Page 64 of Turning Tides
“Sometimes I think I forget that you’re an adult,” Cyrus said, prompting me to look at him in disbelief.
“I don’t think that sentiment hit the way you intended it to.” I shook my head and went back to work, meticulously cleaning my machine. “Gonna try again?”
“You’re not going to cut me even the smallest of breaks, are you?” Cyrus held himself with the same confidence he’d always had. Growing up.
I’d tried to be more like him, to emulate that level of self-assuredness he had. I’d admired it in him. I still did, even when it was that exact quality that drove me nuts.
I yanked my gloves off and threw them in the trash, and then dropped down onto my stool. “Should I? Did you cut me a break after the whole thing with Clayton? Or did you bring it up at every opportunity to drive home what an idiot I was for trusting someone who was supposed to have been my best friend?”
Losing Clayton had left a hole in my life that I wasn’t sure how to fill. Even months later, his betrayal still burned. But the sense of loss lingered like a gaping gunshot wound that I’d packed with gauze and ignored. Shane’s presence in my life had slowly but surely started to stitch that wound closed.
Cyrus at least had the decency to look properly chastised. “That’s a fair point. Look, Marshall had a very long discussion with me and I know you don’t want to hear the twenty reasons I thought I was justified in acting like an asshole. It was wrong of me to treat you and Shane that way.”
“I’d like to hear one of the reasons, Cyrus. Enlighten me. Why was it such a big catastrophe for Shane and me to be together?”
Cyrus was quiet for a long moment, to the point that I thought he might not answer me at all. Then he took a deep breath and let it out all at once.
“It’s selfish and stupid, and Marshall told me I should be ashamed of myself—and I am. But I was worried that you wouldn’t need me anymore. I was afraid that Shane was taking you away from me. I’d hardly seen you since you moved out and I was worried about you, about what would happen if this new shop didn’t work out. I was inventing problems that didn’t exist.” Cyrus looked small and sad and miserable and it struck me that I hated seeing him that way. Even if it was his own doing.
“Okay. I forgive you.” I spun around on my stool, going in a full circle as Cyrus gaped at me.
“Just like that?”
“Just like that. Why, would you rather I insist on making it a big deal until the end of time?”
“No,” Cyrus scoffed. “I’m surprised, that’s all.”
He let out a breath and I watched the tension he held bleed out of him. I’d been irate at the time, and rightfully so, I thought. But it wasn’t worth dragging out and losing someone else I cared about.
“Well, I have two options.” I told him. “Either I get over your bullshit, or I let it suck me down. Shane is your best friend and your boss and I’m not willing to come between that by acting like an immature child. But, Cyrus, it would be nice if after all this, you could just be my brother again. Not my parent or my keeper or my protector. Just… my friend. Can you manage that?”
“I’d like that, Archer.” He glanced at the time and grimaced. “Are we good?”
“We’re good.”
Cyrus exhaled and shot me a smile that still looked guilty. “I have to get to work, but we’ll catch up soon? I feel like I never see you.”
“That’s because I avoid you.” I cackled, but closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around him. We hugged tight for a second, then shared some brotherly slaps on the back until we pulled apart.
“If you promise to stop avoiding me, I promise to stop being an overbearing asshole.”
“Deal. Now get out. I have shit to do.”
Cyrus nodded, then walked out. I waited until I couldn’t hear him anymore before throwing myself face down on the couch. Though I was glad to have smoothed things over with my brother, that didn’t mean I wasn’t exhausted by the emotional turmoil of the last twenty-four hours. But at least I wasn’t alone. Whatever Marshall said to Cyrus had done a number on him. I made a mental note to thank Marshall for being the voice of reason where Cyrus was concerned.
Chapter 31
Shane
Sitting in my barbeing superfluous made my skin itch. Or maybe that was the fresh ink on my shoulder. Either way, it was clear that I wasn’t needed down here. Vivian had the shit in the front handled, and Cyrus was in the kitchen cursing under his breath as he set everything to rights.
I leaned against the wall and watched with perverse satisfaction as Cyrus shuffled around. In truth, the kitchen hadn’t been that bad. Ethan had done a great job. given the circumstances.
Cyrus turned to me suddenly. Putting his hands on his hips, he looked exasperated.
“I know this was my own doing, but now you see why I don’t want help in here. People touch my shit and they don’t put it where I put it, and then I can’t find it.”
“Or, hear me out, you could train someone to do things your way. But you’re possessive, Cyrus.”
