by Kelly Oram
I didn’t want her to feel bad, but after the last fifteen minutes or so I couldn’t exactly say she was wrong there. Patting her shoulder, I tried my best to keep a straight face as I said, “Technically, this would be day two. And you’ve only told me about your last boyfriend, not all of them, so I’d say you’re more like How to Lose a Guy in 20 Days.”
Her jaw dropped to the floor and I lost it. I couldn’t keep a straight face any longer. When I started laughing, she gave me this dirty look, but she couldn’t hold it and burst into laughter with me. She laughed so hard she had trouble breathing, and I started to worry that she might crash the car. She wiped a tear from her eyes and sighed as she got hold of her giggles. “You are so good at that.”
“Good at what?”
“Breaking up tension. Smoothing over awkward situations. That’s great because I’m a pro at creating them. You’re going to be good for me. I can tell. I’m so glad you e-mailed me yesterday.” She glanced at me, and her gaze suddenly turned speculative. “Do you believe in fate?”
I would have laughed, but she was serious, so I answered her sincerely. “No. I don’t like the idea that my destiny is beyond my control.”
Jordan shook her head. “I don’t think fate controls us. I think it just makes sure certain things happen. What we do with the opportunities it gives us is up to us.” Her face sobered. “When you e-mailed me, I wasn’t really listing the room in the classifieds.”
After a brief pause in which the only sound was a thick swallow from Jordan, she whispered, “I was looking up flights to California. I was going to go home. I was so heartbroken and depressed that I was going to quit—withdraw from my classes, take the semester off, and enroll at USC after the holidays.”
She kept her eyes focused out the windshield in front of her, refusing to look at me. Her voice got so quiet I almost couldn’t hear her. “When you showed up, I decided to stick around and give it another shot. There’s something about you, Nate. You’re a breath of fresh air. I’m glad you’re moving in.”
I was touched. The moment felt like it should be awkward, but it wasn’t. It couldn’t be when I felt the exact same way. I didn’t want to buy into her theory that destiny had brought us together, but the way it had happened—maybe there was something to it. I’d been the one accusing Pearl of magical powers, after all. “I’m glad I’m moving in, too.” Then, because I couldn’t help teasing her, I said, “My density has popped me to you.”
As I knew she would, she erupted into another fit of uncontrollable laughter. “And you said you aren’t a movie guy.”
“I’m not, really. But everyone knows Back to the Future.”
“I don’t believe you. You are a movie guy, even if you don’t know it yet. Oh!” She slammed on the breaks, pointing to a car pulling out of a spot right in front of the entrance to my dorm. As she slid into the parking spot, she flashed me a huge smile. “Right in front. Mock me all you want, George McFly, but this is destiny.”
Laughing, I climbed out of the car and waited for her to come around to the sidewalk. We fell into a comfortable silence. Once we got into the elevator, I took a breath, bracing myself for either Tyler yelling at me or Chris trying to talk me out of leaving.
“You seem nervous,” Jordan said.
I shook my head. That was the wrong word. “Not nervous; just not looking forward to this. I saw Chris and Tyler this morning and they were…not happy when they realized I was serious about moving out.”
“You think they’ll still be angry?”
“To say the least.” The doors slid open, and I slowly stepped out onto the floor. “Angry, I can handle, but this morning they were hurt.” At Jordan’s questioning look, I shrugged. “We’re triplets. It’s hard to describe what that really means. We’re more than close, you know? We have this indescribable bond. They see my leaving as a betrayal.” I glanced away, suddenly unable to meet Jordan’s eyes. “It kind of is.”
An arm came around me, and Jordan surprised me with a hug. “It’s not betrayal. It’s just part of growing up. You guys can’t live together for the rest of your lives. They won’t stay mad forever. Like you said, they’re your brothers. You guys will be fine eventually.”
I surprised myself when I soaked up Jordan’s embrace and hugged her back, leaning my head on hers. She was being supportive. Sophie was never understanding when it came to my brothers. She hated them and didn’t get why I didn’t hate them also. She was an only child, though. She didn’t have any siblings, so she didn’t know what it was like.
Jordan made it sound as if she had a dysfunctional family, but I could tell she still loved them when she talked about them. It was nice to know she wasn’t going to side with Sophie and give me grief for caring about my brothers even when they were being idiots. “Thanks,” I muttered, giving Jordan a quick squeeze before letting her go. “Now, prepare yourself for fireworks. Ty’s probably busy breaking all my stuff…”
My voice trailed off as we reached my room and found all of my things piled in the hall outside my door.
“Or not,” Jordan said.
She whistled, and I rolled my eyes, muttering, “That’s real mature.”
Jordan’s lips kept twitching because she was trying really hard not to laugh, just in case I was upset, but I was done caring at this point. If that’s how they were going to act, then I had no problem gathering up my things and moving to my new apartment without so much as a good-bye. I met her gaze with a flat expression. “I guess I’m already packed.”
Jordan’s lips twitched again. “At least nothing looks broken. It seems Tyler threw your stuff into the hallway with great care. I must say, I’m a bit disappointed. You had me all prepared to witness some great drama.”
I cracked a smile, and that was enough to set Jordan’s laughter off. I laughed too, and then looked down at the pile of stuff, becoming annoyed again. How could they leave my instruments out in the hall like this? “Better take these first. I’m lucky they haven’t been ripped off already.”
I handed Jordan the electric guitar that I’ve had since I was twelve, and laughed when her eyes got really big. “You play the electric guitar, too?”
“Music major,” I teased, picking up my keyboard. “I play this, too. A little. And the bass guitar.”
“Awesome.” She examined the electric guitar with awe.
“Why do you seem so surprised?”
She looked at me as if the answer to that question should be obvious. “Hello. Have you met yourself? You with an acoustic guitar singing soft songs around a campfire or in a coffee house makes perfect sense. But I can’t picture you up on a stage, jamming on your electric guitar like a rock star.” She studied me a moment, then shook her head. “You’ll have to play for me, or I’m not going to believe it.”
Jordan seemed really excited about the guitar. I didn’t expect that from her, but for some reason, I loved it. Music is one thing I know I’m good at, and I have to admit I love watching the girls swoon from up on stage every bit as much as Tyler and Chris do. I liked the idea of Jordan staring up at me from the front row, cheering me on. “I’m sure you’ll be sick of hearing me play in no time. But don’t worry, I can plug headphones into everything except the acoustic, and that’s pretty quiet.”
As I reached for one more bag, I noticed what the flyer taped to my door said. I hadn’t read it before because I figured it was just advertising some party.
“So are you in a band or something?” Jordan asked. “Do I get to be your groupie?”
I wanted to laugh at her question, but I could only shake my head. So much for writing some original songs together. “I guess not anymore.” I handed the flyer to Jordan. “Looks like they’re holding auditions for my replacement.”
“Your brothers play, too? And they kicked you out of your band?” She frowned as she read the paper then crumpled up the supposed sign-up sheet and tossed it behind her. “You’re probably better off going solo anyway. Come on; let’s get this all home and t
hen watch a movie. You’ve got me in the mood for a Back to the Future marathon.”
The first couple weeks in my new place, though liberating, were surprisingly lonely. Two weeks apart from my brothers was a record for us. We’d spent nearly every second of every day together since we were born. My independence from them was a lot harder than I’d expected it to be, especially because they weren’t speaking to me. I’d called them a few days after I moved to ask them if they wanted to help me with my audition piece, but they never returned my calls.
I buried myself in schoolwork and music in an attempt to take my mind off my separation anxiety, but the weeks of hard work quickly took their toll. I was exhausted, stressed, and ready to blow off some steam, so when Colin told me his friend’s band was playing a gig Friday, I jumped at the opportunity for a night out.
We decided to make a double date of it and picked up Sophie before catching the subway to Midtown. When she met us on the sidewalk, my heart stopped and Colin released a low whistle.
“Sophie…” I was speechless. She’d never looked so incredible. Beneath her open coat, her bright red dress was so tight it appeared to be painted on and revealed enough that I was torn between wanting to proudly show her off and hiding her beneath my jacket. I sucked in a breath and pulled her against me. “You look…wow.”
Pleased with my reaction, she kissed me, wearing a smile that suggested she was well aware of how good she looked. After a glance at Jordan, it was obvious that she felt she was the best-looking woman present. I couldn’t disagree. “I love this dress.”
“No kidding,” Colin said, voice warm with approval. He immediately turned to Jordan. “You see? That is how you are supposed to look when going out for the evening.”
I held back a laugh. Jordan was in nice jeans, a jacket that wasn’t a hoodie, and actual shoes that covered her toes. I’d only lived with her for two weeks, but I knew that was dressing up for her. She gave Sophie another once-over and snorted. “Please. I could never look like that no matter what I wear. And besides, we’re going to a dive bar, not the Met. You’re just lucky I’m not in flip-flops.”
Heaving a dramatic sigh, Colin tugged her down the street. I quickly gave Sophie the kind of kiss the dress she was wearing called for, and then followed my friends to the subway station.
Jordan hadn’t been kidding when she said we were going to a dive bar. The establishment certainly wasn’t anything to write home about. Not that I was worried I would contract any diseases sitting in the small booth we’d claimed for the evening, but I prayed I wouldn’t need to use the restroom.
The place was a long, narrow hole in the wall shoved between a used bookstore and a pawnshop. There was a small stage up front, barely big enough to hold an entire band if they stood still the entire show. Anybody who got a little carried away onstage was likely to take a two-foot nosedive off the platform. The entire wall on one side was a bar, and small booths lined the other. It was dark, dingy, and loud; it reeked of cigarettes and a bit of pot, if I wasn’t mistaken.
Sophie sat stiffly beside me, trying very hard to hide her disgust. Jordan, on the other hand, didn’t have a problem voicing her opinion. “Geez, Colin.” She laughed as she scoped out the clientele sitting at the bar. “This might be the worst place you’ve dragged me to yet.”
Colin followed her gaze and wrinkled his nose. “Agreed. This place is terrible. Even with your less-than-phenomenal outfit, we’re still the four most impressive people here.”
Colin suddenly jumped in his seat with a yelp. “Maybe you should start wearing shin guards,” I teased, sure that Jordan had kicked him.
Jordan rolled her eyes. “If he would be nice to me every now and then, he wouldn’t need them.”
“Honey, I am being nice to you. How are we going to find you a new man when your idea of dressing up is a ponytail and nude lip gloss?”
“New man?” Sophie asked, startled. “Did you two break up?”
“Oh, um…” Colin only paused a moment when he realized that he’d told Sophie he was Jordan’s boyfriend a few weeks ago. He threw his arm over Jordan’s shoulder and flashed Sophie a wide smile. “Yeah, we did. We realized we’re better off as friends. There was just something missing between us.”
Yeah, like sexual attraction.
I’m pretty sure Sophie’s frown wasn’t out of concern for our friends, but rather it had to do with Jordan now being single. I hoped she wouldn’t make a big deal of it. She’d been a little cranky since I’d moved in with Jordan, but she’d finally started relaxing a little. “Oh. Wow, that sucks. I’m sorry, you guys.”
She sounded so insincere that Jordan slid me a look. Flashing her an apologetic grimace, I tucked Sophie into my side and kissed her temple. “Don’t worry about them. They’re surviving the breakup just fine. Colin’s spent more time at our place this week than he did when they were still dating.”
“Yeah, we’re okay,” Colin agreed. “It was mutual, and now we get to have the pleasure of trying to find Jordan’s next boyfriend. That’s always fun.”
“No boyfriends for me,” Jordan insisted. “I told you, I’ve sworn off men since I’ll never find another one as wonderful as you.”
This conversation gave Colin an excuse to check out every man in the bar, and he made the best of the opportunity. “Shut up, Cynical Cindy. Our true loves are out there somewhere.” After doing a sweep of the entire room, his eyes fell wistfully on me a moment, and then he sighed, frowning at Jordan. “They just aren’t here. Let’s go somewhere else after the show.”
Sophie jumped on that suggestion. “Why don’t we just go somewhere else now?”
“We can’t,” I said. “Colin knows the band playing tonight. He’s going to help me try to talk the bass player into playing my audition piece for me. I’ve got everyone else taken care of. If I can’t get him to do it, I’m going to have to stalk my brother and beg him to do it. Who knows what he’d demand in return, and that’s if he even answers my call.”
“I can’t believe they’re still not talking to you,” Jordan said.
Sophie rolled her eyes. “That’s Tyler for you. Chris would have caved by now, but Tyler is the most pigheaded jerk on the planet.”
“Wow. Tell us how you really feel,” Jordan deadpanned.
Sophie folded her arms with a defiant shrug of her shoulders. “I say good riddance.”
“But they’re his brothers.” The disapproval in Jordan’s tone surprised me. It was almost as if she was insulted on my behalf.
“Just because they’re his brothers doesn’t mean he has to be best friends with them.”
“No. But they’re his family.”
Sophie frowned. “It’s easy to defend them when you don’t know them.”
Jordan’s eyes narrowed with a surprise flash of anger. “No, it’s easy to defend them when I hear the way Nate talks about them. Your boyfriend doesn’t hate his brothers, and whether you like it or not, their fight has been bothering him. You should really try to be a little more sensitive toward his actual feelings instead of trying to force yours on him.”
I could only imagine what Sophie’s face looked like as Jordan sat there glaring at her, but I couldn’t look to see. I was so stunned that I couldn’t take my eyes off Jordan.
“Okay, who wants a drink? Jordan?” Colin jumped up, yanking Jordan to her feet by the sleeve of her jacket before she could respond either way, and dragged her over to the bar. I watched them go, still in shock.
Sophie glared daggers at the back of Jordan’s head as she argued with Colin at the bar. “Can you believe her nerve?”
I shrugged. “Maybe she shouldn’t have been so rude, but she was kind of right.”
Sophie’s eyes nearly popped from her head. “What?”
With the tempers suddenly flaring, it was hard for me to show Sophie any compassion. “What do you want me to say? She’s right. I don’t hate them. I’m glad I moved out, but they’re still two of my best friends, and you know that.”
> “So you’re saying you think I’m insensitive to your feelings?”
Yes. A lot of the time. “I’m just saying that the animosity between you guys gets really old.”
Sophie sank back in her seat with a huff, and I sipped the Coke in front of me, taking a moment to try and calm my temper. We fell into a tense silence that wasn’t broken until the band started to play.
Jordan and Colin returned.
“So they’re good, right?” Colin shouted over the noise.
I glanced up at the band. They were a little heavy for my taste, but they knew what they were doing, so I nodded. “They’ve got some talent.”
“Which one’s the bass player?”
Whatever face I made at that question had Jordan rolling her eyes. “What?” she said. “The bass guitar and the electric guitar look the same. How am I supposed to tell the difference?”
I shook my head. “I have so much to teach you.” Not wanting to explain over the loud music, I simply pointed to the guy on the far left of the tiny stage. “That’s him.”
“Blaze,” Colin said.
Jordan, Sophie, and I all laughed. “Blaze?”
“Nickname.” Colin smirked. “What else can you expect from a musician?”
“Nice. Thank you.”
Colin winked at me.
Jordan looked up at the guy with a calculating expression. “Blaze… He’s hot, at least.”
Sophie tipped her head to the side and scrunched up her nose. “He’s okay.”
“Okay?” Jordan argued. “He’s totally sexy.” She grinned at me. “I approve.”
I laughed. As if the guy’s appearance was the deciding factor for his value. Maybe in the movies. Studying the guy, I tried to see the appeal. His look was typical emo rocker—tight black leather pants, boots, chains, and a black T-shirt sporting an old punk band. He had shoulder-length hair dyed black that was falling into his eyes as he rocked forward and back with the beat, dark eyes, and a ton of dark eyeliner like my brother Chris liked to wear for shows. Personally, I thought he looked like he could use some shampoo and felt long hair and eye makeup was better served on women, but what did I know?