Page 46 of Diving In
“Do not come through this door, Thomas!” she shrieks out. Not exactly the best way to keep your brother out of the room. As she leaps off me, she manages to knee my groin in the process. Pain explodes.
“Ouch— fuck, Kath,” I grit out as I roll backonto the bed.
She gasps, horrified. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry—are you alright?” She kneels back onto the bed, hovering over me, bra once again forgotten. I usually love looking at semi-naked Kath. But now is not the right time.
I groan, eyes squeezed shut. “I’m fine—just grab your clothes.”
“Kath, what’s going on in there?” There's a warning note in Tom’s voice through the door. “If it’s not what I think it is, you can open the door and we can pretend this conversation never happened.”
“Nothing’s going on,” she shouts, grabbing her bra and struggling to do up the clasp. “Don’t you dare come in!”
“You’re my little sister and there's a boy’s shirt abandoned on the landing. Of course I’m stopping whatever’s happening.”
I barely manage to yank the sheets over myself as Kath shoves her arms through her dress sleeves and the door swings open. Tom stops dead in the doorway. Eyes flick from me—topless—to Kath—hair a mess, looking like she’s just sprinted a 5K.
“What… the fuck… is this?”
Kath scowls at him. Tom ignores her, arms crossing over his chest as his glare locks on me.
“Why is he topless in your bed?”
I swallow hard.
“Actually, better yet,” he scoffs, stepping forwards. “Fletcher, you explain what you’re doing in my sister’s room in a state of undress. Given that as far as I know, you two aren’t dating and you’re leaving for America in a few weeks.”
Uh oh. The last name has come out.
“State of undress,” Kath scoffs at him, arms folded and eyes narrowed. “You sound like someone from the 19thCentury.”
It would sound more cutting if her hair didn’t look quite so rumpled.
“Fuck off, Kath. You can’t distract me with history jokes.” He turns back to me. “Downstairs, five minutes. I want an explanation.”
He throws the T-shirt at me before leaving the room.
“Oh my god,” I groan, yanking my shirt over my head so fast I nearly dislocate something. “Your brother’s going to kill me.”
By the time we shuffle downstairs, I’ve gone from blushing to looking like I might need immediate medical attention.
Tom’s waiting in the kitchen. Arms crossed. “Sit.”
It’s not a suggestion. I drop into the chair, and Kath follows, nudging my leg under the table like she’s trying to tell me something. I immediately edge away.
Tom sighs, looking between us like a disappointed teacher. “Care to explain?”
Kath rolls her eyes. “Do you really need an explanation? I think I’ve found you in some pretty similar situations over the years.”
Tom scowls. “Yes, but you’re my baby sister.”
Kath groans. “I’m eighteen. And who put you in charge of my life anyway?”
“It’s not about that, Kath.” His expression’s pained. “I would’ve been all for this last year.” He levels me with a look. “But it’s not last year. You’re going to Exeter. He’s going to America. How is this going to work long-term?”
Kath shrugs. “We’re friends who are having fun. It’s temporary.”
I try not to flinch. Yep. Temporary. I know she’s just deflecting her brother, but still. I always knew that rule three existed solely for my benefit. It just hurts to hear it out loud, even though I’m the one who insisted on the rules in the first place.
Tom scoffs. “As if.”
