Brothers

CHAPTER 4

“How can he be so f*****g childish?” I muttered, my voice dripping with frustration as I walked out of campus with my best friend, Tanny. The late afternoon sun warmed my face, but it did little to soothe the irritation bubbling in my chest.

Tanny glanced at me sideways, her dark curls bouncing as she walked. “You’re talking about Nathan again, aren’t you?”

“Who else?” I threw my hands up in exasperation. “He drank the last of the milk this morning—on purpose! And then had the audacity to smirk about it. Who does that?”

Tanny snorted, the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement. “I don’t know why you’re surprised. You’ve been telling me for days that he’s basically a grown man with the emotional maturity of a toddler.”

“I guess some people never grow up.” I grinned, shaking my head. “But seriously, what did I do to deserve him as a stepbrother? Karma’s gotta be real because I’m paying for something in this life.”

Tanny let's out a soft laugh. “Well,” she said, nudging me with her elbow, “maybe it’s time you start thinking about an escape plan. How about getting a part-time job and saving up to move into your own place?”

I sighed, tugging at the strap of my backpack. “I’ve thought about it. Believe me, I’ve thought about it a lot. But I’m just not ready for all the expenses and responsibilities of living alone right now. Not when I’m still in college.”

“That’s fair,” Tanny said, brushing a curl away from her face. “But wouldn’t it be worth it? Just imagine—no Nathan, no milk drama, no loud music keeping you up at night.”

“Tempting, but there’s no way I would be able to find a decent, affordable apartment this close to campus. Everything’s either overpriced or a total dump.”

“Yeah, I get that. Rent around here is insane. And you would probably end up with some weirdo roommate who steals your food anyway.”

“Exactly!” I said, heaving out a sigh. “At least with Nathan, I know what kind of pain I’m dealing with. Moving out would just be trading one headache for another.”

Tanny chuckled, linking her arm with mine as we strolled down the sidewalk. “Alright, fair point. For now, I guess you’re stuck with your man-child stepbrother. But if you ever change your mind, let me know—I’m great at apartment hunting. My cousin found this killer deal on a place last year, and I swear it was all thanks to me.”

“You mean the place with the broken heating and the landlord who took six months to fix it?” I teased, raising an eyebrow.

Tanny shrugged, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “Details, details. It had good lighting and free parking. Priorities, Mia.”

I laughed despite myself, the tension easing from my shoulders as we turned the corner toward the little café where we usually stopped after classes. The smell of fresh coffee and baked goods wafted through the air, and my stomach growled in response.

“What about you?” I asked, as we stepped inside and joined the line at the counter. “Wouldn’t you want to move out if you could?”

Tanny made a face, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jacket. “Honestly? Probably not. My parents drive me crazy sometimes, but at least they let me focus on school. Plus, free food is hard to beat.”

“True,” I admitted, glancing at the menu even though I already knew what I wanted. “I guess we’re both stuck for now.”

“But stuck together,” Tanny said with a wink. “And that makes all the difference.”

I smiled, feeling a little lighter as we placed our orders and found a table near the window. The sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over the street outside. For the first time all day, I felt like I could breathe again.

Tanny stirred her latte lazily, her hazel eyes flicking toward me as she leaned back in her chair. “So,” she said casually, “what’s the deal with your other stepbrothers? Still haven’t heard from them?”

I shrugged, picking at the edge of my coffee cup. “Not much to hear, honestly. Most of them study out of state. You know, the whole ‘pursue your dreams far away from the chaos’ thing. They’re probably living it up while I’m stuck here dealing with Nathan’s bullshit.”

“Lucky them,” Tanny said with a smirk, taking a sip of her drink. “But wait—how many stepbrothers do you have again? Isn’t it, like, three?”

“Four,” I corrected, rolling my eyes. “Yeah, I know—it’s ridiculous. A literal basketball team of brothers.”

“But they’re not all like Nathan, right?” Tanny pressed, her curiosity clearly piqued.

I hesitated, tapping my fingers against the table. “No, not really. They’re…different. Most of them are actually decent. They’re just not around much. College, internships, jobs—they’ve all got their own stuff going on. They’ll probably swing by after their semester ends, though. Family gatherings and all that fun stuff.”

Tanny raised an eyebrow. “Fun? Is that what we’re calling it now?”

“Okay, fine,” I admitted, slumping back in my chair. “It’s more like forced bonding time with people I barely know anymore. The last time we were all in the same room, I think I was still wearing braces. I never knew there would be a moment where I would be calling them my stepbrothers.”

“So... what’s the dynamic like? Are they cool?”

“It’s…mixed,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “Its been a while but some of them were cool. Like Adrian—he’s the oldest, and he’s always been the responsible one. You know, the type who actually acts like an adult.”

Tanny nodded. “And the others?”

“Well, there’s Noah,” I continued. “He’s a little more laid-back. Kind of the ‘chill, let’s just go with the flow’ guy. Then there’s Jordan, who’s basically a walking, talking ball of energy. He’s more like Nathan. Likes to push buttons for fun, but at least he’s less petty about it.”

“Less petty than Nathan? That’s not saying much,” Tanny joked, making me laugh.

“True,” I said, shaking my head. “Anyway, they’ll all be here eventually. Until then, it’s just me and Nathan holding down the fort. And by ‘holding down the fort,’ I mean he’s doing everything in his power to drive me insane.”