groan. I look over at her and roll my eyes. Can’t I just have one night, just one. I gave Kimmie an apologetic smile and still myself for what is to come.
“Hey Lilla du,” my brother croons as he kisses my forehead, then claims a seat at the island.
“Luke,” I sigh.
“Is that anyway to greet your brother?” Luke chuckles and tilts his head at me.
“No Sir, you are so right. What can I do for you, Sir?” I bite out.
Luke’s face turns bright red and Kimmie starts choking behind me. I didn’t mean to betray her, but I am so fed up with not having control that I need to let some of this frustration out somewhere. Kimmie grabs my arm and squeezes it.
“Can I talk to you,” she hisses.
“Hell, we’re all family. Why don’t we all talk,” Luke growls.
“Dude, this is not what it seems, Luke and I think you should think before you say anything else,” Kimmie says through tight lips.
“Did you think before you spoke,” Luke looks so pissed. He is now standing and looking more imposing than I have ever seen. My brother is over six feet tall and very fit, but until this very moment I never calculated how broad his shoulders are or how he could dwarf a room.
I hear the moment Kimmie draws in a breath of air. She drops my arm and takes a step back, dropping her head and shaking it in a soundless response to Luke. My eyes flicker between the two of them in confusion and surprise. I have never seen Kimmie back down from anyone. It is one of the things I admire about her.
“Then maybe it is you and I that need to finally have a conversation,” Luke commands.
“Why don’t you guys go talk. Luke, you and I can talk later,” I just want to be left alone and Kimmie is obviously keeping more from me.
“Oh, you can bet we are going to talk, Lilla du,” Luke says sharply.
Kimmie walks over to Luke with her head down and when she stops in front of him, he leans into her ear and whispers something. Kimmie looks up into his eyes like she is lost while her chest heaves. Oh my God, how did I not see this before. There is so much sexual tension between the two of them. Even someone as naive as me can see it. Without a word Kimmie’s head drops and they leave the room.
I shake my head to clear my jumbled thoughts. Starting the task of finishing dinner, I wondering what Kimmie is not telling me. It’s clear that sometime over the last four years Kimmie’s crush became something more and not just on her behalf.
“And I thought moving out of the dorms was going to make life dull,” Mark chuckles, reminding me that he has been sitting here this whole time.
“I moved in with Kimmie, Mark. I will never have a dull life. I told you, you should consider moving in with us,” I sing, causing us both to laugh the tension out of the room.
* * *
I t’s has been at least an hour and Kimmie and Luke haven’t come out of her room. Mark and I flop in front of the TV with dinner and laugh at a comedy he ordered. It feels good, normal. It’s been so long since I have felt like this.
Like nothing matters but spending time with someone I care about. After college, after my parents’ divorce, after everything turned on its head and life became a spiraling mess my only way of holding on was to throw myself into my computer and my books.
It isn’t until this very moment that I realize how helpless I felt. Here I am in my very own apartment, I have my dream job, and I may even have my first boyfriend, all of which may sound awesome on the outside. To me it is an apartment my brother chose, a job I was bullied into and a relationship that I am starting to feel bullied into as well.
But my friendship with Mark is my doing. I chose to be friends with him and it feels good, familiar. I finish my food and find myself snuggling into Mark’s side. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and I feel happy to have him in my life. I don’t remember when he became so important in my life, but he did and he is.
“Mark, why
“Hey Lilla du,” my brother croons as he kisses my forehead, then claims a seat at the island.
“Luke,” I sigh.
“Is that anyway to greet your brother?” Luke chuckles and tilts his head at me.
“No Sir, you are so right. What can I do for you, Sir?” I bite out.
Luke’s face turns bright red and Kimmie starts choking behind me. I didn’t mean to betray her, but I am so fed up with not having control that I need to let some of this frustration out somewhere. Kimmie grabs my arm and squeezes it.
“Can I talk to you,” she hisses.
“Hell, we’re all family. Why don’t we all talk,” Luke growls.
“Dude, this is not what it seems, Luke and I think you should think before you say anything else,” Kimmie says through tight lips.
“Did you think before you spoke,” Luke looks so pissed. He is now standing and looking more imposing than I have ever seen. My brother is over six feet tall and very fit, but until this very moment I never calculated how broad his shoulders are or how he could dwarf a room.
I hear the moment Kimmie draws in a breath of air. She drops my arm and takes a step back, dropping her head and shaking it in a soundless response to Luke. My eyes flicker between the two of them in confusion and surprise. I have never seen Kimmie back down from anyone. It is one of the things I admire about her.
“Then maybe it is you and I that need to finally have a conversation,” Luke commands.
“Why don’t you guys go talk. Luke, you and I can talk later,” I just want to be left alone and Kimmie is obviously keeping more from me.
“Oh, you can bet we are going to talk, Lilla du,” Luke says sharply.
Kimmie walks over to Luke with her head down and when she stops in front of him, he leans into her ear and whispers something. Kimmie looks up into his eyes like she is lost while her chest heaves. Oh my God, how did I not see this before. There is so much sexual tension between the two of them. Even someone as naive as me can see it. Without a word Kimmie’s head drops and they leave the room.
I shake my head to clear my jumbled thoughts. Starting the task of finishing dinner, I wondering what Kimmie is not telling me. It’s clear that sometime over the last four years Kimmie’s crush became something more and not just on her behalf.
“And I thought moving out of the dorms was going to make life dull,” Mark chuckles, reminding me that he has been sitting here this whole time.
“I moved in with Kimmie, Mark. I will never have a dull life. I told you, you should consider moving in with us,” I sing, causing us both to laugh the tension out of the room.
* * *
I t’s has been at least an hour and Kimmie and Luke haven’t come out of her room. Mark and I flop in front of the TV with dinner and laugh at a comedy he ordered. It feels good, normal. It’s been so long since I have felt like this.
Like nothing matters but spending time with someone I care about. After college, after my parents’ divorce, after everything turned on its head and life became a spiraling mess my only way of holding on was to throw myself into my computer and my books.
It isn’t until this very moment that I realize how helpless I felt. Here I am in my very own apartment, I have my dream job, and I may even have my first boyfriend, all of which may sound awesome on the outside. To me it is an apartment my brother chose, a job I was bullied into and a relationship that I am starting to feel bullied into as well.
But my friendship with Mark is my doing. I chose to be friends with him and it feels good, familiar. I finish my food and find myself snuggling into Mark’s side. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and I feel happy to have him in my life. I don’t remember when he became so important in my life, but he did and he is.
“Mark, why
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