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“Our last conversation was a fight,” the words are barely above a whisper as they slip past his lips.
Well, shit. That’s not what I expected him to say, but it explains everything about the way he’s been acting, how hard it’s been for him since Dad died. They barely ever fought but when they did it could get explosive. Both are/were passionate and fought to have their voices and opinions heard. Neither liked to back down, especially when they believed they were right.
“The last time I talked to Dad I accidentally hung up on him because I had my phone pressed between my shoulder and ear,” I start, remembering the day like it was yesterday, not weeks ago. “Instead of calling him back, I sent him a text. I could have called him, I wasn’t busy, but we weren’t talking about anything important, so I sent a text. Don’t you think I regret that?”
“I hadn’t talked to him in a week, Willow. I was angry.”
“About what?”
“He was still pressuring me to take the bar exam.”
It’s a fight they’d had plenty of times over the years. Max refused to be a lawyer, hated that my dad defended assholes. My father knew Max would make a great attorney and was always encouraging him to change his mind. It wasn’t Max’s passion, but my father refused to accept it. Max still doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life so he’s studying international business which my father called a cop out.
“Listen closely because I’m only going to say this once.” I turn on my stool to face my brother. When he doesn’t look up at me, I place my hands on his cheeks and force him to make eye contact with me. “Dad loved you. You’re his son. His firstborn. Pride and joy. No matter what you decide to do with your life, he’s going to be proud of you. Did he want you to follow in his footsteps? Yes. He wanted us to take over the firm. He wanted us to carry on his legacy. Do I think you could do that? Of course. You can do whatever you set your mind to. Do I think you would have been happy? Absolutely not.
“I love law. I love studying about cases and reading the history behind how laws came to be. You have no interest in preparing depositions and spending your day in and out of courtrooms. That’s fine. He would have gotten it eventually. He would have understood. You want to be a plumber and fix leaky sinks for a living because that’s what makes you happy, do it.” I feel Finn walk into the room behind me, his unique scent overwhelming my senses, but I don’t look over my shoulder.
“All he cared about was your happiness, Max. At the end of the day, as long as you’re doing something that puts a smile on your face, something you love and are passionate about, he would be happy for you. Sure, the last words you shared probably weren’t nice, but do you think that meant he didn’t love you? Because honestly, I’m not sure there’s anything in this world you could have done that would have made him love you less. He pushed you to be great because he knew you could. Don’t let one conversation destroy the good memories.”
Max stares at me with tears freely streaming down his face for what feels like hours before he finally pulls me in for a hug.
“I really needed to hear that, Lo. Thank you.”
“It’s the truth, big brother. Evie was Dad’s little girl. I was his mini-me. But you, you were his favorite. The one who changed his world. You made him a father.”
The sound of the toaster popping catches my attention, and when I finally glance behind me, Finn is standing with his back to us. His shoulders are slumped forward as he spreads cream cheese over his bagel.
Releasing Max after a kiss to his cheek, I can see the weight my words have lifted off his shoulders. His eyes are brighter, even though they’re still glistening with tears. His smile is small but genuine.
“So,” he says, clearing his throat as he reaches for his now empty coffee mug, “what are your plans tonight?”
“Nothing,” I reply at the same time Finn says, “Relaxing.”
“Okay.” Max draws out the word as he looks between Finn’s back and my face.
“Want to come home with me, man?”
Finally turning to face us, Finn shakes his head as he takes a giant bite of bagel, his words muffled. “Nah.”
“If you don’t have any plans, why not? You can help me scare the fuck out of Evie’s prom date. I guarantee that’s going to be a good time.”
Finn chuckles, shoving another bite in his mouth.
“Julian and I might hit the rec center, lift a little. He’s already prepping for next season, and I told him I’d work out with him. Most of the other players went home for the summer and he’s been bugging me to go so I can spot him.”
Odd that he’d use Julian as an alibi considering theyneverhang out alone. Sure, Max and Finn have a rather large group of friends, and when they’re together everyone gets along, but that doesn’t mean some of them don’t mix like oil and water. Julian and Finn are only one example. They respect each other but don’t feel the need to hang out.
“I’m surprised you have any energy at all after the late nights and early mornings you’ve been pulling.”
Shit. So, Max has noticed Finn’s absence the last few weeks. He’s been waiting for him to fall asleep before sneaking over, walking instead of driving so it’s not as obvious, and then running home early in the morning to make it look like he has a reason to be coming around sunrise.
Finn said it’s been working. Max hasn’t done more than nod in his direction. Most of the time, Max is still sound asleep when Finn gets back home. He hasn’t asked him any questions, hasn’t pushed for why he’s suddenly taken an interest in running in the mornings. We figured he didn’t care.
“Nah.”
I can feel the tension in the room growing exponentially by the second as Finn and Max stare each other down. My eyes flick between the two of them, my heart pounding against my chest.
When Max throws his head back, laughing, I let out a huff of breath in release, sucking it right back in when he speaks. “What’s her name?”
