AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We can all say many things about James. Yes, he fucked up. Yes, he could have helped us a lot sooner. But I can't help thinking that, really, he swooped in when we needed it most, at the turning point in our lives when we need to make decisions about our futures.
Cole is off to Colton U to be their next star running back. As far as I know, Hadley is following right behind. Remi and Ace both have plans for their future, although I'm fairly sure college isn't part of Ace's. He tolerates school at best, so there's no way he's doing another four years of full-time education, no matter how many times Remi might try to convince him. Me, on the other hand… I've got a pile of application forms sitting on my desk that I really need to send. I filled them all out last year, but the thought of actually mailing them terrifies me, for some reason.
We've just found our feet in the Bay, and here we are already planning our futures away from it. I look at the envelopes just sitting there as I walk toward the window and stare out.
A knock sounds out, but I don't say anything—Cole will walk in regardless. And, two seconds later, he does. I don't turn around, but the quiet creak of the bed tells me what he's doing behind me.
"Excited to go back?" he asks, making my brows pull together. I'm not sure I've ever heard him sound excited to go to school, but there's definitely something lighter in his tone than usual.
"Something like that," I mutter, turning around and finding exactly what I expect, my twin brother making himself at home on my bed with his hands behind his head. "Get your fucking shoes off," I bark, knocking his feet off the sheets.
"Jesus, who's twisted your panties?"
"No one," I grunt, dropping down into the chair. I rest my elbows on my knees and drop my head.
"Ah, I see. Missing your girl?"
"I'm not sure I like you this happy, you know."
He chuckles, which does nothing for my irritation.
"Go and cheer someone else up. I'm not in the mood."
"Maybe not, but I'm meeting Hadley before school, and I have it on good authority that Ken—"
"Let's go," I bark, pushing from the chair and stalking toward the door. "You coming or what?" I ask when he makes no move to follow.
"Yeah, I'm with you." I look back over my shoulder as he climbs from my bed. His eyes roam my room for a beat before landing on the pile of applications. "You know you actually need to send these to be accepted, right?"
"Fuck off," I grunt, walking out to the hallway, assuming he'll follow.
"You know," he says as he joins me in my car. "I never thought I'd be the one with a plan for the future while you were fumbling around like an idiot."
"I'm not fumbling."
"Oh no? So why haven't you mailed them?"
"I was going to, and then Kenny turned up and..." I trail off. My excuse is bullshit, and I'd be an idiot to think that Cole is buying any of it.
"She's hardly been taking up all your time."
"Thanks, asshole. I don't need you telling me that."
"I'm just saying. It takes minutes to mail them. Why haven't you?"
What if she leaves? What if she goes back to him? The words are right on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow them down. I know it's stupid t
o hold off because of Kenny—it's just another excuse I'm adding to all the others. I just need to man up and accept that we've only got a few months before all our lives change once again.
I blow out a sigh. "I'll send them after school."
"Good. I'll beat your fucking ass if you miss the deadlines because you're being a pussy."
"I preferred you when you didn't talk much."
"And I prefer you when you're not sulking, but we can't always get what we want, can we?"
"It seems not."
