Page 32 of Love Never Happens with your Brother’s Best Friend

The forest is cool on this side of the mountain. It’s easy walking for a while before the descent to the river.

“Remember when we built that cool treehouse?” Brodie says from a few yards behind me.

“You mean, that cool treehouse you and Dylan built.” The path narrows and turns sharply downhill. I stop and look up at Brodie before stepping down onto a rock. I hold onto a branch for added support and swing down onto the next one. “I wasn’t allowed anywhere near it.”

“No? Are you sure?” Brodie stops walking and says, “That’s not what I remember.”

“It’s true. I wanted to help, but Dylan told me to go play with my Barbies.” I laugh as I remember my brother’s words. “He knew, full well, I didn’t play with dolls. Man, you were so mean.”

“Your brother wasn’t mean. He was just over-protective and worried you might get hurt.” Brodie follows me down from rock to rock. “I was happy for you to join in.”

“No, you weren’t.” I kick along for a few paces then stop and let Brodie catch me up. “Anyway. I must have been that annoying kid sister who is always nosy and wants to know about everything. And get involved. And gets in the way. And doesn’t understand about boundaries.” I feel like that little girl again. “Mom sat me down one day and said that I should leave you and Dylan to play on your own. She said you had boy stuff to do, and I should just let you.”

“Was that when I found you crying on the back porch? It broke my heart to see you so sad.”

“You remember that?”

“Of course.” Brodie looks down at me. His soft caramel eyes melting my defenses. “I just wanted to make you smile again.”

“Yeah,” I say, hard and spiky, like a cactus. “You did a stupid magic trick that wasn’t very magic, as I recall.”

“And I let you wipe your nose on my sleeve.”

“Yes. Gross.”

“But it worked, didn’t it?”

“What? Your sleeve?”

“The magic trick.” Brodie stands close beside me. “It made you laugh, didn’t it?”

“Ah, was that the magic?”

“Yes.”

I turn away from Brodie and continue down the track.

“Anyway, Mom and I made chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen. She let me clean out the mixing bowl with a spoon. And then, she let me wear a beautiful ring that belonged to her great grandma. It was so pretty, Mom said that boys didn’t understand things like that.” I stop walking and laugh. “But I was still so angry with you and Dylan. And I had the worst FOMO. You guys always did fun stuff without me.”

“Yeah, you were a brat. I remember now,” Brodie calls after me. “Building the treehouse was awesome.” We’re quiet for a few paces before Brodie continues. “Hey. I went to see it with Dylan… We climbed up and sat on the platform. It’s still there. That’s what I can’t believe. Although the roof’s gone and some of the wood is rotting away.”

Brodie is right behind me. I slip on some moss almost losing my balance, but Brodie catches my arm.

“You okay?”

“Yep. Thanks.” Brodie’s hand stays gently where it is for a moment before he lets go. His smiling eyes gaze into mine.

Then, he bounds off down the track ahead of me.

“After that time, I always thought you were just too cool to hang out with us.” Brodie stops walking. “Especially, you know. Later…”

“Me, cool? You must have me confused with someone else.” I smile at Brodie who is waiting for me. “I convinced myself that you and Dylan weren’t that fun after all. And then, I made my own friends. But I don’t think I was ever a cool kid. I was never cool.” I catch Brodie up and stand on a rock so that we’re the same height. “Nerdy, yes. Cool, no.”

“You were cool, Rita. Everyone in school wanted to be near you.”

“No, they didn’t. You’re making that up.” I jump down and wander on.

“Alright. Maybe it was just me.”

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