Page 40 of Hexes and Exes

“Um, I know you and Roman are the same age, but not twins.” I give him a cringe smile.

“Actually, Roman’s a year older than me. At least for the next week.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“He’s six months older than me. So for half the year, he’s a year older.” Bram smiles. It’s not big enough to see his dimple, but it’s relaxed.

It takes a second for my brain to catch up. “Does that mean you have a birthday coming up?”

“I don't know what you’re talking about.”

I shake my head and Bram grins. “Anyway. I didn’t know my dad for the first six years of my life. It was just me and my mom. When she died, Vincent showed up and hauled me off to his mansion. I’m pretty sure Diana, my stepmother, didn’t know I existed until the day my father dragged me into their foyer. She hated me from the first moment her eyes landed on me. My father was about as involved with my life after my mom died as he had been before I knew about him. Which is to say, hardly at all. Thankfully, I had Roman. He was my brother from the beginning. There was never a question about it for either of us.”

Bram sighs, and the air around us feels heavy. As if all the damage we just poured out is sitting in the atmosphere, ready to choke us. My phone chirps and I grit my teeth. There’s a ninety percent chance I know what the message is. I swipe to open the phone and am blessed with wiry chest hairs, and a very close view of a man’s nipple.

“You seriously suck.” I glare at Bram.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Bram pushes off the couch, probably to avoid having me shove the picture in his face. He grins over his shoulder as he walks to his desk.

Oh shit. I need to get out of here before he finds it.

Bram hums in amusement and picks up an envelope sitting on top of his desk, frowning down at it. There’s no stamp or actual address; it just saysBramon the front.

I scramble to my feet and grab my bag. “I’ve got to go. See you tomorrow.”

I’m almost to the door when there’s a slight pop. Bram curses and I can’t help turning around. Glitter is everywhere. Covering Bram’s desk, his face, all up in his hair and on his hands. Laughter bubbles up, which I didn’t think was possible after seeing my dad. But I guess a glitter bomb will do that.

Just as I step out into the hallway, I hear Bram shout, “Are these dicks?”

19

AVA

The office has a slight funk to it when I walk inside. I just know my boss has been having a fart-palooza in here while I was gone. I haven’t seen Barty in close to a week, and I’m starting to get nervous. After seeing my dad earlier, all I really want is to put on my pajamas and huddle under a blanket while I binge watch TV, but I can’t lose my job.

I start by printing off all of Barty’s emails and sort them into two piles before I take them back to his office. My boss is on the phone, obviously with his wife, because he’s telling her what he wants for dinner tonight. Very important stuff. I set the emails on his desk, and he gives me a confused look that has my heart dropping. It hasn’t even been a week. Has he already forgotten who I am? He frowns at me and waves me away. Oh, thank the Crone, he remembers me.

My hands are shaking as I leave his office. I flop down into my seat and stare up at the ceiling while I collect myself. Fuck this fucking curse. Barty isn’t even someone I care about. In the scheme of things, I could give two shits if he forgets who I am, except for the fact that I need this job. I’m so tired of everythingrelated to this curse. My whole life, I’ve felt insignificant. My family treats me as if the curse is my fault. Like I had a choice in all of this. It’s as if this curse has been perfectly tailored to my biggest insecurities.

That I’m not worth remembering.

I spend the next hour cleaning up my inbox and doing a few other tasks before my boss leaves with barely a word, except to slam a to-do list on my desk. I finish with the items as quickly as possible and say fuck it to everything else. It can wait.

I consider stopping for Chinese on the way home, but even that feels like too much work. I’ll probably eat a block of cheese and some crackers with my Diet Coke. That’s the most effort I can muster up tonight.

Stellan has an all-school assembly tonight. Some band, choir combo that all the staff help out with. So he’s not home when I walk into the apartment. I throw on a pair of oversized sweats and a hoodie I can drown in. I flip on the TV to where I left off on Bridgerton. My butt just barely hits the couch when there’s a knock on the door.

“No.” I throw my head back. I haven’t even gotten my block of cheese out yet. I look at the fluffy pillows beside me and consider ignoring the knock when it comes again.

“Fine, I’m coming,” I grumble under my breath and open the door, only to find Bram on the other side.

“Are you looking for your brother?” Roman has essentially moved in with Josephine for all intents and purposes. Josephine, Stellan and Piper all lived in the same building for the past few years. I only moved in with Stellan after Jamie and I broke up. Piper lives upstairs and Josephine's apartment is on the other side of the hall. It’s like one big happy commune with all of us in the same apartment building.

“I do understand the difference between apartment one and two,” Bram says before holding up two bags of food. The smell hits me and my stomach audibly growls.

“I brought a peace offering. Can I come in?”

He looks way too cheerful. When he cocks his head, a hint of glitter sparkles back at me.

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