Dirty Little Secret

“How’s Capri? Is she still cute?”

I laughed and glanced at my brother in the rearview mirror. “When is she not cute? She’s been asking about you, you know.”

“Really? Even kids can’t resist my charm,” he said, earning a slap on the arm from Rebecca.

“So how are you, Holly?” Rebecca asked.

“I’ve been really good, thanks for asking,” I replied, “Unlike my own brother.”

He laughed. “I have my future wife to worry about here.”

The small talk carried on until we reached my apartment complex.

The early morning sky was still dark, and the moon was bright tonight. I followed the familiar steps into the building as Tom and Becca trailed behind me. They originally wanted to stay at a hotel, but there was no way I was letting my brother stay in a hotel in his hometown.

Once we reached the door, I took out my key and unlocked it.

“This place is nicer than I thought it would be,” Tom said, “I figured you’d be living in some kind of dump.”

I scowled at him. “Shut up. That was before everything happened. Now I kind of have to be neat and tidy.”

An uncomfortable silence followed that, so Becca cleared her throat and announced that she was going to wash up. I showed her to the guest room and the bathroom and walked back into the kitchen. Tom was now sitting at the island, snacking on a bag of chips I had lying around.

“So where’s my favorite niece?” he asked.

“She’s your only niece,” I said, “I dropped her off earlier at mom’s, so she wouldn’t have to stay up late.”

“Hm,” he hummed, “Why don’t you head to bed? You seem tired. Me and Becca are gonna crash in a little bit, so don’t worry about anything.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s fine. I should at least stay up and help you guys unpack.”

Tom stood up and grabbed both of my arms. “You’re my sister and I know when you’re exhausted. I can see it in your eyes, Holly. Now shut up, and go to sleep.”

I hit him softly and said, “Thank you.”

I headed to my room and proceeded to change into my pajamas. Exhausted, I climbed underneath the covers of my bed and felt my eyes drooping. As I was teetering on the edge of deep sleep and consciousness, I heard the doorbell ring.

I moved to get the door, but I stopped when I heard the click of the lock on the door. I flipped the pillow underneath my head and turned to fall asleep again. My ears perked up when I heard a familiar voice, but I stayed in the warm bed and soon fell into a state of unconsciousness.

---

“I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“No, I love you more."

“I love you the most.”

My eyes narrowed at my brother and his fiancée.

“What?” Becca questioned.

I shook my head and turned back to the breakfast I was preparing. “Nothing.”

“She’s just grumpy because she hasn’t seen her daughter yet,” Tom said.

I turned my attention back to the hot pan on the stove that currently contained bacon. As I began plating the food, Tom spoke up.

“You know, Jack came by last night,” he said. Surprised, I looked up at him. “What was he doing here? Do you still talk to him?”

I shook my head. “No. I told him what I needed to say, so I don’t know why he showed up here again. By the way, what did he want?”

Tom scoffed. “He was drunk and talking about how he needed to see you & Capri. He should know better than to show up at your house after drinking a ton of beer. So I told him to leave us alone.”

“You have no right to do that, Tom,” I said. I looked away, once I realized what I said. Why was I defending Jack? It was his problem after all.

Realizing the awkward atmosphere that had formed, Becca stood up. “Holly’s right. It’s her problem and her house. You’re not going to be here forever, so let her deal with it her own way.”

There was a reason why I loved this girl.

“Tom, let’s go see your mom. I bet she’s dying to see you,” Becca said.

My brother sighed and grabbed her hand. “See you tonight, Holly.”

I nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to my plate.