After a year and a half of trying to move on from the what-ifs, the tides have pulled Alexandra Rivera and Zachariah Kim back together again.
*****
In the h...
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"Who the hell bought you that alcohol? I know you lost your fake ID two months ago."
When I turned around, my brother was watching me load things into the trunk of my car. Most of it was booze but I also had some other bags since I was spending the night at Jem's house.
The bottle dropped with a thud and I slammed the trunk closed. "None of your business."
Anthony turned around, work duffle in hand, and leaned against the back of my car to block me from making a getaway. He'd been working a lot of overtime the past few weeks and I tried not to be bothered by the intensity of his dark circles. They were mostly hereditary but he had the sluggish movements to suggest he was more tired than anything. Dad wasn't in the best mood so that didn't help either.
"Emmie's boyfriend got it for me," I explained in defeat. "I'm spending the night at Jem's. Her parents are away for the week and she wanted some company."
"So he's a boyfriend now?" he asked, only mildly surprised. "We'll see how long that lasts before she's running back to Jarrod."
I smacked him on the arm. "That's so rude."
"What?" he laughed. "Don't act like you weren't thinking about it at some point."
Even though that was the truth, I'd never admit it. Saying it out loud made me feel guilty, beyond the fact I'd already thought the same thing before.
"Next time, take from Dad's stash," he said as his eyes shifted toward the closed trunk. "He could use a break." The offhanded comment came out casually but it was clear it bothered him more than he was letting on. Anthony was good at hiding how he felt, often to his detriment, but even the strongest of people had their limits.
"Should I not go this weekend?" I asked, hand still on the handle, ready to take my bags out if he needed me to.
I knew what the answer was going to be before he gave it, but I asked anyway. Even though my brother and I got under each other's skins at times, we were both the only ones that completely understood each other. And he went above and beyond to make sure I was taken care of, even though I wasn't always the best at showing my appreciation. It was something I was working on.
Anthony rejected the offer before I talked myself out of going. "I'll keep an eye on him."
My brother gave up having a life a long time ago when Mom first left us. The house wouldn't be standing if it weren't for him.
"Are you sure?" I reiterated my concern, not wanting to leave him behind to clean up someone else's mess by himself again. But the question fell on ears that refused to listen. He nudged me to the door with his shoulder.
"Tell Emmie I said to not break that guy's heart!" he shouted as he made his way up the steps to the house.
