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“I won’t be if you don’t stop asking me,” he warns playfully.
“And Atlas is okay with this?” I have to force myself not to grimace at the sound ofhisname.
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of my brother’s best friend, and he’s not exactly seated in my cheering section either. We tolerate each other, if that’s what you want to call it, for Brennon’s sake, but I’m certain we’ve both entertained the idea of offing the other and dropping their body in a ditch somewhere.
When we were younger, I think I was more jealous of him than anything. Brennon had always preferred my company over anyone else’s, so when he started hanging out with Atlas after school almost every day following the summer of second grade, I didn’t take it all that well. As we got older, my distaste for him became more personal. Honestly, the man doesn’t have one redeeming quality. He’s an arrogant, egotistical asshat who thinks the world revolves around him, and that everyone placed on its surface was put here for his pleasure or entertainment.
It’s despicable.
It also doesn’t help matters that he treats me like a child, despite the fact that we’re the same age. He’s purposely condescending and speaks to me as if I have the intelligence of a corn stalk. Why my brother has remained friends with him for so long is beyond me. The two are like lava and polar ice caps, on complete opposite ends of the spectrum, at least in my eyes.
When Brennon and I were accepted to WSU, I thoughtfinally!Finally I was going to escape Atlas Keaton once and for all. You can imagine how tempted I was to stab his eyeballs out with a butcher’s knife when I found out he’d applied to Washington State University and got accepted, though I’m still convinced it was some kind of mistake. I haven’t seen him crack a book in the ten years that I’ve known him. Honestly, I was surprised he graduated high school at all, let alone found a college that would let him in.
“He will be.” Brennon’s response comes after a lengthy delay.
“What do you mean,willbe?” I gape at him, the coil in my stomach growing tighter by the second. “You didn’t tell him?”
“I tried calling him but he didn’t answer. He’s been on the road since Thursday, so he should be here sometime today.”
“Brennon.” I give him a look of disbelief.
“Relax, Bar. He’s not going to care if you crash on our couch for a few weeks. Besides, he doesn’t get much of a say considering he’s living here rent free.”
My brother does have a point. Atlas can’t very well refuse me when it’sourfather that’s footing the bill for this little apartment of theirs. Even still, I can’t help but feel like an intruder of epic proportion.
“It’ll be fine. Assuming you two can keep from killing each other, that is,” he mutters under his breath, loud enough for me to hear as he makes his way back into the living room.
“You let me stay here with the understanding that I make no promises not to slit his throat while he sleeps.” I throw my hands up innocently. “Just sayin’.”
My brother lets out a deep, hearty laugh, his shoulders vibrating under the action.
“What is it with you two? I swear, if I didn’t know any better I’d think you were masking some deep seeded feelings for each other with the way you two carry on.”
I choke on my drink of water, half the liquid coming back up before trickling down my chin and onto my blue tank top.
“Excuse me?” I sputter out, still trying to cough up the liquid that I sucked down the wrong hole.
“I said,ifI didn’t know better.”
I open my mouth to respond, but the words die on my lips when the door swings open and, as if on cue, Atlas Keaton comes strolling in.
My hatred for him subsides for a millisecond as I drink him in. Long legs. Wide shoulders. Broad chest. Chiseled jaw with a light dusting of scruff. Full lips. Perfectly symmetrical nose. Thick lashes that line crisp blue eyes. And brown hair so silky and smooth that when a strand falls across his forehead my first thought is to reach out and wipe it away, desperate to know what it would feel like between my fingers.
But then he opens his mouth and everything comes back into focus.
“Why am I not surprised to see you here...already,” he groans, kicking the door closed behind him, bringing my attention to the large bags he’s carrying in each hand.
“Yeah, it’s good to see you, too.” My nostrils flare as I watch him cross the room where he deposits the bags onto the floor at the mouth of the hallway.
“This whole dependency thing was cute when we were kids, but newsflash, B, we’re not kids anymore and honestly, it’s kind of disturbing how up on your brother’s nuts you are. You’ve been in Washington, what? A few hours. And you’re already over here?”
“Go fuck yourself, Atlas,” I seethe, silently cursing the flush that creeps up my neck, spilling across my face.
“Why would I do that when I have so many lining up to do it for me?” He gives me a wicked grin, revealing deep dimples on both of his cheeks.
He’s the only person I know that can be so good looking, yet so ugly at the same time.
“That’s enough,” Brennon interjects before I have a chance to unleash the slew of unpleasantries building on the tip of my tongue. Looking at Atlas, he continues, “How was your drive?”
