Page 33 of Worthy Now
Tessa’s fork freezes halfway to her mouth. “Honestly? I just can’t seem to reconcile the scrawny kid I used to know with this hunkalicious piece of man meat.”
I gape at her and watch in utter horror as my brother licks his knife clean in a very suggestive manner, giving the love of my life a wink.A fucking wink.
“I mean, where did the time go? Are we really that old that your little brother has turned into fricking Hercules?”
“Oh, stop it,” Jude says, acting bashful when I know damn well he doesn’t possess a shred of modesty. “You’re going to make me blush, and I think you’ve done enough of that for the both of us tonight.” Tessa makes a choking noise, and Jude lightly thumps her on the back before he continues to shovel more food down his throat. “This is delicious, by the way. May I have another scoop, Jake?”
“What’s wrong with your hands?”
My brother shrugs and piles more food onto his plate before continuing his symphony of chewing noises. That’s about the time my eye starts twitching.
“So, what happened to Double D Alicia?”
My utensils come down with a clatter. “I swear to God. If you don’t knock it off.”
To my surprise, Tessa doesn’t seem put off at the mention of my well-endowed ex but breaks into fits of giggles instead. Jude grins her way before he swallows the last morsel of chicken, leaving us sitting in blissful silence.
“It’s fucking funny when he gets mad, isn’t it? Give me five more minutes and the pulsing vein on his forehead is going to make an appearance. That usually leaves me with a two-minute window to get another shot in before it’s time to run or get hurt. Believe it or not, he’s faster than he looks, considering he’s getting old and a little pudgy around the middle.”
The way I see it, I have two choices. Continue to sit here and let my little brother make a fool of me in front of the girl I’m trying to impress or go on the offensive and remind the little prick that I’m the one who taught him everything he knows.
“Did Jude ever tell you he screwed Wacky Aggy?” I blurt, hitting him with a self-satisfied look when his jaw goes slack.Yeah, that’s what I thought.My baby brother getting the better of me? I think the fuck not. Surprise flits over Tessa’s features before a slow smile settles on her lips.
“Oh, this oughta be good.” Jude presses a hand to his chest in a melodramatic manner and looks at me like I kicked his favorite puppy. “I can’t believe you went there.”
“Wacky Aggy? Wasn’t she the girl who carried a pet chicken in her purse and claimed she talked to spirits?”
“First of all, how was I supposed to know she spoke with the dead? Her pet chicken had already passed onto the other side, so her purse only held a flask of whiskey and an impressive number of condoms. Older women are it…” he winks at Tessa before carrying on. “So, when she propositioned me at a friend’s birthday party one night, I was like, hell yeah! It wasn’t until I rejoined the party, and the entire room broke into a chorus of clucking noises that I realized my mistake. I don’t know, man. I blame the alcohol. I’m usually a pretty good judge of character.”
“Which is clearly why you’re gracing us with your presence this evening.” When Tessa throws me a questioning look, I’m all too happy to explain. “He screwed someone without laying out the terms first, tucked tail and ran home to hide like a little bitch. Tried to convince me he came home because he missed me. I almost got emotional before I remembered who I’m talking to. So,” I finish, turning back to my brother. “Are we done trying to embarrass each other in front of my girl, or should I tell Tessa about the time I walked in on you—”
“You fucking wouldn’t,” Jude cuts me off, turning a satisfyingshade of red.
“Try me, little brother. Shall I remind you that you learned from the best? If you’re looking to compare dick sizes, I’m sorry to tell you mine will always be just a little bit bigger. And that simply won’t change, no matter how hard it might be for you to accept,” I sit back, flashing him a grin that probably makes me look like a complete asshole, as I cross my arms in front of my chest and watch him wrestle with the urge to retaliate.
“Alright,” he finally relents, sliding off his chair to carry his plate to the sink. “A smart man knows when he’s beaten and accepts defeat with grace and dignity. Congratulations, you ruthless son of a bitch. You win. I’m beat, so I’ll go watch some TV and hit the sack. Thanks again for dinner, Tessa. And all jokes aside,” he says, a hint of a smirk touching his lips. “I’m glad you’re back together. Jake was really fucking pathetic without you.” And with that parting shot, my little shit of a brother takes the stairs two at a time, leaving me to seethe with my ears burning.
Twenty-One
Jake
“How long has it been since we’ve all been to the river?” Megan asks while we lounge on our blankets, sharing snacks and watching the kids splash around in the water with Carter and Anna.
“Not sure, but I think my face was still riddled with acne and my voice broke on every third word,” Jude replies before downing half of the ice-cold beer he’s just cracked.
I smile, closing my eyes and enjoying the soothing way Tessa’s fingers run through my hair while my head rests in her lap. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so at peace. There’s no hint of the burning anger rolling through my veins that used to be so familiar to me during my younger years. Gone is the empty feeling in my chest that was there when I had to learn how to live withoutthe other half of my heart after Tessa skipped town—just a warm contentment I haven’t felt since my mom was alive.
“So, Jude. Let’s hear it. How’s college life? None of us got to experience it. Well, except Tessa, who probably never went out past midnight and always got to her classes five minutes before her professors did.”
“Hey,” Tessa protests. “I partied, and I was late at least a couple of times.”
“Oooh, you rebel, you,” Megan teases, popping a couple of green grapes into her mouth before shifting her attention back to my brother. “Spill the beans, Mr. Scholarship. What’s it like to be the star of the football team, have the face of a cover model, and a body chiseled from marble? Do you have to fend the girls off with a stick, or do you have a sign-up list you’re working through?”
“Jesus, Megan,” I mumble, scrunching up my nose. As glad as I am that Jude’s living the high life, this is my little brother we’re talking about. I don’t need to hear about his sexual escapades.
“What’s the matter, Big J? Upset that your little bro is seeing more action than you?” Jude taunts, and I crack an eye open to hit him with a you-wish expression. “Then again, I’m not the one who got caught with his balls swaying in the breeze.”
“Oooh, now here’s a story worth hearing,” Megan coos, leaning forward like a crack addict itching for her next fix.
