Chapter 17

Arrick walks back to me carrying hot mugs, and I turn to follow his progress when he gets back around beside me, moving to let him sit down and then curl back up close to him when he slides back. He runs his arm along the back of the chair over my head so I have his armpit in my face. It’s just as well he always smells good.

“I hung about with an old man through my most important developmental years, and he must have rubbed off on me.” I throw back deadpan at him, met with a palm in the face, which squashes my nose as he smears what’s left of my makeup further down with the motion.

“Hey!” I slap it away. That annoying person he can be starting to come out now all the emotional, serious stuff is out of the way. This is the real him that I miss. The infuriating brother figure, annoyingly immature at times, despite his overall Mr. Mature. persona. That dude who holds me down and tickles me to death until I yield. The one who opened my world to a whole host of annoying behav