Page 4 of My Brother’s Best Friends Entanglement

Suddenly I wish I were facing actual intruders.

Zachary sighs, best friend number two. "Fine. I just wanted to see if she'd made it here. But I don't see her."

A huff. Rhys's trademark. "Look, Leon's got her number. If she doesn't show today, we'll reach out in the morning."

I’m too shocked realising they’re talking about me that I don’t move before they step into the kitchen and stop dead at what greets them.

Me. In a towel. Hair in a second towel on top of my head. A mug in one hand, a banana pointed at them in the other.

Nobody moves.

I haven't seen either of them in six years. They're somehow both exactly as I remember, and not, at once.

Nobody says anything.

So I do.

"Um. Hi."

Still nothing.

So my mouth keeps going.

"So, I'm Alexia," I say, which they obviously know, and then, because that wasn't idiotic enough, "Leon's sister. His youngest sister, well, his only sister. I mean, you know me, you've known me since we were kids." Zachary blinks; I take it as encouragement. "Anyway, I've got a job starting here tomorrow, so Leon — he's my older brother, as established — Leon said the house would be empty, said you were all going away" — Zachary opens his mouth, I keep going — "not that I'd have assumed I could stay, but my accommodation fell through, which is a whole thing, because who could've known our house would finally sell after six months on the market, no bites, only for a young couple to decide they absolutely wanted it, one month to the day before I needed somewhere to crash, coming back to Adelaide after six years away. Quite the welcome home, right? Anyway, I had a shower, obviously, you can see that, that's not, I don't make a habit of prancing around, I mean I wasn't prancing, I was moving like a perfectly normal person, but yeah" — I gesture at myself, at the towel situation — "not important. Point is, Leon said I could stay while I got sorted. So. That's the situation. Long story short. Anyway, anyone want tea?"

They just stare.

That's when I feel the towel... shift.

Before I can grab it, the knot gives and everything moves southward.

"Shi—"

I move before I finish the thought, dropping behind the kitchen island in one fluid lunge, mug abandoned on the counter, towel clutched tight.

This is literally my worst fucking nightmare. Well — no. Worse would be my brother here to witness it as well. He does not let things like this go. He takes opportunities to torture me very seriously.

"Right," I say, once my heart's dislodged itself from my throat, voice impressively calm. "Here's what's going to happen. I need you both to look away. Then me and my traitor towel are going to make a run for the bedroom, and we're all going to pretend the last forty-five seconds didn't happen and⁠—"

"Alexia—" Zachary says.

"Look. Away," I yell, as forceful as I can manage over the island.

A pause. A sigh.

"Fine. We're looking away," Zachary says.

I don't entirely believe him, but I'm out of options. I gather the towel tight, stand, and run.

"DON'T," I announce, rushing past, eyes anywhere but theirs. "Don't either of you say a word about this. Ever again!"

If they answer, I don't hear it.

I make it to Leon's room in record time, slam the door, lock it, and stand there in the dark, breathing.

They weren't supposed to be here. Not for another week, a whole week to get my life together and be gone before I ever had to see them again. The entire plan hinged solely on them being not here. And now not only have I seen them, they've seen me. Way too much of me.

I bang my head back against the door. Once. Twice. Consider a third, but fail to see how it's helping.