Page 130 of Trust Me

“We’re together,” I added, wanting to make sure he understood.

“Yeah, I gathered that.” He looked over his shoulder at Oli. I couldn’t see what was on my brother’s face, but the way Oli’s eyes sharpened made my stomach lurch. “Night, D.”

I watched him until he closed his bedroom door.

I’d figured it would be something of a shock, but I hadn’t expected whatever that was. While I considered whether I should go talk to him, Oli came up to me.

“I don’t think he likes me.”

I lifted a brow. “Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone likes you.”

“You didn’t.”

“It’s not that I didn’t. You just . . . weirded me out.” I laughed when he made a face. “Sometimes, I assume that people who are bubbly and helpful are fake. But you’re not. Once I figured that out, I didn’t have an issue with you.”

“Maybe he thinks I’m annoying, then.”

“You’ve barely talked to each other.”

He rolled his lips inward, then back out. Grabbing his hand, I pulled him toward the front door without a word. He followed, not even trying to protest.

When we were outside, I veered to the left and continued on the sidewalk.

“This city smells weird,” he said after a minute, wrinkling his nose.

I chuckled. “That’s the creek out back. Me and Blake used to dare each other to swim in it.”

“And did you?”

“Once. I had a rash for a week.”

He snorted. “Tragic. How’d you survive?”

“Lots of whining. Mom said she should’ve let me drown.”

“That explains so much about you, actually.”

I glanced at him, trying to read what was on his face. “You know, if you hate it here, we can cut this trip short.”

He blinked at me. “Dean, I don’t hate it. I’m just . . . out of my depth.”

“That makes two of us.”

For a second, the tension in his expression cracked, and I saw the uncertain but hopeful boy underneath.

“Then maybe,” I said, “we just learn how to swim in the same water.”

He breathed a laugh, nudging me with his shoulder. “That was corny.”

“Maybe, but you liked it.”

We continued until we reached a path that broke away from the sidewalk. Oli looked up at the sky, then at the trees.

“I’m not going to murder you back there,” I said before he could bail.

“That’s not what I was thinking, but now I am.”

“Come on.”