‘Why are you here?’
She finally stopped casing and leaned against the kitchen counter, teetering on the edge. She got that look in her eye, the one a dog got when it wanted to be let back inside after tearing up the cushions.
‘And don’t say it’s to see me,’ he interjected. ‘You haven’t been in touch since you got your money.’
Before that it had been some years. She hadn’t come home for their mother’s funeral either. At first he’d been glad after she swept out of his life like a hurricane but as the months stretched without a word he wondered if she’d drunk herself to death. He’d put part of her silence down to a sense of guilt. If that had been the case, she was over it now.
She sucked her teeth and the plaintive expressive vanished. ‘I need money.’
‘You’ve got money. You’ve got three hundred thousand dollars.’
‘It’s gone.’
He didn’t believe her. She would have spent some of it but this was a ploy to get more out of him. She was going to claim that she deserved more than the half he’d given her, despite all he’d paid to keep a roof over their heads. She could go to hell if she thought she’d get anything extra.
‘Get a job then.’
‘No-one will hire me.’
He scoffed. ‘As if you’ve even tried. Where’d the money go?’
‘I spent it.’
‘Not my problem.’
‘Come on, Bruce, you’re my brother. You’re supposed to help family.’
‘And you coming to demand money for this house and threatening to kick me out is how you help family is it?’
‘Mum left this house to both of us. You lived in it a lot longer than I did.’
‘I didn’t tell you to leave Brachen.’
‘No but half the house was rightfully mine.’
‘And I was willing to pay you rent. But that wasn’t enough was it? And look what you did with “your half”. Pissed it away. Well, I’m tapped out.’
‘You must have something.’
‘You took it all. I went into debt because of you, and even if I did have money, I wouldn’t give you a cent.’
‘You’re mean, Bruce. Everyone thinks you’re this really nice guy but you were the worst brother ever.’ She glared at him and he glared right back.
After all he’d done to try to keep her from falling apart and pay the original mortgage on the house, she had the nerve to think of him as a scrooge. She ripped out his heart the day she demanded her half. He knew she’d drink it away and he’d resisted for her own good but she’d insisted. Threatened. Whatever familial bond they’d had she hacked into pieces the day she gave that ultimatum. Without that link, she was free to make her own mistakes. He’d tried to save her so many times—as she started drinking, as she got worse, as she followed their mother’s path—but he couldn’t stop her. And he’d stopped wanting to.
A knock at the door saved him from having to dump all that at her feet. There wasn’t any point. He’d said it all before.
‘Stay there,’ he said.
‘Ooooh, the hot date. Hope he likes them cheap.’
He opened the door and Gabe rushed forward and kissed him with a force that wiped Rachel from his mind. Gabe broke for air, but Bruce could have happily passed out if it meant he didn’t have to deal with his sister.
‘I’m glad we’re doing this tonight,’ Gabe said. ‘It’s been a tough day.’
He entered the house before Bruce could warn him. He stopped when he saw Rachel.
She smirked. ‘This is your hot date? Oh boy, Bruce has been chasing your tail since you were a kid. Likes ’em young if you know what I mean.’
Jets of molten lava shot up Bruce’s back and doused his head in fire. His hands closed into fists but that only intensified the heat.
‘Hello, Rachel,’ Gabe said with a voice as cold as ice.
‘Gabriel. How’s that blond twink friend of yours?’ Even drunk she knew where to stick the knife.
‘He’s not my friend.’
‘Not even with benefits?’
‘That’s enough, Rachel. Time to go.’ Bruce clenched his muscles tight enough for his forearms to cramp.
‘I’m not going anywhere. We haven’t finished our little family reunion.’
He marched towards her but Gabe grabbed his hand. ‘Come on, let’s go outside for a bit.’
Bruce was strong enough to drag Gabe along for a few steps but with a couple of rough tugs, Gabe managed to divert him. Rachel smirked but Bruce spun so he wouldn’t have to see her. Gabe shoved him out the door and closed it behind the two of them. He directed Bruce to the swing.
‘You’ve got to calm down.’ Gabe put both hands on his shoulders.
‘I’m sorry. I had no idea she was going to show up.’
‘You don’t have to apologise to me, I know what Rachel’s like.’
So did he but he’d always hoped for better. Meanwhile she was probably inside breaking things. Or stealing them.
‘I thought once she got her half of the house, I’d never see her again.’
‘So why’s she here?’
‘She wants more money. Like there’s anything left to give her.’
‘What do you want to do?’
‘I want to spend the evening with you like we’d planned.’
‘But?’
He sighed. ‘But I think this is going to take a while.’
Gabe sat in Bruce’s lap and the swing rocked them back and forth. This is what he’d wanted, a night together without sick parents, mortgage debts, the outside and complicated world. He took solace in Gabe’s arms, in feeling the weight of him across his lap, of knowing that they were together. But tonight wasn’t going to go as planned.
‘Do you want me to stay and help? She doesn’t look well.’
‘I’d better handle this on my own.’ Rachel looked like she’d found a new chew toy when Gabe walked in. She was his responsibility and he didn’t want Gabe to get bitten.
‘She’s going
