ rule thing here?
“Yes, and always. You wanna tell him or shall I?” He gestures with his head toward the others around the pool table.
“You’re such a wanker.” Sighing, I turn and face my brother, whose brows are furrowed in confusion. “Rainer West?”
His eyes widen and he flinches backward.
“I’ll take that as a yeah. Hi, nice to meet you. Mum’s dead and I’m your little sister. Surprise!” I can’t stop myself from doing jazz hands as I practically sing the word surprise.
“Well shit. Happy fucking birthday to me?”
Maybe I should have left the dead mum part out of it for now. “Sorry?” I squint and scrunch up my face, unsure how he’s taking this because I obviously don’t know him well enough to figure him out yet. He’s just staring into space, and I think he’s angry?
“This isn’t awkward at all.” Trust Grinder to break the silence, but I like that about him. He’s unafraid to do and say exactly what’s on his mind. At least, that’s the impression I have thus far.
As if the world is closing in on me, my socializing tank quickly empties the longer I wait for a happy sibling moment, and the joy I was expecting is completely non-existent.
“Where’s the loo?” I’m not asking anyone in particular.
“You’re lucky we’ve known Sledge for long enough to understand what the fuck a loo is. Just through the doors at the entrance. Need a hand?” Grinder hugs me into him again and I discreetly breathe him in.
“Thanks.” I duck from his hold and beeline for the entrance, only looking back at the pool table as I’m about to go through the door. Both Sledge and Grinder are staring at me. One with disbelief and…sadness? The other with clear intentions to rock my world.
I can’t have one, and the other doesn’t want me. Therefore…I am fucked. This whole trip has been a bust.
Sighing, I leave the party and ignore the bathrooms, heading into the main part of the building and up the stairs. I didn’t unpack, anticipating the reaction to my little secret wouldn’t be taken well, so it only takes a few seconds to zip up my case, grab my backpack, and leave the room.
If I slip out quietly, I can pretend I’m not leaving behind the only family I have—who clearly doesn’t want me—and the only man who’s ever seen me for me without running away screaming.
I can pretend that the last twenty-four hours were just a wild dream that could never last. Because how could it?
Okay, I’m being dramatic. I just need to give him some space to process. It’s his birthday and I clearly have impeccably bad timing. I am not the amazing birthday surprise I thought I was and that’s fine.
I’m standing outside now, my suitcase sitting beside me. Do I stay or do I go?
Wander the streets all night or hibernate in the bedroom these people were kind enough to let me stay in?
If nothing else, I’m terrible at decision making, but I’m persistent, too.
The streets it is.
I’ll come back tomorrow and try again.
Chapter Seven
Grinder
“What the fuck is wrong with you, man? Besides the obvious of being born on April Fool’s Day.” As soon as Parker is out of sight, I’m on Sledge like a shark on fresh meat. Not physically on him, he’d punch my face and do some serious damage to it and because he’s the VP, I’d have to grin and bear it. To be honest, I’d probably grin anyway. It’s my go-to reaction right before an all-out brawl.
“What? Just give me a second, will ya?” The deer-being-held-hostage-by-bright-cab-lights look in his eyes is shifting to something more human. So, fine. I’m giving him the second he’s asking for.
One. Time’s up.
“Your sister just crossed the entire goddamn ocean to see you and your reaction is…” I make a circular motion with my index finger, pointing out the whole of him while I think of a word that describes this shitshow.
“She didn’t cross the ocean, dude. Pretty sure she took a plane.” My head swings around and the death glare I know I’m aiming straight at Boner has zero ounces of brotherhood init. “I’m just sayin’,” Boner takes a step back, his hands up in surrender and a cigarette dangling from between his lips. “Did you see that suitcase?” I’m gonna kill him. He’s my roommate at the apartment we share downtown so it’d be easy to snuff him out.