“Mom,” I finish for him, giving him a small grin. “Stop worrying. Everything’s going to be fine. I’ll be with Dad; he’ll look after me.”
His lips tug downward, and his eyes go misty. “I wish things were different.”
“It’s fine, I promise. This is what I want,” I say, forcing my chin up.
He opens his mouth to say something but then closes it again, as if he changed his mind.
“Let’s go,” I say. “Dad had to run a couple of errands. He’s meeting me at the airport, and I don’t want to be late.”
Silently, Matt takes my suitcase from me, and we head downstairs and out the front door. The crisp November wind lashes at my skin, sending goosebumps skittering all over my body. Biting my bottom lip, I scan the street, soaking in all the details. As I commit it to memory, my eyes prickle with unwelcome tears.
I press my teeth harder into my bottom lip to stop the waterworks. And here I thought saying bye to Chiara was hard.
As I force my chin up, ready to move on from the emotion, a familiar frame catches my gaze, its annoyingly beautiful eyes on me.
Dominic.
Damn him. I did so well avoiding him for the last two weeks, but of course, he shows up when it’s time to leave.
“Hey.” He stops next to us, hands in his jeans pockets, a white hoodie making his sun-kissed skin stand out. He assesses me, the scrutiny making annoyance bubble inside me. “Leaving already?”
“Don’t pretend like you’re gonna miss me.”
“Didn’t plan to, actually.” He crooks a smile, making me want to punch him in the face.
Beside me, Matt sighs. “Don’t you two think this would be a good time to stop arguing?”
“No,” Dominic and I say at the same time.
Cheeks heating, I flip him off and fold my arms over my chest. God, I hate him.
“I’m kinda sad you’re leaving.”
“What?” I ask. “Disappointed you won’t have anyone to make fun of anymore?”
Disappointed you won’t have an audience to hear you fuck your girl in your room?There’s no way I’m saying it aloud, even though it’s tempting. After the party, it was like he was trying to prove something, bringing that redhead to his room almost every night once our parents went to bed, banging her for several hours straight. They weren’t nearly as loud as that first night, but since we share a wall, I still heard way too much. It got so bad, I had to resort to sleeping with my headphones on.
Every night, my resentment for him grew, even if it’s been hard to convince my heart he’s an asshole.
He looks down at me, unblinking, then runs his fingers through his blond hair. “No. I think I got used to you.”
My heart skips a beat at the gentleness in his tone.
Instantly, I scold myself.He no longer matters, I repeat in my mind.He no longer matters. He no longer matters. Damn…I’m lying to myself again.
“You’ll be fine,” I mutter.
“Let’s go, little one. We need to leave.” Matt heads to his car.
Nerves rush through me, as if it’s only now dawning on me that I really am leaving my old life behind. My brother. My mom. My friends. Dominic. My mouth goes dry, and tears threatento fall. That’s when I turn and follow my brother. I won’t let Dominic see me upset.
Matt puts my suitcase in the trunk, and once we’re both buckled in, I look out the window as he drives away from the house. Dominic stands still, focused on the car. He and Matt are opposites, like yin and yang, when it comes to looks. Golden blond versus jet-black. Hazel versus dark blue. Matthew is bulky; Dominic is lean but still muscular. They’re so different, yet they share so many traits.
Sadness overwhelms me, and my heart constricts painfully.
I’ll miss Matt so damn much. Not seeing my brother every day will be the hardest thing to get used to.
Unlike not seeing Dominic.
