Page 71 of My Brother's Best Friends

These are the small logistics that crop up when more than two people share a bed. I smile, already adjusting to the new math of us. In the morning, we’ll wake up and do it all over again. I’ll need time to build stamina—I’m exhausted, and it’s not even nine p.m.

“We’re going out for a bit, baby. Kellan made coffee. Text us if you need anything,” Alex says as I drift off into the pillow.

My body feels like hammered gold, shimmering and beautiful but also beaten into submission. I can’t remember the last time I felt so wonderful, and I count my blessings as I fall asleep.

21

ALEX

“Ithink you’re wearing my tie,” Oscar says as he stares at me across the elevator.

“It’s too early for the whiskey-lounge tasting,” I say as I meet Kellan in the lobby, festive music seeping from hidden speakers all around us.

Tinsel twinkles, and oversized glass baubles hang from the ceiling, complementing the grand chandelier. It’s like a winter wonderland, and the lingering scent of apple and cinnamon from strategically placed diffusers only amplifies the holiday atmosphere.

“I didn’t think we’d be so lost without our work schedule,” I add with a dry chuckle.

“Truth be told, I was ready to do a whole presentation over Zoom just to pass the time until that tasting,” Kellan says.

“You hate Zoom presentations.”

“Exactly. Should we hit the slopes?” Kellan asks.

“I’m in,” I say. “Unless Makayla’s awake.”

“We shouldn’t leave Oscar out if she is,” he reminds me. “Besides, we have to take advantage of the slopes while we’re here.”

We head back to the suite to change. Makayla’s door is still closed, so I can’t tell whether she’s asleep or already out. I check my phone and don’t see any messages from her, but that doesn’t clarify much, either.

We change at lightning speed, then haul ass down the hallway to the elevator.

Melanie’s presence at the resort grates on me. Last night I was too wrapped up in Makayla to even think about her. But now, it hits different.

“Have you heard from Bryan and Callie yet?” I ask my brother.

“No, but I think they planned to grab breakfast with Melanie,” Kellan mutters, scanning the lobby. “I don’t see her anywhere…”

“I feel like we’re dodging the boogeyman.”

“We sort of are.”

It isn’t until we’ve gone through the patio doors and hiked halfway up to the chair lift that I begin to relax. Once we’re on top of the mountain, it won’t matter what’s happening down in the lodge.

Since Makayla’s not with us, we can head over to a more advanced run. We catch the first available chairlift and have plenty of time to hash out everything we left unsaid last night.

“Do you think we might have a future with Makayla?” I ask. “Her connection with Oscar is undeniable at this point. And I’m starting to feel like she’s after more than just a good time.”

“I’d like that option,” Kellan admits. “She’s something else. And she keeps exceeding any and all of my expectations.”

I chuckle softly, nostalgia unfurling as a blanket of white snow and thick evergreen pines scrolls beneath our dangling skis. “Do you remember when she snuck into Bryan’s backseat that one time, and we drove halfway to the asylum before we realized she was there?”

My brother smiles. “The haunted asylum. One of our many Mystery Van adventures.”

“Boy, were we reckless and way too adventurous for our own good.”

“It was clean fun, if you think about it. Other guys our age were balls-deep in coeds and cocaine. We were touring the state, looking for haunted spots to explore. What did Makayla call us? Oh, right. The Nerdy Chads.”

“She always found a way to tag along, that brave, equally reckless girl…”

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