Page 40 of Silver Sweet

If Eliot were here, maybe I would. He’s such a good liar, he’s practically a national Cobalt treasure.

I lean backward to relax and avoid the burn against my neck. “From what I can tell, Ben seems all right. No strange behavior. Oh, but he is concerned whether I’m avoiding getting laid because we share a room.”

Beckett looks me over like I’m now the subject of his deep concern. “Are you?”

“I think we should circle back to Charlie and give him a standing ovation for being present this week.” I applaud.

Charlie rotates his pen—his eyes back on his book.Thank fuck.“Horrible way to change the subject.”

“By celebrating you?” I shake my head in mock shame. “You should be soaking in the adoration. I don’t give it to you that often.”

“You give it fartoooften. Just not more than Eliot.”

“So you’re admitting you enjoy mine more.”

Charlie lifts his gaze to mine. “You are the personification of a cicada.”

“Because I can sing? That’s not very creative of you, Charlie Keating.”

“Because you don’t shut up,” he clarifies.

Valid.

My phone vibrates in the briefest second of quiet. Beckett sees me silence my phone without checking the screen.

“Is it that one guy?” he asks.

“What guy?” I’m panicked. Internally freaking out.

Beckett has awhat the fuckface, so I know this is an external shitshow. I am the shitshow. “RJ—the guy you’re sleeping with. The one you won’t bring around me or Charlie.”

“No, dude.” What is everyone’s obsession with me and RJ tonight? “And I don’t bring anyone I’ve slept with around you.”

“Isn’t he the only guy you’ve slept with?” Beckett asks.

My ears are ringing. My head spinning. I’m starting to realize I’ve told my brothers way too much about my sex life. “Anal, yeah. Okay. But I meant hookups that went far, just notthatfar.”

“Sorry,” he apologizes sincerely.

“It’s fine. You’re straight. You probably don’t think of oral sex assex.”

“I do think of oral sex as sex,” Beckett says casually. “Just not sleeping with someone.” Also valid.

All of my older brothers bring girls to the apartment for casual sex. Eliot has a habit of choosing stage-five clingers who make themselves too comfortable the morning after. One girl tried to do ourlaundry.After hejustmet her.

Beckett dates the exact opposite girls. Almost all have attachment issues, which he prefers because he is anti-relationships.

Then there’s Charlie.

Most of his hookups come and go like shadows.

I’ve never really nailed down his type. My oldest brother is an enigma to more than just the public. Eliot thinks Charlie would date any girl off the street—but I don’t agree. If he wasn’t looking for something specific, I’d think Charlie would have a girlfriend by now.

“About RJ,” Beckett resurfaces, and I restrain the urge to slump down with a groan, especially as he says, “You do remember that I know him, right?”

“Uh, yeah, aware.” RJ has a cousin who’s a ballerina with NYBC. The reminder that Beckett might know more about my casual hookup feels like being dunk-tanked, but I haven’t wanted to pick my brother’s brain about him. I wantRJto tellme about himself—is that really too much to ask? I sit more upright. “But you’re notfriendswith RJ.”

“Right,” Beckett says. “But Iamfriends with his cousin.”