Chapter 15 The Cousin
Weekend.
I stood at Jiang Huai’s door.
Knocked.
The one who opened it wasn’t Older Brother.
Wasn’t Jiang Huai either.
A guy about my age.
“Who you looking for?”
I snapped back. “Older Brother. Lin Xu.”
He let me in.
Jiang Huai came out of his room.
The guy looped an arm around Jiang Huai’s and whined, “Can I stay tonight? I don’t wanna go home.”
Jiang Huai ruffled his hair. “Fine.”
The guy hugged him tight. “You’re the best.”
Then hopped back to the room.
Jiang Huai looked at me. “My cousin, Jiang Yan.”
I nodded and went to find Older Brother.
At dinner,
Jiang Yan put shrimp in Jiang Huai’s bowl. “Peel it for me.”
Jiang Huai smiled and started peeling.
Something sour twisted in my chest.
I dropped a shrimp in Older Brother’s bowl. “I want some too.”
Older Brother glared. “You got hands?”
He peeled it anyway.
Jiang Huai across the table glanced up.
Gave me a knowing smile.
Older Brother finished,
held the shrimp to my mouth.
I opened.
He pulled it back and ate it himself. “Peel your own.”
I watched him smirk while Jiang Huai put peeled shrimp in Jiang Yan’s bowl.
Annoyed,
I peeled a bunch for myself.
Mine tasted better.
But they still felt flat.
While I ate with my head down,
a full bowl of peeled shrimp appeared in front of me.
I froze.
Jiang Yan stared at it. “What’s that supposed to mean? You peel one for me and a whole bowl for him?”
“I’m your actual cousin!”
Jiang Huai stuffed a shrimp in his mouth. “Eat yours.”