by L. B. Carter
Nor, Rena mentally corrected.
Tilly seemed lost in thought, her eyes unfocused on the ceiling as she tapped her fingers on her paisley-jeans clad thighs, bangles jangling again. “Okay,” she snapped back to herself with a calculating look that made Rena squirm. “I have some more things to check on, but first I need a description.”
Everyone stared at Rena. She squirmed. Sighing, she grabbed her pen. Uhmmm. . . Tall—
“How tall? I need numbers. Be specific,” Tilly interjected, reading over Rena’s shoulder. Kayna and Liam leaned across the table.
Rena remembered being eye level with his chest in the woods by the pier. Probably near 6 feet, Rena complied. Brown hair, kind of messy and long-ish—
“Ish?”
Rena sighed again, noting in the margin, Like eyebrow length in the front, definitely over his ears. She continued, A little bit of scruff, small nose—punchable—and blue eyes. She paused there, stuck on that memory.
“Hot?” Tilly demanded.
Rena’s cheeks warmed. She hesitated. He wasn’t bad looking, kinda normal. Sure, she wrote.
Another squeal rang in Rena’s ear. “I gotta go talk to Sarah.” Tilly pushed out of the booth. “I’ll report back. Oomph. Oh, sorry…” Tilly’s voice faded off and Rena looked up to see the very eyes she’d just described. Tilly looked down at the notebook on the table then back up at the guy she’d run into, connecting the dots.
Rena felt like a sunburned tomato and scrambled for the notebook, shoving it under her thigh on the seat. Kayna was wearing that smug lottery-winning grin again. Rena ignored it.
“Hiya! You must be Norton.” Rena could almost hear the eye-waggle in Tilly’s tone. God, that girl needed a filter.
“Nor,” he corrected, shaking her hand and eying all her jewelry.
“I’m Tilly. Liam’s sister. Liam’s dating Kayna, who’s Sirena’s best friend, who I hear you drove to school today.”
Even just a porous sieve over Tilly’s mouth would help. Rena slumped lower to press her blazing cheek against her chilly milkshake. Nor didn’t answer. A chip in the fake granite table showed the wood underneath. It was shaped kind of like a bunny.
“Were you coming over here to talk to her?”
Okay that was it. Rena was going to use the nosy girl as her next sparring partner. Nor could attest that wasn’t a fun role.
“I was going to the bathroom,” Nor replied, sounding confused.
The spiral ring of the notebook bit into Rena’s thigh. Maybe not a bunny. Maybe it looked more like a cat.
“Oh.” Tilly sounded disappointed. “Well, keep calm and carry on, then. If you ever need anyone to give you a tour or tell you the ropes, you let me know!” Just to add the proverbial nail in Rena’s coffin, Nor was definitely still within earshot when Tilly swung around to whisper-yell, “Damn, Sirena, you were right, he’s hot!”
Maybe the chip was more of a turtle stuck on its back, legs flailing in the air. Poor little guy. Rena could relate.
“It’s safe,” came Kayna’s amused voice a moment later. Rena looked up into her friend’s gleeful face, keeping her own hard and resolute. Tilly and Liam had vanished, as had Nor. “Hot, huh? You sure about that no-dating rule?”
Rena rolled her eyes and caught Nor passing by their table on his way back from the bathroom. Rena dropped her gaze to the bunny-cat-turtle. She still caught a glimpse of ocean blue looking her way.
Oh yeah, she was definitely sure.
Chapter Four
“How was school, Sunshine?”
Nor dropped his backpack on the picnic table on the back deck, then leaned his forearms on the splintery railing, safe from the rain under the awning. He raised a nonchalant brow at his brother exercising in the pouring rain, though his chest felt compressed hearing the nickname Mother used to call him, like he’d been winded with a good punch. Still. “Don’t,” he pleaded.
Reed paused his workout to glance over his shoulder, breathing heavily. It was probably a mixture of rain and sweat that stuck his t-shirt to his torso. A flicker of remorse and pain spasmed across his face and he dipped his chin in acknowledgment, before dropping his eyes to the sodden grass. Another moment passed and Nor worried he’d brought forth Reed’s darker emotions again.
Reed hadn’t spoken at all when he appeared in their bedroom after his run and shower the night before, and had still been asleep when Nor left early that morning. It seemed Reed was sticking to the heavy-sarcasm style of coping today.
“Well? Anything thrilling happen in the teen world? I mean besides the bursting of pimples, the droning of jaded teachers, the one-sided game of tag between bullies and wimps…?” He ticked them off on his fingers as he listed all the delights of puberty. “Oh wait, you already have a black eye.” Nor ignored the glee oozing from Reed. “Oh, and let’s not forget an unhealthy dose of hormonal lusty tension.” Reed wiggled his eyebrows, then unceremoniously dropped to his palms between two of the boats dotting the yard in disarray and resumed push-ups, grunting with the effort.
Nor watched a few sails lift their fingers to wiggle in the wind. The trees behind the backyard waved back, reminding him of the forest Sirena had vanished into. Reed’s hyperbole wasn’t that much of an exaggeration of the day, thinking about it. Nor had even partaken in some of that tension himself in pottery. He’d surpassed that awkward teenage stage several years ago; his hormones should be under control. Then again, he’d been surrounded by only testosterone for the last few months.
“Nothing much. Got the general layout of things. I have to admit, we lucked out with homeschooling.” His statement was met with an incredulous stare, mid-push-up. “Seriously. High school sucks; that’s not just an emotional teen dramatization. The classes are tedious, the teachers lack passion—well, except my pottery teacher, but he has other issues. He reminds me of… of Mother, but more drugs. If he’s not on them, he should be. Even after only a day, I’m grateful for the one-on-one learning where Mother tailored our progress to suit us. By the end of this, I’m going to be bored out of my mind, probably with my ass stuck in one of their dinky plastic chairs, covered in moss and cobwebs.”
“If you worked out more, your ass wouldn’t be so chunky,” Reed chuckled, holding a plank. He craned his head up, tilting it to see the deck. He blinked droplets from his eyes. “Then you’d better work fast, huh?”
“We. We’d better work fast.” Nor corrected with narrowed eyes. “I’m just saying, we should be pretty grateful we didn’t have to go through this for four years. Although, I get the joy of at least a few weeks of it.”
Reed smiled, but didn’t respond, turning a bit red. His back muscles were clearly visible through the soaked shirt twitching with the effort to maintain the position. Nor thought about vaulting over the railing to elbow his cocky brother to the floor. Too late.
Reed slumped into the wet grass without Nor’s help, letting out a breath in a rush and inhaling just as heavily. “Not my fault you’re the one with the baby-face.”
“You really want to claim you look old?”
“Wise, not old. Okay, how about superiority. I get to pull rank,” Reed modified.
“Or just be an asshole older brother.”
Reed pushed himself to a seat, and draped his forearms on bent knees, unflinching in the downpour. They were used to having to work in the elements; the extreme weather was just a cry for help, a reminder of how much the Earth needed their help.
Reed used his thumb and forefinger to fake shoot Nor. A roll of thunder added the sound effect perfectly on cue. “You got it. It’s a two-for-one deal.” He fell to his back and began to work on abs.
“Keep the safety on those fingers. The asshole older brother limit is friendly fire. Speaking of, I met the team, today, too.”
“Team?” At the apex of a sit-up, Reed’s face, framed by his crooked elbows, was confused.
Nor shook his head. “Not the Green Team, obviously. I meant the sailing team.” Reed resumed his pace. “Didn’t
get much information. I think I was pretty much the gossip of the school,” he commented without ego.
“You’re getting no sympathy from me for that; being the new toy is a great way to lure in the ladies. Well, maybe not with your looks.”
“We share the same genes. If my looks are unappealing, so are yours,” Nor intoned, dryly.
“Well, if we ignore the mental differences, like my superior intelligence, charm and experience, you’re clearly much weaker. I’ve been working on these guns for quite a few more years.” He winked, flexed and kissed each bicep. As if to prove it, he kicked up into a handstand.
“Three years,” Nor snorted. “I’ll only concede that you trump me with actual guns. Anyway, what about you, Mr. Adult?” he asked, watching Reed’s upside-down face turn red as he rocked on his palms to balance. The opportunity was worth a little water. Nor tip-toed down the stairs while Reed was eying his fingers.
“I made progress, unlike some schoolboys I know,” Reed grunted.
Gravity won on his shirt, covering his face, making him oblivious to Nor’s cautious approach. Still silent, Nor shouldered Reed’s wavering legs as he casually strolled past. A light shove was all that was needed given how unstable the position was in the first place. Even the wind could’ve done it, really.
Reed tucked and rolled into the fall, popping to a stand to turn and stalk Nor, who waited with a grin, leaned against the bow of the closest boat. Reed’s sneakers squished with each step in the saturated earth. A finger appeared inches from Nor’s nose. “Even if I’m your asshole older brother, you gotta respect the ranks.”
“You need to holster that weapon, before something happens that you’ll have to explain to Father.”
Reed’s gaze narrowed, but pulled his finger up, taking a few paces away. He turned back, a calculating look in his eyes.
“No,” Nor warned, though it lacked heat. “Don’t do it.” He held up palms in surrender, backing around the boat.
“Think quick!” Reed hollered, barreling toward him, using the curve of the hull to his advantage as he flung out an arm, as though to clothesline Nor.
Nor’s eyes bugged and he dropped, bending his back as if in the Matrix. Except in his case, gravity was real, his flexibility was limited, and he ended up thumping his shoulders into the sodden soil. Water immediately began to seep into the backs of his shirt and ass.
Speaking of ass… Reed was laughing as he jogged back around. Nor watched him approach, upside-down again, until Reed’s triumphant grin loomed over him. On the plus side, his head actually provided a temporary shelter from the drips splattering on Nor’s face. His clothes continued to absorb the cold liquid.
Stubborn Sirena was probably still trying to warm up.
The clouds shifted and for a brief moment, it appeared as though Reed wore a halo. Nor snorted out a laugh, making his brother’s smile flip the opposite direction. It reformed. Now Reed was wearing a chef hat.
“What? What’s so funny? You just got beaten. You shouldn’t be laughing. It means you have work to do.”
“I’m imagining you cooking at the diner. They’ll have to install a fire-hose instead of a fire extinguisher. I hope Barb has other plans for you tonight.” He laughed some more.
Reed scowled harder. “All right, funny boy, at least that job doesn’t require me to do homework, which you should probably be doing right now.”
Nor’s humor faded. “Don’t remind me. That’s going to detract from time for investigating.”
“Actually that homework is saving your ass by using up time.”
Nor tilted his head in the grass, trying to think why. The mission was priority.
Reed glanced up and down Nor’s prone form, brows raised, making his point. “If it’s not homework, it’s clearly training you need to be doing.”
Nor thought about swiping Reed’s legs out from under him. It was too expected; Reed would just jump over him. He vaulted to his feet, not giving Reed time to pull back aiming to clock his head en route, to prove he did have skills. Instead, Reed merely got a pec to the face, knocking him back a few steps.
Nor left his brother in a puddle and jogged up to pick up his bag before slipping inside the glass sliding door with the intention to towel off the water, shame and frustration lingering after the door snapped shut on Reed’s chortling. He did need to work on aim.
◆◆◆
Nor heard the raucous laughter from the yacht team crammed beside him in the semi-circular booth by the window, but his gaze was riveted on the mint hair hanging in front of Sirena’s face as she gently scuffed the chipped black-and-white tiling of the diner’s floor with the toe of her shoe.
She didn’t notice his stare. Maybe he didn’t want her on his side. Nor, on the other hand, had noticed her first arrive like he had noticed everyone else. It was his job to be observant. But after his trip to the bathroom, she became a beacon for his attention.
She’d called him hot. That’s what the redhead-on-speed had said. He hadn’t missed Sirena’s reddened cheeks. That seemed pretty incriminating. His lips quirked.
Just then the curly-haired chick and her Irish boyfriend approached, and they made their escape out the door into the darkening night. Just as well. No matter what she had allegedly said, she’d evaded him three times. That was certainly more convincing.
“Need some water to replenish all the drool pooling under your chin?”
Nor jerked his head up to scowl at his brother, who had appeared next to the table. Reed merely quirked an eyebrow, his trademark asshole smirk in place. Instead of giving Reed the confirming denial he wanted, Nor deflected. “That depends, is it fresh water?”
Teeth showed as Reed picked up on the subtle jibe. It wasn’t against the worn diner; Barb kept it as scrubbed as her house. The dig was in reference to Reed’s less-than-forgiving opinion of the “podunk town surrounded by salty water and full of saltier people.” Hopefully they could get what they needed here and be on their way soon. They were only here temporarily. Nor needed to stay away from the girl. He eyed Reed in his periphery. No fraternizing with the civilians.
“How much longer you on shift?”
Reed looked over his shoulder to the lurid blue-neon analogue clock over the kitchen window. “Another three hours,” he replied unenthusiastically. “Barb says first weekend back at school is always slammed. Most kids move on to the beach or their parents’ liquor cabinets by eleven.” His tone conveyed his disapproval. Surprise, surprise.
“I’m heading back to the house,” Nor promised mildly, not needing the raised eyebrow hint. Reed’s dark eyes narrowed. “Straight from here,” he clarified, only slightly exasperated. He knew his brother was just concerned for safety.
“No way, man, you gotta come down to the water with us!” The voice of the sailing team captain, Justin, was pitched loud enough to overpower the eighties rock jam that some regular had just paid a quarter for on the juke box.
Nor shook his head. “Sorry, got some work to do.” Everything was work while on a mission. It wasn’t a lie.
“Sam’s got a flask of his dad’s bourbon. Nicked it straight from his office while his old man messed with his secretary in the closet,” a long-haired boy promised, nearly dipping the ends of his chest-length sun-lightened hair into his plate.
Nor felt Reed stiffen beside him. “Not my thing,” Nor tried to keep his voice light so they wouldn’t take offense. He didn’t need to make friends to get the information he was seeking.
However, Nor had already promised Tom he’d get on the good side of the sailing team. The old man thought it may help his chances for adding the school’s boats to his clientele. Tom wanted to retire, a second time, so he could help Barb with the diner. He needed a strong investor to convince anyone to buy his business.
“Seriously?” Surfer dude was incredulous.
Nor really ought to have paid attention to their names when they went around the table before ordering food, but he’d still been reeling from Sirena’s
admission. Well, her second-hand admission.
The girl had said nothing. Always said nothing. Not to him, not to anyone, he’d been informed when Justin had welcomed him with a quick rundown of the school gossip and List of Available Girls after last period. Sirena hadn’t been on that list, so Nor, managing to keep casual, had asked about her. He hadn’t known her name yet. Justin knew exactly who ‘the quiet girl’ was. She had PTSD the counselors prepared the students at an assembly before she showed up in the Spring. Justin had made it sound like she’d gotten some horrible STD, with wide eyes, down-turned lips, and a hushed tone.
The captain had dismissed her, moving right back into his asset-labeled hierarchy of cheerleaders who were technically dating the Sports VIPs, but apparently (Justin had moved closer, conspiratorially) they were up for ‘whatever’ behind the scenes. The ‘behind the scenes,’ Nor knew from walking in on a couple earlier, meant the men’s history-wing restroom. Nor hoped, for the sake of the smiling brunette perched next to Justin in the springy diner bench seat, that Justin didn’t know about the ‘whatever’ from personal experience.
“You more of a weed guy?” Surfer asked, leaning in, giving his hair ketchup highlights.
Nor shook his head again. “Like to keep my wits about me.” Sharp reflexes meant life over death.
Reed was watching the exchange without reaction, but Nor could tell there was going to be a rant about ‘people who are too dumb to appreciate life’ later.
Justin sat back, a contemplative frown on his face before he nodded slowly. “Good for you, man. Better than chancing probation. You’ll be good for the team.”
“You are coming to the beach party tomorrow though, right?” a third guy asked from the other side of Justin’s girl, gently dabbing his lips with a napkin. He’d gotten the lobster and had, by some miracle, managed not to dribble any of the butter or juices down his white button up. He was thin and gangly with wire glasses and cupid-like curls. “The whole school will be there.”
