Page 165 of Trust Me

“Why are you telling me this instead of talking to him about it?”

“Because this part isn’t about me and him. I don’t actually need your advice in that department. I know Oli, and I know me. More importantly, I know us. What I want now is to find a way to feel that confident in my relationship with you.”

He studied me for a long minute. “Did you somehow get more mature than me?”

“Probably. College education and all that.”

“When the world goes to shit and you need to build a shelter in the woods, I’ll be waiting for you and your soft hands to come begging.”

He stood, as if everything was settled. When I got to my feet, he gripped both of my shoulders, and with a brotherly smile, he patted my cheek hard enough to sting.

“I love you, D. Maybe . . . maybe we can figure all of this out. But I do have some questions for Oli.”

My stomach twisted. “I don’t really feel any better, but I guess that’s fair.”

“Let’s eat, okay?”

With a nod, I followed him inside. I returned to the living room where my parents and Oli were sitting, having a conversation. They stopped talking when I showed up.

“Dinner’s ready,” I said. “Uh, where’s Dr. Matteo?”

Mom got to her feet. “He went home.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. Did we freak him out?”

“Of course not. He just recognized we need some time as a family. Hopefully, he’ll be free to come back before you two head home.”

I glanced at Oli. He seemed to want to avoid my gaze, but after a second, he looked up at me. There was an openness to his expression that I hadn’t expected. Those eyes were so innocent but far from naïve.

Right now, I wasn’t sure what to say to him. Even if I did, it wasn’t the time. We had to talk about it, but first, there was dinner with my family. I had a feeling we all needed that.

*****

It was quiet for a while as we all started eating. Dad complimented the dish, but all I could manage was a smile.

“Oli told us you drank out of a trash cup,” Dad said when it had been silent for a while.

I choked on my water and put a hand over my mouth. “What?” Looking at Oli, I found him trying not to laugh. “Who told you that?”

“Brooks.”

“Nothing’s sacred anymore. For your information, it was at the movies.”

“Those are too damn expensive,” Dad agreed. “But why would you do that?”

“I was trying to prove a point.”

“That you’re disgusting?” Blake asked.

“We’ve done it before.”

“Yeah, once, and you were eight.”

I shrugged. “It was worth it.”

“If we ever go to the movies,” Oli said, “I’ll get you a proper drink.”

Dad made an uh-uh sound as he chewed. After wiping his mouth, he leaned his elbows on the table. “You go to the dollar tree and hide those sodas anywhere you can. If I had a million dollars, I wouldn’t give them five for a damn cup.”