Page 44 of Until You

Chapter Thirteen

Tyler had picked his younger brother up around noon, and Eric hadn’t said a word about Tyler’s bandage. In fact, Eric hadn’t said more than two words since he’d gotten into the car. But when they met their brother, Alex, outside the stadium, he commented on it right away.

“I’m not sure if anyone’s told you this,” Alex said, “but you’re not supposed to shave your forehead.”

Tyler grimaced. “Very funny.”

After they went through the security checkpoint, Eric got ahead of them, and Tyler used it to his advantage to talk to Alex. “We’re here to have fun. No lectures.”

Alex gave him a look of disbelief. “Then what the hell’s the point?”

Alex hadn’t been happy that Principal Carter had called Tyler instead of him. Not surprisingly, they disagreed on the best way to handle the situation. Tyler thought Eric just needed to be reminded that he had brothers who cared about him. Alex thought he needed tough love. Apparently their father thought he didn’t need to do anything. He couldn’t even be bothered to join them for a baseball game.

“The point is, he’s our brother and we’ve ignored him. You know Dad doesn’t give him the time of day. So today we’re just three brothers enjoying a ball game together and that’s it. If you can’t get on board, then go the hell home.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Eric asked as they caught up to him.

“Nothing,” Alex said, sounding grumpy. “Just Tyler bragging about some big case he won.”

As they walked around the stadium toward their section, Tyler couldn’t help thinking about Lanie. He’d actually been tempted to stay with her the night before, but he’d never been one to sleep at a woman’s place. It got too personal that way. He couldn’t help wondering if her reason for keeping their hookup a secret was genuine, but he had to admit it seemed reasonable. He could see Britt making a bigger deal of this than it actually was.

Alex continued his whining as they climbed the stairs to their nosebleed seats, high up in the upper deck behind third base. “Do they provide oxygen with these seats?”

“Yeah,” Tyler said. “But only to people who can’t afford to lose brain cells. They’ll bring your mask first.”

Eric shot him a grin behind Alex’s back, and Tyler was filled with relief. So it had taken a jab at their brother to get that grin, but he’d take it.

The sun beat down on their section, and Tyler was thankful there had been a break in the heat. The temperature may have been cooler than the past week, but the tension between the three brothers was heating up.

They’d made it to the first half of the second inning before Alex got in his first quip. “Looks like Melton’s pitching with as much effort as you put into your schoolwork, Eric.”

“Alex,” Tyler said in warning.

“What would you know about effort?” Eric demanded, leaning around Tyler to face down his brother. “You were born perfect, Alex. No effort required.”

Tyler got to his feet. “I’m going to get some food. Eric, why don’t you come with me?”

“Might as well,” he muttered under his breath as he slid past Alex. “No sense watching Melton pitch. Since he’s just like me, we know it’s pointless to expect anything of him.”

Tyler was pissed. When they got to the aisle, Eric headed down the stairs, and Tyler turned around and pointed his finger toward Alex in warning, mouthing, Cut the shit!

Eric was slow descending the steps, and his shoulders hunched in a defeated pose. Tyler wanted to knock Alex upside the head.

When they stood in the back of the line at the concession stand, Tyler said, “Alex has always been an ass. Don’t let his Mr. Perfect persona fool you.”

Eric’s head jerked up in surprise.

Tyler smirked. “Don’t look so shocked. Alex sees the world as black-and-white, and everyone has their role to play. According to Alex, I’m Peter Pan.”

Eric shook his head, keeping his gaze down, but a grin tugged at his lips. “I’m not sure you could pull off the tights, dude.”

Tyler burst out laughing, and Eric stood just a little bit straighter and looked just a little bit happier.

Tyler leaned his head closer to his brother’s. “Once when the two of us were little, Alex decided he wanted to make a cake.”

“Alex made a cake?”

“Oh, it gets better. Mom had made Mississippi Mud Cake, and Alex wanted to replicate it. Mom and Dad were still at work, and Alex went out back and turned on the hose, drenching Mom’s flower garden. Next thing I knew, the house smelled like burning dirt. He’d scooped the mud into cake pans and put them in the oven at four hundred fifty degrees. The house stunk for weeks.”

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