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“Hey, bro,” Lex greets me, brushing past me and into my house before I can invite him in or even say hello.
“Ever heard of a phone?” I basically growl at him. “You know, to call and tell people that you are coming by their house?”
“Jesus, what’s with you? We’re family, we come by whenever, no formal announcement necessary.” He walks through the house and into the living room with me right behind him. When he gets there and sees Lily sitting on the couch, he stops. “Oh… I get it now.”
“Hey, Lex,” Lily greets my brother, ignoring his remark.
She gets up to give him a quick hug before they both take a seat on the couch.
“I didn’t know you were here.” Lex’s gaze swings between us. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
“I’ve actually been staying here, because… well… I kind of got kicked out of the dorms for drinking,” Lily explains, and Lex starts to bounce with laughter.
“No way? You got kicked out for drinking? I always thought drinking was part of the lesson plan in college.”
Lily smiles, “Not quite. Also, they gave me a warning, and then I got caught the very next day.”
Lex laughs even harder at that. “I didn’t know you were that rebellious,” he quips, and there is something so playful almost flirty about his tone, it has my insides twisting with jealousy. If Lex wanted Lily, he could have her. That’s the fucked-up thing about our situation. Everything is stacked against us. There is a bright neon light blinking the word forbidden above us. It’d be so much easier for her and Lex.
“So, Lex, how come you dropped by?” I ask, trying to get his attention away from Lily.
“Just wanted to stop by and see you, I guess,” he shrugs, his playfulness gone in a flash. Looking at him, I can tell something is off. He’s haunted by nightmares, by the things that happened while he was overseas. He doesn’t want to talk about it, never has, but someday he will. He’ll have to, or it’ll eat him alive.
“If you want to spend some quality time together, I was just about to go to the gym. Want to come with? The gym on campus is pretty nice,” I offer.
“Yeah, let’s do it. I wouldn’t mind letting off some steam. Maybe even punching something…probably you,” he smirks.
“It’s settled. Let’s go see if the Marines made you tougher or if you still cry like a baby when I beat your ass.”
“You wish,” Lex snorts, and suddenly I’m actually glad he came over. Maybe this is exactly what I need, a little one on one time with my brother and a good workout to clear my head.
“You want to come?” Lex asks Lily who immediately shakes her head.
“No, no… I have some schoolwork to take care of, you guys go ahead.”
“Okay then, let’s head out. See ya, Lily,” Lex says and gets up. Brushing past me, he heads out the door not waiting for me.
“Bye, Lex,” Lily calls after him, smiling. Then her gaze swings to me, her smile fading quickly. “Bye,” she whispers.
“Bye. I’ll be back in a little bit,” I tell her. She nods slightly and forces her lips to curl up into a slight smile. So much for everything going back to normal.
When I walk out, Lex is already sitting in his car, waiting for me. As soon as I get in, he speeds off. We’re barely on the road when the questioning starts. “So, you and Lily, huh?” Those thick brows of his bounce up and down.
“It’s not like that…”
“Bullshit! You don’t have to tell me about your love life, or lack of one, for that matter, but don’t fucking lie to me,” Lex warns, and I’m surprised at how fast his mood has changed. Something is definitely going on.
“Fair enough…” I hold up my hands, telling him with my body language to calm down. “It’s complicated, and I’d rather not talk about it right now.”
Lex sucks in a deep breath, almost as if he is trying to calm himself down, and I’m not sure what to do or say. This isn’t Lex. It’s unlike him to be moody. I think on how to approach the subject, while we make a stop at Lex’s place so he can get changed.
When he gets back into the car, I ask, “So what’s going on with you?”
Lex shrugs, and for a moment, I think he isn’t going to open up to me, it wouldn’t surprise me, he’s always kept to himself, I’m about to push the issue when he opens his mouth to speak.
“I’m having a hard time adjusting to civilian life, I guess. I thought it would be different, easier, that’s all.” Lex’s admission shocks me, to say the least, but that’s not the feeling overwhelming me right now. That would be guilt. Guilt for not checking in on my brother more. How did I not know about this before?
