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“Asher, that’s enough.” Mom said.
“I couldn’t agree more.” He said, glaring at her.
His chair moved back with a screech. The floor bore the weight of his frustration as the resounding thuds of his stomping feet echoed his internal anger.
Noah’s eyes darted around, seeking shelter from the stifling silence.
“This dinner is delicious, Mrs. Hart.”
I placed my hand over my mouth to stifle my laughter, but my moving shoulders gave me away.
“Thank you, Noah.”
It’s safe to say dinner was over after the awkward interactions, so I gestured to Noah to follow me outside. I walked past Sawyer and placed my hand on her shoulder. I leaned down to whisper in her ear.
“Want to join us outside?”
She pressed her lips together in a tense grin.
“No, thank you.”
I led Noah to the makeshift basketball court we made out back. I dribbled the ball before tossing it to him. He caught it with ease.
“You play?” I asked.
He shrugged.
“A little.”
We filled the next hour with rhythmic thumps as the ball danced back and forth, along with our trash-talking. Every time I would score, I would rub it in his face and vice versa.
A window opening caught our attention. We lifted our heads. Asher had already set his eyes on us. He put his finger to his lips, motioning for us to be quiet. Carefully, he descended the vines. He knew exactly where to position his feet and landed on the ground with catlike agility before running his hands down his jacket. He was a walking representation of arrogance as he strutted towards us, making us feel privileged to be in his presence. The way he carried himself was as if we owed him our admiration.
“Are any of you interested in attending a party?”
I folded my arms.
“It’s a Wednesday.”
“Thank you for the daily report.”
“We’re good, thanks.” Noah said.
Asher reached for the pack of cigarettes in his back pocket and placed one between his lips.
“Suit yourselves.” He said and raised his chin. “See you later, little brother.”
My fists clenched at my sides. I hated it when he called me that. He loved testing my patience.
Ten minutes. That’s the age gap between us, but he made it seem like ten years.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Noah said. “Your brother is a jerk.”
I clenched my jaw as my eyes followed his retreating figure until he was out of sight.
“He never used to be.”
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