Page 5 of The Incredible Ordinary

He’s not wrong. I’d like to think I have goals, but when the fuck was even the last time I woke up with anything at all scheduled for the day? Six months? Nine? I had a dentist appointment sometime last August. Does that count?

I guess we’ll count that as payback for the nerd shit comment from earlier.

To his credit, Aiden doesn’t look especially regretful. Good for him. Being an asshole every once in a while is good for the soul.

He takes a breath.

“I have a life too, you know. Sometimes you have to make adjustments and do the right thing. It’s been a while for you, I know, but perhaps you can take a stab at what that right thing in this situation is?”

My temper is back full force.

“Oh, shut up with this condescending do-gooder bullshit.” I look around the room wildly. I can almost feel the walls closing in. This house… This place is a cage. It’s always been a cage. Ican’t walk away from all of this fast enough. I really can’t. The door that leads outside lets out a loud squeak as I tear it open, then slams shut with the glass panes rattling.

And he’s still coming after me, because Aiden’s never been that good at taking hints, and he’s doggedly determined at the best of times.

“You accepted me,” he calls out. “That sucked, didn’t it? Finding out Gerard had a second family. And then he chose us over you. But you were still okay with me after the dust settled.”

That’s an interesting interpretation of events, because as I remember things, Aiden stalked me until he wore me down. I would’ve gladly gone on without ever hearing a word about him again, but Aiden seemed to be weirdly enamored with the idea of having a brother.

He’s never understood that being a lone wolf isn’t something to dislike. He just had to pummel me into submission.

“It could be something good,” he says. “Like us two. It’s been nice. Having somebody to… lean on.”

This specific kind of vulnerability is extra grating today when I feel so raw myself.

I turn around on my heel and stride back to him. “You want me to punch you? What exactly is the point of this walk down memory lane?”

“You didn’t hold any of it against me. It’s not Rory’s fault we share the same shitty parent.”

“I’m not fucking blaming him, am I? It’s Gerard. He is who he is. Or was who he was. Whatever. I’m just saying, you and me? We aren’t equipped to handle this crap. We don’thave tohandle this crap. He’s dead. Let it go and stop paying penance, or whatever it is you’re doing.”

“Then who will take care of him? CPS? Foster care? You really want to make Rory feel like nobody wants him? Shit,Milàn, you of all people know how much that screws a person up!”

“Another reason why we shouldn’t subject that kid to the mess the two of us are. He deserves better.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you have his best interests in mind,” Aiden shoots back.

“Somebody has to. You clearly don’t.”

“You know, you can be a real dick sometimes.”

I laugh out loud. “Is this fucking news to you or something?”

“Yes, it actually is,” Aiden snaps. “We can’t send him away to fuck knows where.”

I drag both my hands through my hair and let out a string of curses. “Why do you care? We don’t even know the kid! He’s a stranger.”

“Well, fuck him, in that case, huh?”

The last shred of patience snaps at the stubborn stupidity. “Fuckyou!”

“Iwas a stranger. You still didn’t send me away when I looked you up.”

“The fuck do you expect me to do here?”

“I expect you not to be a coward!”

“Oh! Well, I’ve seen the light. Let’s go and tell everyone the good news!”