Page 34 of Four Weddings to Fall in Love
But I don’t dislike my brother, and spending a lot of time with our parents would get to anyone, so I agree.
He arrives after dinner, knapsack slung over one shoulder, most of his hair gone.
“So, you got that haircut after all,” I say.
“Figured I might as well.Was gonna get a little trim soon anyway.”
“That looks like more than a little trim.”
He shrugs before pulling out a joint.
“On the balcony.Not in here,” I say.
“I know, I know.”
I sit outside with him—it’s been a long time since both of my balcony chairs have been occupied—and ensure the door is shut behind me.When he holds out the joint, I take it from him.
He seems surprised.
“What?”I say after I inhale.
“You’ve always been the good one.”
I snort.“And you’ve always been the favorite.”
He shrugs again before mumbling something.I don’t catch most of it, but I think I hear “patriarchy,” which is a bigger word than Freddie usually uses.
Hmm.
We sit in silence for while before he says, “You wanna know something?”
I expect him to tell me without me needing to say “yes,” but when it becomes apparent that he’s waiting for an answer, I gesture for him to continue.
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he says.
I start coughing.I blame the smoke.“What?”
“Yeah, just thought it would make my life easier if I told a little lie.”
I can’t believe he’s actually pretending to be in a relationship.Sure, the possibility occurred to me, but I thought I was being ridiculous.
“What will you do when they visit?”I ask.
“We’ll break up before then.”
“You little shit,” I mutter affectionately.
His lips quirk.“You can do it, too.Invent a boyfriend, girlfriend, whatever.That way no one will threaten to”—he cracks up—“start a Tinder account for you.”
“But I live here, and if they hadn’t met him for two months, they’d take matters into their own hands.Hire a private investigator.Wait outside my door until they saw him.”
“Then find a guy to act the part,” he says.
“I wouldn’t subject anyone to that.”
“You could pay him.”
“I’m not made of money.”
