Levi—because this has to be the older brother—just shrugs. That does not make me feel better. “If you’re not Bilson, then who the—” He stops mid-sentence and starts cracking up. “Oh, shit. You’re the dumbass hockey player, aren’t you?”
I don’t answer because he leaves the room and goes into what I’ve decided is the kitchen. He returns less than a minute later with a couple bottles of beer in his hands and offers me one.
"Thanks, but I can't really drink it."
Levi just stares at me like I’m the weird one. "Of course you can. Milo, you around?” he calls. Josie’s youngest brother comes creeping around the corner and I feel instant relief. I don’t want Levi to yell at the kids or anything, but I am excited to be released.
“Hey, Milo,” Levi asks, “We still have those really big straws from Busch Gardens, right?"
Seconds later, there's a big-ass, loopy straw in my beer and I’m holding the bottle awkwardly in my T-Rex claw. "Thanks," I mutter.
“Cheers,” he says, clinking our bottles.
We drink in silence for a few minutes, but I know it won’t last. I’m not surprised when
Levi finishes his beer, sets the bottle on a table, and turns to face me. “It’s Vance, right?”
I shake my head. “Just Van.”
“Yeah, fine. Answer me this: What the hell are you doing here? Because let's be clear, you broke my sister's heart not once, but twice. And the first time, yeah, you were kids, whatever. But right now she's hurting, raw, and still processing, so if you are here to fuck with her in any way, you can leave now before she even knows the little kids tied you up.”
“I'm not. I swear.” I try to put my hands up, but that just ends with me giving the world’s tiniest wave.
Levi’s not done. “Then what do you want? You want Josie back?
This guy isn’t just Josie’s brother, he’s her best friend. They’ve been through some serious shit together, and it’s clear they have each other’s backs. I’ve got to be honest and hope that’s enough.
“I want Josie happy. It's all I've ever wanted, honestly. For a misguided minute, I thought Josie would be better off without me. I came here to find out if she’s as miserable as I am.”
45
Josie
By now, I know better than to go to the grocery store two days before a major holiday. And I definitely know to stay away from the store hours before a storm hits.
But we needed food, so off I went.
The only good thing about grocery shopping is that I don’t have to carry in the bags or put the food away. My work here is done and I am looking forward to an afternoon of reading by the fire. I open the door that connects the kitchen and the garage and holler inside. "Guys, help bring in the bags and unload them, okay? And put the cold stuff away first." It takes a minute, but eventually, they all shuffle downstairs and do as they’re asked.
I pluck my Kindle from the side table and grab my favorite blanket from the basket.
“Hey, Levi, how’d the shoveling—Van! What are you—Oh my god, are you tied to that chair?”
"Yeah, but Levi got me a beer with a straw, so it's all good."
"It's not ‘all good’. Levi, what the hell?"
My older brother puts his hands up in mock surrender. "Woah, Josie, I didn't tie the guy to a chair or wrap him up execution style. And I sure as hell didn't decorate him like afucking Christmas tree. In fact, I was downright friendly. He's on his second beer and he’s thoroughly enjoying this marathon of preschool television that Zane cued up. I've been a damn good host."
I just shake my head and start untying my boyfriend—correction, my ex-boyfriend. I'm still mad as hell at him. And hurt, too, but unbinding him is the least I can do. "Are you okay? How's your knee? What happened?" The questions tumble out of my mouth but before Van can answer, my three youngest siblings come in the door, drop the grocery bags they were carrying, and fold their arms defiantly. And triumphantly.
"We caught the perp," Iris says proudly. "He came to the door looking for you and we weren't going to let him get away. Don’t be mad, Josie. We had to do it. He hurt you and he has to apologize.”
These kids. Their love is so fierce. Misguided and a little crazy, too, but fierce.
I look at each of my three youngest siblings in turn. "Um, did it occur to you that if he came looking for me, maybe you didn't need to tie him up to keep him here? You could have just let him sit on the couch like a normal guest. And, I don't know, maybe texted me to let me know I had a visitor?"
"Where's the fun in that?" Levi smiles.
