Chapter 20 Lois
I squint at the arrivals board, checking the line on the screen for the fifth time and pat my brother’s head.
“Stop moving, you’re making me feel sick!”
I’m perched on his back in the middle of the airport hall. Lane’s flight has landed, and I’m scouring the crowds, craning my neck for a glimpse of him. I rest my chin on Jeff’s curly hair and wrap my arms around his shoulders.
“Is he here yet?” he groans, shifting on his feet.
“You’re the one who nagged me to come—so quit the whining and move me up. I’m slipping!”
He tightens his grip on my knees and jiggles me higher. People are glancing over at us, and I can see why. My brother’s well over six five—add me on top, and we’re pretty hard to miss.
Suddenly, I spot Lane sloping through the automatic doors. “There he is!”
He’s moving slowly, fiddling with his baseball cap, his eyes scanning the space, and my heart races faster with every step he takes. I missed that idiot!
“Lane!” I yell, waving. “Over here!”
“Lois, you’re destroying my back!”
“Hey, you spend all day downing protein shakes.” I tug his ear. “Now it’s time to walk the walk.”
He tries to bite my finger, and I laugh, slapping a hand over his mouth. I glance up and lock eyes with Lane. He’s standing in the middle of the hall, watching me with interest.
I slide down my human footstool and dart my way through the crowds.
Before either of us knows it, I leap into Lane’s arms, flinging my arms around his neck and locking my legs around his hips.
He is nearly knocked over, clearly not expecting it, and drops his bag to wrap his arms around me.
He squeezes me tighter, before leaning back for a better look.
“It’s gonna take more than a hug to get yourself off the hook,” he warns. “You didn’t reply to a single one of my messages yesterday, you little brat.”
“You should’ve just called—”
“So I could speak to your dad again?”
“He freak you out?” I grin.
He tries to stay looking pissy, but his green eyes are shining, and I can tell he isn’t that annoyed at all.
“Made a new friend?” He glances over my shoulder, and I turn to follow his gaze. My brother is standing where I left him, waving me to hurry. “You know how to pick ’em, don’t you?” Lane frowns. “The guy’s stacked.”
“Wait a minute—are you saying…?”
He arches an eyebrow, and I drop to the ground.
“You think I’m sleeping with him?” I ask, laughter bubbling up inside me.
Jeff wanders over. “Ready to hit the road, guys?”
The combination of my brother’s confused face and my roomie’s hard stare sets me off.
“What’s up with her?” Jeff asks Lane as I double over, tears streaming down my cheeks.
“No idea.”
I step to the side to try to catch my breath, then head back over to join them, wiping my eyes dry.
“Jeff, meet Lane.”
“No shit.” My brother holds out his hand.
“Lane, this is Jeff,” I continue, doing my best to hold in a giggle.
“What’s so funny, sis?”
“ ‘Sis’?” Lane glances back and forth between us.
I pinch my lips shut and nod, losing it again as realization spreads over my friend’s face.
My brother folds his enormous arms over his chest. “You look surprised.”
The two guys stare each other down. I’m expecting Lane to act a little sheepish, but instead he doubles down.
“Well, Lois is glow-in-the-dark pale and could probably shop in the kids’ section. You, on the other hand…”
“Tall, Black, and better-looking than her?” Jeff finishes for him.
“Exactly!”
They bump fists like they’ve known each other all their lives.
“I’m her adopted brother.”
“Now I get it.”
“Didn’t you tell him anything about our family?” Jeff asks me as we head for the exit.
“I thought I had.” I bring a finger to my chin.
Lane pretends to start backing away. “You guys are starting to freak me out. I was down for coming, but now…”
As we reach the parking lot, I stop in my tracks and grab his cuff, my bottom lip trembling.
“Are you not happy to see me?” I fake-whine.
“Happy and emotionally blackmailed aren’t mutually exclusive.”
“You two are weird.” Jeff dips into the car and settles himself in the back seat, while Lane drops his bag in the trunk.
Suddenly, I’m right back to that first morning when I piled my own stuff in his car.
Who would’ve guessed we’d end up like this, four months later?
As I go to shut the trunk, I catch his eye, and I’m pretty sure he’s thinking the same.
“I’m happy you came.”
“Your evil plan paid off.” He shrugs off his jacket. “Fucking hell, this heat is insane.”
“Told you.”
I open the car door, and just before I slide behind the wheel, I jab a finger at him over the roof.
“You better not start liking my little brother more than me.”
“ ‘Little’? He’s taller than both of us.”
“You’re such a dumbass! He’s seventeen.” I roll my eyes. “Come on, they’re all waiting for us.”
A shadow flits over his face, and he sighs as he climbs into the car.
“Ready to meet the Hogans?” I chirp.
I start the car, and he shoots me a heavy look, so I blow him a kiss.
The first few miles fly by in silence. Lane is tense, I can tell—his breathing shallow.
What a scaredy-cat! Luckily, Jeff is feeling chatty, and it doesn’t take him long to smooth out any edges.
As we drive, the guys talk bands. I had already noticed that we liked the same stuff, but Jeff moves in for a deep dive, and as I glance at him in the rearview mirror, I realize he’s falling in love with my friend and his taste in music.
“Lois actually brought someone cool home, for once!” he bursts out, and I nearly crash the car.
“Why?” Lane swivels around to face me. “Does she bring guys home often?”
I shoot my brother a dirty look. “Only Kirk!”
“Yeah, but he was lame enough to put us off for life—such a pain in the ass.”
“Jeffrey Hogan, I’m warning you.” He knows what happens when I use his full name. “Today’s a special day,” I add in the sweetest voice I can muster. “I plan on living my best life with the people I love, so don’t go dragging me down with—”
“That pathetic loser?” Lane cuts in.
Jeff slaps our backrests, laughing. “This guy can so have my room!”
“Mom got Grandpa’s room ready for him.” I beam.
“Oh yeah, I forgot. Sorry, dude—maybe next time.”
Lane is glancing from me to Jeff and back again, and I can’t wait. I plan on getting sweet, sweet revenge for how he tried to bail on Christmas.
“Home sweet home!”
I pull up outside the house, slam the car door, and stroll over to the porch, turning back only to realize Lane hasn’t budged from his seat.
“Come on, Laney!”
He raises a middle finger and holds it up to the window, just as Jeff pushes past me and goes bounding into the living room.
“Guys, we made it!”
I leave my brother to it and head over to the car to coax out my prey.
“Come on, O’Neill. Out.”
He unbuckles his seat belt with a groan. “After everything I’ve done for you.”
“Exactly. This is my way of saying thank you.”
He freezes and slowly turns to face me. I can tell he’s surprised I didn’t use my usual teasing tone this time—but it’s because I mean it.
“It’s going to be great. I promise. My parents are amazing—you’ll feel right at home. And tomorrow, we can hit the beach,” I add. “The water should be about seventy.”
“I didn’t bring my swim trunks—”
“My brother can lend you some.”
“Seriously? Have you seen the guy? I’m like a matchstick compared to him.”
I snicker. “That wasn’t the brother I meant.”
He looks a bit nauseous then. “There are more?”
I sigh. “Sadly—yes.”
“Kids, are you coming?” my mom yells from the house.
Lane pries himself out of his seat, gathers up his stuff, and traipses into the house behind me in silence.
“Just dump your bag and jacket in the hall.”
He does as he’s told, pulling off his cap and looking at me for a moment. I smile and lead him in by the hand.
“So here he is!” Mom calls out. “The one and only Lane!”
She pirouettes over to him in her hippie apron dress and clasps him in her arms as if he were her long-lost child.
“I’m Mary. Welcome! Smooth trip?” she asks, rubbing his shoulders.
“Uh, yes. Thanks. It was great. Amazing.” Lane’s gone beet red.
She bursts out laughing, turning to look at me.
“He sounds just like you.” She chuckles as she strides over to the dining table. “Honey! Lane is here!”
“Let me just put this gun away and I’ll be right with you!” my dad calls out from the landing.
Footsteps echo down the stairs, and I stifle a laugh when he walks through the door, all pursed lips and hard, cold eyes. He’s pretty convincing, I’ll give him that.
Lane holds out his hand. “Sir.”
My dad takes his time looking him up and down. He would’ve made an amazing actor. Lane clears his throat and shoots me a glance.
“Dad,” I sigh.
“Anything I should know about you, young man?” he asks, staring Lane straight in the eye.
“I can give you my parole officer’s number, if that helps. He says I’m getting better at my anger management.”
A hush falls over the room. And then my father’s face breaks into a broad smile.
“Call me Mitch.”
He pulls Lane in for a hug, ignoring his outstretched hand, thumping his back. It never gets old: Anytime one of us brings someone home, my dad runs through the same “scary man of the house” spiel. But this is the first time anyone has played along and hit the right note.
“Hey! You’re a big guy!” He gives Lane’s shoulder a playful punch.
“Careful, Dad, don’t break him.” I shove Lane out of his way.
“You’re a warrior, man,” says Jeff. “Kirk nearly shit himself the first time he met Dad. You did an amazing job.” He flashes Lane a thumbs-up.
“Kirk was fourteen back then.” I narrow my eyes at my brother. “Anyway—where are the others?”
“Kes! Jarrow! Diego!”
As Dad runs through the drill, my mom hands Lane a glass of water. He sips at it, looking at me over the rim.
Jarrow comes flying through the room on his skateboard, and Mom catches him by the ear.
“Not in the house! Say hello to our guest.”
“Hello, guest!”
He holds out a fist for Lane to bump.
“And this here is Kesley.”