Page 169 of Trust Me

Chapter 45

Dean

As we got out of the car, I breathed in the scent of the city. It wasn’t really any different from Seattle, but I still felt it in my bones.

The way Oli looked around at the bustling airport told me I wasn’t the only one who was sad to be leaving. He’d started to blend in, becoming a natural piece of my family home. Dad teased him and Mom fussed over him, making sure that he ate and felt comfortable.

For someone who had never had a family, he sure fit into mine perfectly.

We each hugged my parents, and I was pretty sure we were both sniffling a little. When Blake got out of the back and stood in front of me, he gave me an approving nod.

“You’ll be coming back?” he confirmed.

I glanced quickly at Oli. “That’s the plan.”

“If the market’s good out here . . .” He rolled his lips thoughtfully, then shrugged. “Maybe I’ll check it out too. An hour or two from the city might not be bad.”

I pushed back a smile. “Well, I think it’d be a good business move. What’s in New Mexico anyway?”

“Nothing that matters to me anymore.”

“When are you heading home?”

He looked over his shoulder at Mom and Oli, who were talking about the school he was considering in the city. “I’ll stay another week, I think. There are some things for us to figure out.”

Throwing my arms around his shoulders, I hugged him tightly. “I’m only a phone call away. Or a text.”

“What about an email?”

“Then it’ll probably be five to seven business months before I respond.”

He laughed as he pulled back. “That’s a terrible way to be successful, D.”

“For now, I’m just a lowly college student. When I enter the professional world, maybe I’ll change my bad habits.”

“I’ll start making a list of things I learned the hard way.”

Oli came up beside me and bit my shoulder. “You ready?”

I nodded. He turned to my brother, and a beat of awkward silence passed between them. I sucked in a breath when Blake held out his hand. With a satisfied smile, Oli shook it firmly.

“You did more than me,” Blake said softly. “I was resentful, but instead of looking for a way to fix it, I left and didn’t look back. Forget all the other things right now. You changed our lives before we’d even met you. So, yeah. You did more than I ever tried to do. You fixed something that we couldn’t.”

Oli laughed a little, shaking his head. “I didn’t fix it. I just pointed out what’s broken. Everything else has been you guys.”

With a nod, he stepped back. “Have a safe flight. Love you, D.”

“Love you too,” I replied. I looked at each of them one more time before I took Oli’s hand and headed into the building. “Are you going to be okay on the plane?”

He grimaced. “I survived the first time.”

“Well, let’s hope your luck holds out, right?”

*****

“Home sweet home,” Oli announced as he threw open the door to the apartment.

“Thank fucking God.” I tossed my bag to the side, not caring about messiness or anything of the sort. I sure as hell wasn’t unpacking tonight. That was for the responsible adults on this spinning rock.