My Brother’s Best Friends

My body flashed with panic. I looked up in horror to see my brother storming across the restaurant, heaven at his heels. Only August, Charlie, and Theo didn’t look like heaven in that moment. They looked much closer to hell as they moved closer to our table, their moods as clear as the thunderstorm brewing outside.

“Reagan? I mean what I said. I’m not…” Ben dropped to his knees next to me, unaware of his impending doom, and grabbed for my hands. “I’m sorry for what I did. You know me, though, baby. You know that I’m not that guy. I messed up and I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if that’s what you need.”

Russ grabbed Ben by the back of his shirt and tugged him to his feet. “I thought I made it clear that you needed to stay away from my sister.”

Lisa hissed out a warning for Russ to keep his shit together in front of the girls and it helped in making Russ let Ben go. Russ still hovered there, standing toe to toe with my very pacifist ex.

Ben, to my utter surprise, glared back at Russ. “You barked a bunch, but I didn’t understand it. Reagan and I are adults with a relationship to work on. You have no business in it. It’s nice that you care for your sister, but she’s a woman, not a little girl. She can make up her own mind.”

I sat back, shocked. They were words that I wanted to hear spoken, but just not by Ben. Still, it hit me that my cheating ex was boldly claiming me in front of God and man alike, while the men I desperately wanted would never do the same.

As if they could sense my thought process, the guys seemed to grow even larger as they fumed. August was the first to step forward. “You’re making a scene. I suggest you leave. Now. If Reagan wanted to talk to you, she would’ve answered your calls.”

Theo, always the wildcard, moved around Ben and all but shoved him out of the way to slide into the booth next to me. He threw his arm around me and pulled me close while glaring up at Ben. “She’s busy.”

“Reagan, just come with me. I’m renting a house in town. We can talk. I don’t know what all this is, but I love you. I know you love me. That doesn’t change in just a matter of weeks. Let me explain what happened and make it right. I can fix it all. Your job is yours when you want it. I bought a house in the hills for us. We can start over. If you just give me a chance, I can make it all better.”

Charlie grabbed Ben’s arm and tugged him away, saying something against his ear that had Ben’s body stiffening before he allowed Charlie to tug him out of the restaurant.

I stared at the closed door, terrified of what Charlie was doing. I’d never seen him so angry. It wasn’t until I realized that everyone in Landings was staring at me that I shook off my stupor and looked up to see Russ staring at his friends, the two who were still there, with a suspicious look on his face. Panic clawed at me and I gripped the table as air seemed to escape me.

Lisa kicked me from under the table and I gasped, sucking in air and coughing. It thankfully drew Russ’ attention to me and away from the guys, but when he looked at me, I realized I was so close to tears that I knew it wouldn’t take much for me to cry.

“Well, that was interesting.” Lisa clapped her hands together and grinned. “It’s not every day we get to have such a dramatic start to dinner.”

Piper was still not over her earlier bad mood. She looked up at her dad and then back at me, sensing a chance to get one over on her old Aunt Rea. “Daddy, Aunt Rea has been horseback riding and she won’t let me come with her.”

Lisa spit out the water she’d just taken a sip of. I went as still as possible, praying I’d just fade to invisible. Theo let out a bark of laughter next to me and then coughed like that would cover it up.

August knocked his knuckles on the table a little roughly and nodded to Russ. “I’m going to go make sure Charlie isn’t murdering that dipshit.”

Posie cackled. “Uncle Aug said dipshit!”

Piper glared at her sister. “You can’t say dipshit, dummy.”

“Don’t call me names, dipshit!”

Russ growled and pointed to the door. “Everyone out. We’ll have dinner at home. This is a shitshow.”

Theo slid out of the booth and offered me his hand to help me out, but with Russ glaring at me, I pretended not to see it. Once I was standing, I hurried outside like my ass was on fire and looked around quickly to see Charlie walking back towards me.

He reached for me but I shook my head as the door opened behind me and Russ stomped out. Dropping his hands, Charlie frowned and ran his hands through his hair, mussing it up. His perfect dimples were out of sight with his bad mood. “He’s gone for now.”

“Thank you.” I flashed him a quick smile and then looked out at the road. “I think I’m going to walk home.”

“No, you’re not.” Russ glared at me, his own mood in the toilet. “Not with that nut out there.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and counted to ten, but it was useless. I opened my eyes, met my twin brother’s glare with one of my own, and did my best. “That nut had one thing right. I am an adult. What I do isn’t always your business, Russ. I just need some air and space to think. Thank you for always caring, but back off.”

With that, I walked off down the street, guilt already plaguing me.