Page 71 of The Fake Out Flex

Seven years ago, Evie's bedroom…

I catch a glimpse of a shadowy figure outside my bedroom window, and my heart leaps into my throat. Yanking my headphones off, I reach for my trusty umbrella, stopping when I see Fraser waving frantically at me in the window.

"Hey," he says as soon as I open it. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. Please don't make me listen to punk music."

I tap my chin like I'm seriously considering it, but really I'm buying some time to slow my breathing, hoping he can't see how much of a fright I got. The last thing I want is for him to think of me as some scared little kid.

My eyes travel to what he's holding in his hands. "Is that In-N-Out?"

"It is."

He lifts the white paper bag so I can see the logo and offers a smile.

A very cute smile.

"I forgot Levi is hanging out with his music friends tonight. Don't suppose you want to share this with me? I've got plenty."

Play it cool, Evie. No need for him to know you've substituted the whole 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' thing with burgers.

"Sure. I can eat," I say casually, waving him in.

Fraser climbs into my room, and we walk over to the seating area. He looks good in his relaxed-fit Diesel jeans, classic white T-shirt, and the latest pair of Adidas sneakers Levi is super bummed he wasn't able to get his hands on.

I sit on the couch, and he takes the armchair. Why does he always position himself so far away from me? I don't smell that bad, do I?

"Take your pick," he says.

I look at all the burgers he's laid out and grab my favorite. "Thanks."

We eat in silence for a while.

"Do you know what Levi does with his music friends?"

Fraser stops with a handful of fries in midair. "Listen to music?"

"I thought that, too, but nope. I walked in on them one day when they were over here." I rest the burger on my lap. "They sit around and study."

"Study?"

"The Billboard charts."

"Are you serious?"

"Totally. Pick a month, any month, from the last thirty years, and Levi will be able to tell you the top song and album at that time."

Fraser nods, a smile spreading across his face. "That's pretty neat, actually."

"Trust my brother to take something cool like music and turn it into something nerdy."

"Says the girl who takes notes during hockey games. And then has zero qualms about sharing said notes in great detail."

He's got a point there. "Go back to your burger, Fraser."

One of the games from last year's Western Conference Finals between the Desert Canyon Coyotes and the Silver City Miners is playing on the TV. I'd been watching it with one eye while obsessing over my latest batch of bracelets. The materials I ordered on eBay arrived today so I'd been experimenting with them before Fraser showed up.

"You'll be playing in the major leagues one day."

"I hope so."

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