Timing Is Everything

Chapter 24

"What are you- shitting fuck! Alex, why were you hiding in my closet?" I ask. My boyfriend stands up and steps out of my closet with a blank expression on his face.

"You didn't notice me when you came in here and punched Jay in the boob so I backed up and decided to watch what would happen." He tells me while climbing onto the bed on the side of me not occupied by Jay.

"Wow, both of you in my double bed. Just when I thought this night couldn't get-"

"Now's when you push Jay off of your breasts and let me lay on them." Alex interrupts while grabbing Jay's arm from around my waist and throwing it back at him. Jay sits up and Alex moves an arm around my waist, scooching me closer to him and literally burying his face in my boobs.

"Jay's right there, Alex." I say disappointedly, feeling embarrassment wash over me.

"And now they smell like him too. Jay, can you grab the perfume from-"

"Alex, stop he's- oh, Jay, you don't have to- Alex! C'mon! Oh, I give up." I huff angrily.

"The lesson that you can gather from all of this is 'don't let other guys near your boobs'." Alex says, spraying the cold perfume on my chest twice and then kissing my cheek.

"How did you get in here?" I ask him.

"Slipped in the back door while you were making a scene and went upstairs when you started crying."

"Alex, I'm mad at you and you're not helping your case right now." I tell him in a not-angry voice, moving an arm around his back as he rests his head at a more appropriate place on my chest.

"You're mad?" Alex asks with a snort.

"There's something seriously wrong with you two." I say in my sternest voice. "Your fucking brother died and you didn't tell me? That's fucked up beyond reasoning."

"I already told you, I-"

"You're kinda off the hook, Jay." I tell him with a sympathetic look.

"What?" Alex says sharply.

"You're my boyfriend and you promised that you wouldn't keep anything from me again. And two weeks later, YOU KEPT MIKE'S DEATH FROM ME!" I seethe, mad and suddenly very disappointed. Alex doesn't say anything and neither do I.

I stare at my ceiling, trying to figure out what's going on. Mike is dead. He's gone. And I let Jay lay on my boobs and my boyfriend broke a promise and MIKE IS GONE! THE LAST THING I SAID TO HIM WAS 'Bye Mike! I hope you rage quit COD and Bailey asks you for her money again!" AND HE JUST LAUGHED AND GAVE ME A SMALL SMILE AND THEN I LEFT TO MAKEOUT WITH ALEX IN THE BACK OF HIS CAR.

"Are you alright, Brook?" Jay asks me. I break out of my daydream and look down at Jay to see a questioning look of concern on his face. And my insides almost scream 'AWE!' and then I remember how much Jay looks like Mike and then I almost cry.

"Jay how about you get going? My mom's gonna be stressed out from me making a scene and you'll be able to slip out while she's smoking." I tell him, feeling the sting of tears behind my eyes. Of course, he sees straight through me and gives me a small smile before standing up and grabbing his jacket from my floor.

"You should join us for brunch tomorrow, Jay." Alex says while sitting up, leaving his hand on my stomach.

"Really?" Jay and I say at the same time. I look at my boyfriend's face to see that he's not joking.

"We'll pick you up from the Frat House at noon. I have a feeling someone's gonna want to see Jane, Shane and Bailey tomorrow and then get waffles from Denny's." Alex explains while straightening out my top for me.