CHAPTER FOUR~ Tell Me About The Job Opportunity.

Nick’s POV

The following day after class, I descended the stairs in front of the university’s library as I called my brother.

“They’re gone,” he said in lieu of a hello.

“Can you pick me up? I don’t want to walk. It’s a long way.”

“Take the bus.”

“Eww. Don’t be gross. I’ll get gonorrhea or something. Come on. Please?”

“You’re such a whiny bitch sometimes.”

“I am, but you love me and feel sorry for me. I’m the unwanted puppy, discarded without a care in the world. If you make me walk, I’ll spend the first hour of our time together complaining about sore feet instead of getting to the point.”

“Fine, but why can’t we just go get a beer? I’ve been studying my ass off all week. I could use a cold one.”

“We can’t. I need somewhere private to talk.”

“Why? What’s this all about?”

“Stuff and things. Trust me.”

“God, you’re annoying. Fine. Where are you?”

“At school. Front entrance of the library.”

“On my way. Give me ten minutes.”

“I knew you loved me.”

“Shut up.”

Noah pulled to the curb a short time later, music pulsing through the closed windows of the BMW.

It was our favorite k-pop band. BTS.

We used to listen to them cranked to full volume on our drive to school every day when I lived at home.

The windows would vibrate like they were doing now, and you could feel the beat resonating in your teeth.

It trickled an old feeling of warmth and happiness through my veins. I missed that.

I tugged the door open, a wave of music slamming into me, and got in, tossing my backpack in the back seat while singing at the top of my lungs to the chorus of “Euphoria” as it blasted through the speakers.

Noah laughed and joined in as I slammed the door, both of us mimicking BTS as best we could.

Our voices cracked as we tried to match the ear-splitting volume surrounding us.

We sucked. Neither of us could hold a tune to save our lives, but we didn’t care.

When the song ended, Noah reached over and turned it down to a nondeafening level before ruffling my hair as he turned onto the road toward home. “Fuck, I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.”

Noah grinned so wide his dimples popped. It was one thing I didn’t have.

“So what did you want to talk about that was so private we had to forgo beer?”

A chill rippled over my skin, and I sat up straighter, my good mood faltering. “At the house.”

“Wow. Are we hiding a body? Skipping the country? What did you do? Who did you kill? Oh shit, you robbed a bank for real, didn’t you?”

I laughed. “Nothing like that. I… There’s a possible job opportunity I wanted to run past you. It’s a fuck-ton of money, and it would help fund my last year of school.”

“Then what’s the problem? Take it. Do it. Why do we have to talk about it? In private, no less?”

“It’s … complicated.” I shifted and stared out the window as he drove into our old neighborhood.

“Complicated how?”

“When we get there.”

Noah grumbled and kept driving.

Noah coded through the privacy gate and drove the long weaving path through the wooded front yard to the house where he parked in our spot in the four-car garage next to where Dad’s Benz usually sat.

It was weird being back here. Trepidation made me twitchy. It had only been two months, but I felt like a stranger.

“They won’t be back until nine. I’ll take you home at eight to be safe.”

“Cool.”

We went in the side door that led to the back hallway outside the kitchen. My feet stalled when I heard a clattering of pots and pans and the familiar humming of old tunes drifting through the air.

“Is Nancy here?” I hissed, snagging Noah's arm and pulling him back against me as a shield.

He nodded and held a finger to his lips, pointing to the back staircase and tugging me after him.

Quiet as two mice, we scurried up to the second floor and down another long hallway to the west wing. We veered left and followed it all the way to the end where Noah's room was nestled into the corner of the house.

The door to my room sat closed, and I was too afraid to ask if they’d kept it the same or not.

“You’ve got that forlorn look in your eyes, like Mom and Dad have gone downtown to formally file paperwork eliminating you from the family.” Noah says.

“Did they? Can they do that?”

“You’re an idiot. They haven’t touched your room. Come on.”

Noah yanked me into his bedroom by the sleeve of my jacket and slammed the door behind us.

“I forgot about Matilda. We’ll be fine up here. She’ll be busy cooking for Mom’s dinner party this weekend.” Noah mumbled. “Besides, I’m pretty sure she’s learned her lesson about entering a room before knocking.”

I cringed, recalling the panicked moment when Jason and I were caught.

Nancy had spewed a long string of curses at us that I could only assume was laced with disgust.

I couldn’t respond fast enough to deny everything she saw because I had a mouthful of Jason’s dick.

Noah turned on some music, keeping the volume low enough we could talk over it, and dropped onto the chair at his desk, swiveling around to face me.

I plunked down on his bed, rolling to my stomach, assessing the situation.

“So, talk to me. What’s up with the new job opportunity? Why’s it complicated? And does it involve selling your ass? Because if so, don’t do it.”

“Are you dating that girl in your finance class?”

Noah flinched. “No, why? What girl? Fuck, tell me you aren’t setting me up with someone. You said this was about a job. Why are you asking me about girls?”

“It’s complicated. So you aren’t dating anyone?”

“No. What the hell is this about?”

“Okay. I need you to keep an open mind and not get mad.”

“You telling me not to get mad is already jacking up my blood pressure. So what is it?”

I pursed my lips and studied my stepbrother. I studied how his dark hair shone in the lit room, his sharp jaw and his fit body. He liked girls and I liked boys.

“Nicky, spit it out. Stop staring at me.”