“I’ll pay the fine,” I added.
He scoffed then shook his head, popping open his bottle and sliding me the utensil. “My manager called. Said it was brilliant. That this will sell tickets like crazy and I’m basically golden.” Troy’s brows shot up but he didn’t seem sold on the notion.
“That’s something,” I offered dryly.
“That’s not me, August. I don’t do romantic gestures or apologies. And I didn’t think you did either. Who the hell is she?”
“You don’t know?” I frowned.
“No.”
“It’s Harper.” I had to tell him what this was about. He deserved that much.
“Harper?” The wrinkles in his forehead smoothed and he snapped his fingers. “Harper. That’s right. You always had a thing for her.”
My jaw tightened. “You knew about that?”
He shrugged and walked around me like it meant nothing. “You wouldn’t do anything about it so I did.”
I set the beer down and followed him around the counter. “Play this out for me again. You knew I liked her and you asked her out in spite of it?”
He set himself on the couch rubbing his hair back like he was dealing with a teenager. “You were always good at everything. You were the one mom and dad were proud of. First twin born. First place at everything. But you couldn’t talk to girls like I could. At least not her. Poor girl was always super sweet to you and you’d one-line her and walk in the other direction. And not very smoothly, either.” He chuckled.
“So you knew and just decided to what? Have something I couldn’t?”
He ignored me and blinked as if this conversation was making him drowsy. “What do you want me to say? You had everything;, everything August touched, he did well—this was one thing you couldn’t seem to get your hands on so…”
My jaw clenched and my stomach churned in disgust. “So you did? You used her so you had one up on me?”
“Relax. She was a prude. If I couldn’t get to second base, you sure as hell wouldn’t have.”
I held back the urge to punch him but his words gave me some relief. Exhausted and knowing this conversation wasn’t going anywhere good, I turned to leave.
“I’m glad you did it,” he called gruffly.
“What?”
“Harper. I’m glad you did it. I sure as fuck never could.”
“You wanted to?”
“I tried to. But I wasn’t a chaser. Plus there’s just no apologizing for what she saw.”
I emptied the open beer bottle I barely touched into the sink and tossed it along with the other empty ones in the recycle bin. “I’ve got to go.”
“You’re like over her, right?” he asked as I went to the door.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not like still hung up?”
I took a moment before answering—but I had no intention of lying to my brother. I had nothing to hide. “I’ve got too much going on to be hung up on anything.”
He nodded.
Now that Harper had what she wanted, I doubted she’d be coming around anymore anyway.
After a shower, I tossed the wet towel onto my floor which I never did—but I was too damn exhausted to care about anything but sleep right now—and crawled into my bed. Covering only half my body with feather-filled covers.
