My Brother’s Best Friends

I frowned at his hand. “You want my foot?”

“I’m willing to bet your feet ache after hiking.” He impatiently gestured with his hand again. “I need to do something with my hands.”

“What do you normally do while sitting here?”

He nodded to a rainbow-colored fidget spinner and scowled when I giggled. “Iris gave it to me.”

I finally stuck my foot out for him and immediately melted into the seat as he gripped it with both hands and started digging in. “Oh, okay. Wow. What were we talking about?”

“The fact that you’re angry at us for something that we didn’t do.” August worked his thumb up the middle of my foot and watched as I shivered at the sensation. “We were dumb kids. We should’ve been better, but we didn’t do what you think we did. We only denied it happened to Russ. If we make dumb decisions as men, now, it’s just because it’s uncharted territory, Rea. You’re not a dirty little secret. You’re our friend. You’re my friend. A friend that I’m exploring things with, hopefully.”

I licked my lips and tried to remind myself that I’d been furious just minutes earlier. “I’ll have to think about things.”

He worked his hands up to my sore calves and I moaned, too far gone in the pleasure. His eyes were hot enough to melt steel as they landed on mine. “Rea?”