Broken and Screwed 2 (BS #2)(98)

“Shut up,” Beth mumbled. Her eyes were glued to Alexi before she turned away. “Let’s go. This is a private moment.”

“Oh man.”

“Shut it, Chatsworth!”

“Shutting it.” Hannah winked at me as she followed Beth to the dorm.

“They’re, uh, nice?”

“They’re like me.” I stood from the bench. “Not everyone gets us.”

“So, um, the birthday party. Yes. We’re having it in two weeks. Did I say that before? Two weeks at my mother’s. Jesse knows the address. Bring him too. I haven’t been all that nice to him, but I’ve started to realize that he’s not the bad guy I always thought he was.”

I grinned. I understood that as well.

“It’s not going to be anything special. I mean, I can’t afford much, and I don’t like letting my mother dish out money all the time. Free rent is good enough, you know.” She rolled her eyes and sucked in her breath. She puffed out her cheeks. “Sorry. You don’t need to know all about that. I just feel bad. Seeing you, I know I’ve been wrong the last three years. I was so angry with your dad and I took it out on everyone. Alexi too. She’d probably love meeting your mom, huh? What am I doing here?” She choked out next, “Thank you for telling me about Ethan. I never knew. They only said he died in a car accident. That was it.”

I stopped her as I put my hand on her arm. “Do you mind if I ask, but how do you spell Alexi’s middle name?” I needed to make sure.

“Oh.” She blinked in her confusion, but rambled out, “C-L-A-I-R-A. I wanted it to be a bit different. My aunt’s name is Claira too. I thought I was taking care of three birds with one stone. Okay. I have no idea what I was thinking. I didn’t want her to be just like me or just like you. All right.” She forced out another deep breath. “I am so nervous right now. You are so beautiful. Ethan told me you were pretty, but I had no idea.”

Now I was the confused one. Jesse always told me that I was hot. My mother mentioned I was beautiful, but it came from Claire now. I was touched. The tears started forming.

“Okay. I’m going to go. I’ll be in contact. I really will. This wasn’t some form of drive by and meet-your-niece-sort-of-thing. You know what I mean. I’m just having a hard time keeping it together. You’re not what I expected. Jesse said that’s your dorm over there. I’ve been waiting all day to catch you. I almost left. Alexi needs to eat and take a nap, but then she took off running. I have no idea why. She’d been fine with me under the tree, but all the sudden she took off. It was like she was chasing something. I don’t know. She does that at times. She’ll suddenly start talking to someone in the room, but no one is there. And I’m rambling again.”

She darted forward and gave me a hug. Her skinny arms wrapped around me before she let me go. Then she gave me an awkward wave and hurried to the parking lot. Alexi hung over her shoulder. Her dark eyes didn’t look away. Before they got into their car, she lifted her tiny hand and waved.

I bit my own lip now. The tears were starting to spill.

I missed my brother so goddamn much in that moment.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Four months later

“Hey!”

I looked over and saw Hannah and Beth crossing the lawn to me. Instead of the skintight and skin-showing ensemble Hannah usually wore, I was surprised that she was in jeans and a lightweight white shirt. She almost looked like me. I glanced down, but my jeans were ripped at the knees and Jesse had stretched the cle**age down one night. We’d been cuddling on the couch and wanted a better view. I was now the scantily clad one, but I was comforted at Beth’s usual apparel. All black. A new tattoo peeked out from underneath her neckline. It looked like the tip of a bird’s wing. Then I glanced around. “Where’d you park?”

“On the street.” Hannah gestured to the red Camaro. “We figured everyone’s moving back in so there wouldn’t be enough room.” She glanced around and saw two other cars. “Maybe I was wrong.”

“No,” I sighed and bent forward to grab my boxes. “Jamie just got here. Cord moved back last week. And their new roommate isn’t here yet.”

“You guys got a new roommate?”

I nodded. As both of them grabbed a box, I headed into Jesse’s house. Jamie had put all his boxes in the foyer and dining room so we sidestepped his stuff and placed my boxes in the living room. “Yeah,” I answered Beth as we headed back out. “Derek and Kara got their own place since she’s not a Resident Advisor this year.”

“I can’t believe you’re really living with Jesse now.”

Beth frowned at her cousin. “Why not? She basically did last year.”

“Yeah, but she still had a place of her own. What if something happens? What if she needs somewhere to go?”

I grinned while Beth punched her cousin’s arm. “Good thing I have your place to go to.”

“Go to?” Hannah froze as if she hadn’t thought about that. “But we only have a two bedroom apartment. And her boytoy doesn’t work at Club T anymore. He’s got a new job so I know he’ll be sleeping over more. And me—”

“We all know your sex life hasn’t really dwindled,” Beth spoke over her cousin, giving her a meaningful look.