All This Time

11 ⦿ in which i befriend the brother

December 22, 2010 2:30 p.m.

If Xander is startled to see Wolfram and I walk side by side into the foyer with matching smiles on our faces, he is too polite to acknowledge it. His eyes flick to mine in question when Wolf slings his arm casually over my shoulder.

"Everyone ready?" Wolfram asks.

I want to throttle him. It's so not fair that he can keep his voice steady like that when inside, I feel like all the butterflies have escaped and are engaging in a close-combat melee in my chest.

Levi's eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. Just a little while ago I had assured him there was nothing going on between me and his brother. He tries to catch my eye but I determinedly avoid his gaze. Like Levi, Diana is also staring openly, her pretty face twisted into an unpleasant grimace.

"Hope everyone is bundled up!" Graeme chirps, clapping her hands together. "There's a lot of shopping I want to do, so don't expect to get back before dinner time."

"You're buying tourist tat?" Diana smiles. "How quaint, Graeme. I would have gotten your Christmas present from the airport instead of Rue Mouffetard if I'd known you were economizing."

Graeme's face flushes. Even though she's been less than gracious to me, I feel a burning rush of anger on her behalf, mingling with the sympathy. My parents always taught me that you have to be the friend that you want to have. It doesn't matter that Graeme has unsheathed her claws to me time after time. It doesn't matter that if I was in her place, she wouldn't say a word in my defense.

Maybe it's the adrenaline still rushing in my veins, scalding me with the need to be bold, to be brave. Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment. Either way, I open my mouth. "I'd love to do some shopping too, Graeme. Would you mind if I join you? I'm sure you could help me pick out some gifts. You have great taste."

Wolf looks at me, surprise evident in his gaze. But there's something else there, too. Grudging respect, I realize, when he gives me the barest, approving smile. It's almost worth the bad taste in my mouth after kissing Graeme's ass.

"I'll go with you guys, too," Xander says quickly.

Graeme looks taken aback too, but recovers quickly, smiling broadly. For once it doesn't seem fake. "Of course," she exclaims. "I do so hate it when people splash their money about like they have something to prove, don't you?"

Now it's Diana's turn to look thwarted.  As Wolf leads our procession out the front door, she bumps my shoulder hard, overtaking me in her haste to be at Wolf's side. Xander and Graeme take off together, their heads close together, whispering. I admit I'm slightly curious as to what could be so secret, but Levi steals my attention away by sidling up next to me as we pass through the front door.

"What's going on between you and my brother?" he whispers.

I get the giddiest sensation; just a little while ago, wasn't Wolf trying to gauge the same thing between me and Levi? "Nothing," I say, shaking my head. Considering the fact that Levi slept with Diana, I don't want to betray Wolf's confidence and reveal that I'm only doing this so Wolf can save face.

"Did you lie before?" The question has no heat behind it. His eyes are beseeching, trying to coax an answer out of me that I don't want to give.

"No," I reluctantly mumble. "He just wants to get Diana off his back."

"Ah." Levi's shoulders relax. "I thought it was something like that."

Our boots crunch over the driveway. "You're not mad?"