AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Between your lawyer and Jordan’s, I think he’s got a world of hate coming his way,” Slater said. He swam to the end of the pool and got out. He stopped in front of Reed and Casper and shook his head like a dog, throwing water all over them.
Reed yelped and moved out of the way while Casper started yelling at him. Slater was trying to bring the fun back to our group. I couldn’t knock him. Seeing my brother have a good time was a sight I hoped we’d be familiar with again. He deserved all the joy in the world.
Running into the lower level of the house, Reed was clearly up to something. It wasn’t until Slater toweled off while Casper glared at him that Reed came back with a massive Nerf Super Soaker in his arms and shot water at Slater.
I got up and took off toward the house, dodging Reed and Slater as I went. Casper followed me inside. We raided the closet where I kept the outdoor toys. Yes, I had toys. I was an adult who liked to have fun, dammit.
Casper took the sink while I went outside for the hose to fill up the tanks on the Super Soaker. Giddy excitement rushed through me. We’d had plenty of water fights over the years, butas we got older, they’d slowed down. I was grateful we were doing this again. It didn’t matter what age we were; we were never too old to play games with our brothers.
By the time I joined the fight, Reed was lying in wait and nailed me in the chest the second I was visible. Casper came rushing out and teamed up with Reed to get me.
“Bastards!” I yelled. “Both of you!”
“I’ve got your back,” Slater called and aimed for Casper. “You better run, son!”
Except Casper didn’t run, he and Slater faced off until they were empty while Reed and I watched, then we teamed up and soaked the hell out of them.
I wasn’t sure how long we did that for. Each of us went back to fill up the plastic water guns, then scattered across the property in bare feet, trying to get the others. I was glad I paid someone to manage my yard for me so I didn’t have to worry about getting stabbed by crabgrass. Prickly shit it was. And I couldn’t forget the pinecones near the tree line. Stepping on one of those was like getting stabbed in the foot. Some of those fuckers were pointy.
We ran around the yard well into the night, like we were kids back in high school. Sure, the location was different but the town was the same, as was the group. The four of us had been together for many years and I wanted this to continue for more to come.
Headlights dipped and raised as someone pulled into my driveway. Not someone, Romeo with hopefully Tristan. I recognized the sound of Romeo’s car and could see the coupe once the motion light kicked on.
“Time!” I called and started toward the house. I was hiding behind a tree, not sure where the others were. We’d gone silent as we each planned our attack.
Casper didn’t heed my time-out and came running for me from the side of the house as he blasted me in the back.
“Son of a bitch!” I yelled and spun to get revenge, but he was already off like a rocket.
“Oh my god,” Romeo said with a laugh when I came into view. “What the hell happened to you?”
Glancing down at my body, I realized my trunks were filthy and I had mud caked to my legs. All the water and us crouching on the ground did that. There was a smear of dirt across my abdomen. I must have wiped my hand on myself.
“You look like you’ve been camping for a week with no way to clean yourself,” Tristan observed. “There’s a pine needle sticking out of your hair.” He went to remove it, but Romeo kept him back.
“No, wait, we need a photo of this. Hey, guys, come here!” he yelled. “This will make a great social media post for the band!” He was right. The fans would eat us up. “I’ll take the photo and send it to you to post. I hate all that stuff, but if I was a fan, I’d want to see this.”
“So, you’re not a fan of mine?” I asked.
Romeo stuck his tongue out at me. “Just stand there and look hot.”
Casper, Reed, and Slater emerged in various states of filth with leaves and pine needles stuck to them too. We looked ridiculous.
Standing together, shoulder to shoulder, I put my arm around my brother, and Casper leaned in to press a kiss to Reed’s muddy cheek. Romeo took a bunch of photos, each one of different poses. We were shirtless in nothing but our bathing suits. There was no showcasing our cocks thanks to our trunks.
“How much do you want to bet a survival fitness company contacts us and asks us to be their spokespeople?” Reed asked.
“More power to you,” I told him. “I wasn’t made for the great outdoors. I like sleeping in a bed at night with air-conditioning or heat. I’m not a tent and fire kind of guy.”
Tristan chuckled. “What’s the matter, Dash? Don’t want to sleep outside with the bears, coyotes, and a billion bugs?”
“I do not. Have you seen the lanternflies? They fucking jump and have too many wings.”
“You’re afraid of a bug that won’t even bite you?”
“They creep me out. I’m fine with flies and gnats and stuff like that. Just not the lanternflies.” I shivered just thinking about them. Gross.
Casper clapped a muddy hand on my shoulder. “You’re a weird dude, but we still love you.”
