While TJ threw himself down onto a row of seats and dug out his phone, probably to text friends, Levi and I sat down across the aisle.
He opened his bag from one of the museum gift shops we’d visited today and pulled out the book I’d bought him.
“Don’t forget to have fun this weekend, buddy.” I draped an arm along the back of the seats and scratched his head.
“Reading is fun.” He smirked and touched the cover reverently.
I chuckled.
“Can we go out to Tysons Corner next weekend?” TJ asked. “I need new clothes before school starts.”
I’d noticed his jeans had been a little short the other day. “Sounds like a plan,” I replied with a nod. “You need some school supplies too. First thing Friday morning. We don’t wanna be there when people get off work.”
It felt good to finally have a buffer so I could buy them clothes and whatever else they needed. Once everything from our folks had been liquidated—life insurance, home insurance, property sold in its ruined state, mortgage paid off—there was enough to pay for my brothers’ tuitions throughout high school and maybe, with a bit of luck, their first semester in college.
Our parents had busted their asses to put me through private school and a good college; the least I could do was make sure TJ and Levi received the same. Well, I had one year left if I wanted to get my master’s.
At the rate I was raking it in at the fights, I wouldn’t have to put any of that on hold for too much longer. I had few other expenses. I lived rent-free with Weasel, because he was mildly obsessed with me—and he made money off me. Though, to be fair, I would’ve cut way worse deals at the fights without him.
Either way…a year or two, and then my brothers’ college funds would be taken care of too, and I could return to get my master’s degree.
Additionally, it felt good not to burden Aunt Mel with any further expenses. She hadn’t hesitated to take us in, but I was old enough to know she’d made a lot of sacrifices. Our mother’s sister had chosen a life in academia; she’d never settled down and had kids of her own. It went without saying I had a responsibility to make it as easy as I could for her.
“TJ.” I jerked my chin as the train stopped and a herd of people stepped on.
He scurried across the aisle and sat down on the other side of Levi.
Before long, Eastern Market was the next stop, and we were itching to get away from this moving sauna. We squeezed our way to the doors and were the first off as soon as they opened.
TJ darted for the escalators, and I ushered Levi the same direction. He was already stuck in his book.
I didn’t plan on lingering at Aunt Mel’s. I’d already dealt with her usual “Hey, you should live here, you know” this morning. As always, I declined. I was just a call away for anything my brothers needed, and I was around more often when they were in school, but I was a grown man, and TJ and Levi were well-behaved boys. I was more useful working out and preparing for the next fight that would bring in money.
As we exited the Metro station, I pulled out another lollipop and stuck it in my mouth. In my attempt to quit smoking, I’d cut myself off from doing it near my brothers—and Aunt Mel, for that matter, ’cause she was merciless in her rants whenever she smelled smoke on my clothes. So I was buying lollipops in fucking bulk to keep my trap occupied.
Wasn’t like I had any cock to suck either.
Instead, I had my pockets full of blue raspberry lollipops.
“You need a haircut, buddy.” I brushed my hand over Levi’s curly hair.
He nodded. “Aunt Mel’s taking me before school starts. I want it to look like TJ’s.”
Certainly easier to take care of; TJ kept his hair cropped short, but personally, I thought they were cute as fuck when they let it grow out a little.
Everything TJ did these days reminded me of the fact that he was growing up. He’d hit a growth spurt and was nearing my height, he was constantly on his phone talking to friends, he’d already gone on a date…
I didn’t want Levi mimicking TJ too much.
Aunt Mel’s street consisted of narrow townhouses painted in various colors, and hers was the red one, the fourth house on the right side.
“Do you need money, boys?” I asked. “Never mind.” I pulled out my wallet, knowing that at least Levi would say no. TJ was a shrugger. But they often found something they wanted when they were out, and I’d rather pay for it than have them ask Aunt Mel. “Here.” I gave them each a twenty.
“I still have some left from last week,” TJ said.
Levi grinned widely. “I don’t. I blew my savings on the PlayStation.”
I remembered. I’d been there. The look on his face when he grabbed the big box with the PlayStation in it… Christ, Mom and Dad should’ve been there to see it. He was ecstatic.
TJ ran up the steps to the house, and it was as if our aunt knew I had every intention of leaving right away. She opened the door and was holding my overnight bag hostage. I’d left it in the hallway so I could grab it quickly and make a dash.
“Did you boys have fun?” she asked, smiling at them as they entered the house.
“Yeah, but the museums were boring,” TJ replied.
“They were not boring!” Levi exclaimed.
TJ snorted and headed for the stairs, but not before he hurried back and fist-bumped me. “Thursday night?”
“I’ll be here with takeout,” I promised, taking out my lollipop. “Love you, kid.”
He smirked. “You too. Later.”
At least I had Levi… He wasn’t afraid to hug me regularly, and he snuck in and wrapped his arms around my middle.
“Bring pizza next Thursday, please.”
I chuckled and squeezed him back. “Pizza, it is. Love you.”
“Love you too!” Then he was gone, running up the stairs with TJ.
Then there were two…
I braced myself and gestured at my bag. “Can I have it?”
She pursed her lips and cocked her head. She shared a lot of features with Mom, but she’d inherited their father’s darker hair and brown eyes.
“You didn’t take the money I left you on the kitchen island for the groceries you bought,” she noted.
I raised a brow. And?
She huffed. “You’re taking this privacy thing a bit too far, Shay. You didn’t want me to ask about your job, so I promised I wouldn’t. You don’t want me to visit you where you live, so I’m not. But you’re making me worried.” She paused, and I suppressed a sigh. “In all the years you’ve trained, you’ve never come home with cuts. Bruises, sure. Sprained ankles, definitely. Muscle aches out of this world, many times. But right there—” She pointed to my jaw. “And the other week, you had scrapes all over your leg. Don’t tell me that’s the work of a freaking foam mat at the studio where you work out.”
“It is,” I lied. “I’m just trying something new. I’m sparring with someone.”
She just stared at me.
Maybe she didn’t believe me, but it didn’t really matter. I was an adult.
Eventually, she handed over my duffel to me. “Please be careful with whatever it is you’re doing, honey. You may be old enough to fend for yourself, but no one is ever too old to need extra care sometimes. I really wish you’d move back in here.”