Staring at her reflection in the picture hanging over the smooth wood, she wiped angrily at the tears that streaked from her eyes.
Does he really think so little of me? And Reeve? To compare him to Miles…
“Damn you, Aidrian.”
She left the empty tumbler and returned to her chair where she got back to work. A few hours later, her phone rang, and without taking her eyes from the screen, she answered.
“Hello?”
“Affrica.”
Hondo. She hung up without a word.
As expected, the phone rang immediately. She leaned back in her chair and debated. Answer it or no?
“Hello?”
“Damn it, Affrica, dinna—“
“Something wrong?”
“No.”
“Then, we have nothing to say to one another.” She ended the call.
He called twice more, and she ignored him. Eventually, work drew her attention completely back in, and when her phone rang again later, it startled her.
“Hello?”
“Am I going to get to see you or did your brother fuck it up?”
Affrica leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. “I always have time for you. Want to grab a coffee?”
“Yes. And I’ll leave him at the hotel.”
“Wonderful. The Guards work?”
“I’m on my way out the door now.”
“Right behind you.” She hung up, powered down her computer and tied on her boots.
She slid on her navy windbreaker, made sure to have her IDs and wallet then jogged down the steps to the street. The wind had picked up and she shoved her hands in her pockets as she struck out.
The walk took her fifteen minutes. She pulled open the door and stepped inside the shop.
“Affrica.”
At the sound of her name, she looked to the left. She smiled as her gaze landed on her sister-in-law.
“Xaria,” she said affectionately.
“You’re looking great.” The women shared a hug.
“So are you. How are you doing?”
“Wonderful. I ordered you a coffee. Let’s catch up.”
Affrica sat across from the golden-blonde haired woman. “How long are ya here for?”
“We have dinner with your parents tonight.” She cocked her head to the right. “Will you be there?”
“Nae. It’s best I stay away from him right now.”
“Want to talk about what he did?”
She shook her head. “Thanks, anyway.”
“I’m your friend as well, you know.”
“I ken. I’ve nae wish to talk about it, though.”
Bless her, Xaria let it go. She added sugar to her coffee and stirred it. “How’s work?”
“Keeping me hoppin’, for sure.”
“I heard you went to a sheepdog trial. What was that like?”
Her honest enthusiasm was contagious, and as Affrica prepared her own coffee, she filled her in. The women chatted for two hours, and when she glanced up to see Aidrian stride in, she wiped her mouth and gathered her things.
“It was so good”—she rose then hugged and kissed Xaria—“to see you. Have a great trip.”
Xaria’s smile was sad. “Thanks for the visit.”
“Affrica.” Her brother’s deep voice gave her pause.
She didn’t acknowledge him, just tossed her garbage in the receptacle and went to the door.
“Dinna walk away from me.”
Of course he can’t leave me be.
“You dinna give me orders, Aidrian. I’m nae a wee one in diapers.”
He turned her toward him, and she scowled up at him, glancing pointedly to where he restrained her.
“Affrica.”
She spoke their native language. “I have absolutely nothing to say to you, Aidrian. At all. Leave me be.”
Removing his hand, she strode off without a look back. Her insides were at war. She hated fighting with her brother. Yet, she wasn’t about to let him berate her for the man she picked to be with.
Are you sure?
No, she wasn’t. His cutting words about Miles had been a low blow.
* * * *
Reeve hesitated before knocking on the condo door before him.
Suck it up.
So he did.
A few moments passed before the door opened. “Reeve.”
He tried for a smile. “Godric. Got a minute?”
“Depends.” His youngest brother had a scowl on his face as he stood there in a nice pair of khakis and a button down shirt.
“On what?”
“If you are here to speak shit, just turn around.”
“I’m here to apologize.”
Godric crossed his arms and stepped back. Taking it as an invite in, Reeve crossed the threshold and entered. Behind him, the door clicked shut, and he didn’t move until Godric passed him and went farther into his place.
His brother leaned against his counter and faced him, one eyebrow raised. “Speak.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Fine. Show yourself out.” Godric walked around to the kitchen and began chopping up the vegetables sitting there.
“Really?”
Godric pinned him with an angry glare. “I don’t have time for your shit, Reeve. You said you wanted to apologize. You did. Nothing else needs to be said.”
“Nothing?”
“Not as far as I’m concerned, no.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were gay?”
“Why would I have?” The knife moved with alarming speed on the cutting board. “You and your little group of friends aren’t exactly the nicest when it comes to those who are different.”
That hurt. It may be true, but it still hurt.
“I’m your brother.”
“And yet you assumed, the moment you saw Affrica in my place, that I was fucking her even though I know how much you care for her, despite your attempts to deny it to not only yourself but everyone else. In all our years, Reeve, you’ve been selfish, getting more so as we got older. Selfish and self-absorbed. I knew I was gay back in middle school but all I heard were the jokes you and your
friends
told about them. There was no incentive for me to tell you, brother or not.”
Shit. Had he truly been that much of an ass?
You know you were; why are you trying to pretend otherwise?
He didn’t argue with his brain’s commentary, for there was no reason to.
“I’m sorry, Godric. Sorry I wasn’t a better brother to you and the others.”
“Sure.” He scraped the peppers in a bowl and reached for the mushrooms.
Sure. What did that mean? He was forgiven? It was over?
He dampened his lips. “So, tell me about your…partner. What’s he like?”
One brown brow rose. “Like? As in is he human or an alien? What are you asking?”
“What does he do?”
“Riley is in construction. He’s a welder.”
He tried to imagine his brother with a man who welded for a living. What was he to say? Really? “And, how long have you been together?”
“As long as Scott and Lex.”
His phone rang before he could respond. “Hello?”
“I need to see you.”
Reeve frowned and gave a slight head shake. “Who is this?”
Godric stopped what he was doing and looked at him, concern in his expression.
“Marisol.”
“I have nothing to say to you. Lose my number.” He ended the call.
“Problems?”
He shoved his phone back in his pocket. “I hope not. It was Marisol.”
“I thought you weren’t seeing her anymore.”
“Haven’t seen her since she followed me to the train station.” He waved off his brother’s questioning look. “I told her then we were over. Just now, she said she needed to see me.”
“And?”
He shrugged. “And nothing. I have no reason to talk to her.”
“You think that’s going to work with her? You saw what she was like with Scott and then the whole, ‘I’m carrying your baby’ thing she pulled with you.”
“She can claim that all she wants. I’ve not slept with her since then. So, if she’s carrying my baby, it is some kind of medical miracle.”
“Or she saved your sperm and impregnated herself.”
Like it did in the cartoon when bad things were suddenly realized and their world shrank or zoomed in on them, his narrowed and there existed a large, impending sense of doom.
“Reeve, Reeve. Christ, man. Breathe.”
He blinked a few times and refocused on his brother. “What did you say?”
“It was a joke, man. Although from your expression, it’s not being taken that way.” He walked to the fridge and withdrew a beer. “You look like you could use one.”
That was putting it mildly. He popped the top and tipped back the cold brew.
What am I going to do if that’s what she is planning or has done already?
Damn, it hurt to breathe. He wasn’t in any place in his life to take care of another being. Much less a baby. He was in the process of learning to be better himself.
What would Affrica think?
“Reeve.”
He blinked and looked at his brother. “What?”
“I said you are welcome to stay for dinner if you’d like to meet Riley.”
“I’d like that, thank you.”
Godric smiled. “He’s been wanting to meet you as well.”
They had a good dinner, and when he left his brother’s, he felt better about their relationship than he had in many years. At his place, he watched some television and crawled into bed while dreaming of his fiery Irish lass.
Reeve stumbled from his bed at the pounding on his door. He rubbed his eyes and checked the blue digital readout from his clock. Two-twenty-seven in the morning.
“I’m coming, geez.”
He cracked his neck as he went to the door and opened it. Thomas stood there, reeking of alcohol and panting like he’d run a marathon.
“What are you doing here?” He waved a hand in front of his face, trying to get the stench away from him. “And at this time of the night.”
“I need a place to hole up, man. The cops are after me.”
“For what?”
“Nothing. It was all a misunderstanding.” His eyes were wide and not focusing. “Let me in.”
Reeve braced his weight against the door. “No way. If it’s just a misunderstanding, then explain it to the cops, and I’m sure it will all be fine.”
“She wants my money.”
“Who does?”
“This woman who says I attacked her.”
His blood ran cold. “You attacked a woman?”
“No. She wanted it. Then, she changed her mind after it was done. Now, they want to take me in.”
“Man up, Thomas. I’m not helping you with this.”
“I thought you were my friend.”
“We both have sisters. How would you feel if your sister came to you and said what this other woman is claiming?”
“But it’s a lie.”
“So your lawyer can get you free. It’s not like you can’t afford one.” He shook his head. “You need to leave. I’m not going to be part of this. Turn yourself in; running only makes you look more guilty.”
“They’ll put me in with those other scum.” He swore. “I should have gone elsewhere. I should have known you wouldn’t help us.”
Reeve lifted his brows. “Us?”
“Myself, Jason, and Dave.”
“All of you are in trouble? You’re right, I won’t.”
“I told them you would. They said you wouldn’t. I reminded them we were buds.”
Reeve closed his eyes and said, “I am not getting in this. I told you the other day, this isn’t college anymore. You’re grown men. Act like it. You can come in and sit while you wait for the cops but you’re not staying here in hiding.”
“Fuck you, man. I thought you were our friend.”
“I thought I was, too. But a friend wouldn’t ask another to do this. Not coming to them drunk saying you’re running from the cops for assault against a woman. The three of you, man, and you said woman. That’s three on one. Do you ever think what that would be like for your sister? Or mine? Time for you to grow up. I’m calling the cops. If you are innocent, your lawyer will get you off. If not, you don’t deserve to be out on the street.”
“Fuck you,” Thomas slurred. “You do this, and we’re done. You can officially consider us no longer friends.”
“Goodbye, Thomas.” He shut the door and did as he’d said, called the cops. Had he done the right thing? Perhaps not. Then again, if they were running from assaulting a woman… Hell yes, he had.
He sank down to his sofa and stared at the screen on his phone. Then, he dialed a number he now knew by heart. He smiled when a soft Irish lilt answered on the other end.
“Hello, sweetcheeks.”
“Reeve,” Affrica said. “Isna it late there?”
“Late. Early. Depends on how you look at it.”
“And how are ya looking at it?”
“I’m not. I just needed to hear your voice.”
Affrica stifled her yawn, readjusted her backpack and trekked the remaining distance to the baggage claim. She found a seat and claimed it. Her foot resting against her packed duffel, she took a drink of her bottled water.
Man, I need a bed and a drink a lot stronger than this.
She allowed her lids to drop almost fully but continued to keep alert as people came and went.
“Slacker.”
She looked up to see Tori with a huge smile on her face. She jumped up, nearly tipping over her water.
“You made it!”
“Me? I was thinking the same thing about you.”
They hugged. “Customs,” Affrica said.
“Me, too. Thanks for coming.”
“Please, I needed a vacation. Hanging out with ya in New York was a viable one. How are ya parents?”
Tori tucked some braids behind her ear and sat. Affrica sat beside her. “Sorry they haven’t seen you in a while. Would love for you to come visit.”
“I’ll see what I can do. It’s on me. I mean, I go over to England so much I should be able to find some time to visit.”
They caught up while waiting for the bags to arrive. Then, the women climbed in a taxi and continued chatting during transport to their hotel. After they checked in and had gone to their own suites to get some rest, Affrica was wakened by her phone.
She fumbled for the device, all the while cursing herself for not turning it off. “Hello?”
“Did I wake you, sweetcheeks?”
Okay, so maybe it’s not so bad having my rest disturbed here.
“Uh huh.”
“Long night?”
She sniffed. “More like a long flight.” She yawned and sat up before padding to the window which overlooked the busy streets below.
“Flight? Where are you?”
“In your Big Apple.”