CROSS (A Gentry Boys Novella)(22)

A vague smile touched his lips. “Don’t think your dad would like it.”

“Give me a break. You’re halfway inside the room anyway.”

Con shrugged and hopped down to the floor. He sat on the corner edge of my bed and gazed around the room as if he was seeing everything in it for the very first time. He looked tired, unshaven, all together a little off. He was probably still rattled by the hours he’d spent behind bars. Remembering it conjured fresh feelings of fury toward Stone. Con had denied that yesterday’s turn of events was Stone’s fault, but I’ve known those two my entire life. If Conway found trouble it was usually because Stone pushed him into it.

“You okay?” I asked, holding my hand out. He took it. He kissed my palm and gave me the same grin that had been stopping my heart for more years than he knew.

“I’m fine. Stone’s snoring kept me awake but even if it hadn’t been for that I would have been staring up at the ceiling for hours, wondering what the hell we’re going to do next year because our mother let us know we’re wearing out our welcome at home.”

“She’s kicking you out?”

Conway released my hand and rubbed his palms on his jeans, a troubled look on his face. “More or less. She says we’re no good and she’s tired of dealing with us. On the bright side, we can stay until graduation as long as we keep our noses clean.”

My dislike for Con’s mother instantly doubled. “That sucks.”

He looked at the floor. “Yup.”

I wanted to go to him. Hold him. Kiss him. Give him everything it took to put a smile back on his face. But I felt the tickle of a drop of blood traveling down my arm. It stopped me. I glanced down quickly, relieved that my sweatshirt was a dark color and would hide the evidence as long as I didn’t take it off. I rubbed my hands together and tried to become cheerful.

“You know,” I said brightly. “If you study hard this summer and take the college entrance exams in September you’ll have a great shot at getting into Arizona State.”

Con threw me a baleful look. “You know it takes more than that. I won’t be able to get my grades up enough to make it in there for next year. And even if I did, Stone would never get in. I can’t just leave him behind.”

“Why not?” I blurted out. Conway looked at me in surprise. I tried to stop the tumble of words but they just kept coming. “Stone would never even try. It’s a joke to him. Everything is. Don’t you see that? He is his own biggest problem and he’s just going to drag down anyone unlucky enough to be in his orbit.”

Con’s face reddened. I wanted to snatch my words back. Whatever misgivings I had about Stone I had no right to dump them all over Con. They were brothers. Their mother was a nasty head case, their father was dead and other than the cousins who’d shown up last night, no other family on the Gentry side had taken the slightest interest in them. They needed each other.

Con waited a full minute before answering. When he finally did his words were slow and tense, filled with undercurrents of emotion. “Stone is my family, Erin.”

“I know.” My hands twisted in my lap. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Conway still looked pained. He swallowed. “Stone talks tough but he’s not as bad as you think. He’s really not. He’s got a good heart.”

“Con, I’m really sorry.”

He nodded vaguely, then looked out the window. Coincidentally, Stone was outside, phone to his ear. He looked irritated with whoever was on the other end. He kept shaking his head, then finally gave up on the conversation and tossed the phone onto a cracked plastic patio table.

Con smiled and relaxed. He smacked a hand on his knee. “Let’s go swimming.”

I was startled. “What?”

“Pool is open.” He jumped up and held out his hand. “Come on. Grab your suit. Your sisters can even tag along if they want. Vending machine refreshments will be on me.”

I looked quickly down at my covered arm. The cut had been careless and far too long. I wouldn’t be able to cover it with a band aid. And there was no good explanation for a deliberate red line that ran from my elbow halfway to my wrist.

“We don’t have a ride,” I argued, feeling cowardly.

Con shrugged. “We’ll walk. It’s early, won’t be that hot yet. With shortcuts through the citrus groves we can make it to Main Street in twenty minutes.”

I folded my hands in my lap. “No, I can’t right now. But you go ahead. I’ll see you later.”

Conway wouldn’t accept that. “Come on, babe. Let’s go, it’ll be fun. You can admire my graceful diving.”

“They took the diving board out, remember? Really Con, I can’t.”

Con was quiet. When I looked at his face he seemed embarrassed. “Oh,” he said softly. “Sorry. I didn’t realize it was that time of the month.”

“I don’t have my goddamn period,” I snapped. “I just don’t want to f*cking go swimming.”

He blinked. “Okay. Fine.”

“I don’t mind if you go.”

“Good. Because I’d like to think I still have some personal freedom to choose where the f*ck I will and will not go.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”