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Bru whirled around. Ares and I both had said that at the same time. In fact, at the exact same time.
I laughed, Ares too, and my brother rolled his eyes.
I patted the air. “It’s just, we put a lot of work into this.” Dozens of man hours, in fact, and the last thing we needed was a rogue stroke mucking it up. Not to mention Ares would probably annihilate my brother if he did. I pointed to the garage doors. “But you can make yourself nice and cozy on that chair and watch.”
The chair currently housed a couple cans of paint, and helping me out, Ares cleared it. Ares dusted if off with his rag. “Perfect place for you, brother.”
I couldn’t help it. I busted out laughing, and Ares did too. It was nice since things had been weird before.
My brother lifted his hands.
“I can tell when I’m not wanted.” He eyed us, but then laughed too. “And you two have been spending far too much time together. You’re even starting to laugh like each other.”
That had me rolling my eyes, and I hopped over a paint can to my brother. I mock-kicked him out of the garage. “Go to bed. It’s late.”
It was well after midnight, and we both had school tomorrow.
Walking away, my brother waved a hand behind his head. I shook my head. “Pardon him. He’s aware we need to finish this, but he just doesn’t care.”
He’d probably be in here all night if I let him.
Ares didn’t say anything, and when I pivoted, he had his hands on a part of the trunk we hadn’t painted. He was staring off into the garage, and I waved my hand. “Earth to Mallick.”
He blinked, his gaze colliding with mine. He pushed off the car. “Actually, it is getting kind of late.” He tapped the air. “Probably should wrap it up for the night.”
He’d never cared about it being late before, but since I was tired too, I didn’t disagree.
Ares immediately bent down to start cleaning up, and when he did, I noticed a chain slip out of his tank top.
“What’s that?”
Ares angled his head down, his hand clamping the necklace. I came over and nodded at it, and he opened his hand.
“I used to have something like that,” I said, recognizing the emblem. “But mine wasn’t a necklace.”
It’d been a bracelet actually, a charm like that on it.
I studied his, smiling. “I lost it a long time ago, but yeah. It looked just like it.”
In fact, it was uncanny, same shape and everything.
Ares’s finger moved across his. “How did you get it?”
“My parents.” I shrugged. “I don’t remember when. I kind of just always had it.”
Ares’s head tilted. “You said you lost it?”
“Yeah.” I leaned back. I realized then I’d gotten closer to see it. Like real close. “Probably something a bunch of parents give out or something. Is that how you got yours?”
“Yeah.” He let it go. “Do you remember where you lost it? When?”
Laughing, I cuffed my arms. “If I did, I’d probably still have it, right?”
“Right.” He laughed, but not quite like me. It was short as he studied the garage. He grabbed his hoodie. “I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll work first thing.”
I told him that was cool, thinking about the bracelet as he got into his Hummer. I wished I could remember where I’d lost it. I recalled loving that thing and had always worn it.
I’d probably loved it more because my mom specifically had given it to me. I didn’t have a lot of things from her and even fewer memories. They seemed to wipe away each year I got older, my memories of her fading.
