Page 17 of The Intimacy of Control

“Tobi is too. They’re all from Arkansas, oddly enough. Around the same area. I had that same question when I started hearing all the accents.”

Mamá cut us off by turning to me and grabbing my cheeks in her hands. “I have to open. I love you.” She kissed me on either cheek and then turned to River, doing the same. “I love you both very much. Get out so I can work.”

I huffed, scooting past her to leave. “I miss the days when you appreciated us more.”

“I appreciate and love you both, but you know what I have to do. Please call me later. And come to the house, too! I want to see my boys.”

“I love you too, Mami. We will call.”

I followed River out right as the shutters rose. Like I thought, there was already a line of people waiting to order from her. She made a decent living from her cooking—which helped me not worry too much about her.

River stopped in front of a table, putting a hand on his hip. “Who’s the friend that has you stuttering?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you mean?”

“The friend who’s friends with people at Fire and Ice. You hesitated. Is he more than a friend?”

Rolling my eyes, I kept walking, but my brother had other ideas in mind. He caught up to me, keeping the same pace as me, waiting for an answer. I sighed, shaking my head. “He’s someone I like, okay?”

“Forrest has a crush? Oh, my god. This is great. What’s his name? He’s hot, right?”

And this is why I usually never told him anything about anything. “He’s none of your business, Riv. None at all.”

He pushed my shoulder. “Come on! I wanna know. Tell me. He’s hot, isn’t he? Older? Younger?”

“He was a one-night stand and still is. For now, at least. I’m trying to get him to go on a date with me, but I haven’t been very successful. Yet.”

“The sex must’ve been life-changing.”

I scrunched my nose. “Ew, don’t talk like that around me. You’re still my little brother, and my little brother doesn’t need to say words like sex. Especially about me.”

“Ugh, you’re no fucking fun. You’re in love, aren’t you?”

I stopped mid-stride, holding a hand up. “Hold on, now. I barely know the guy. I’d hardly say I’m in love. I’m just really invested.”

“A crush is the beginning stage of love. You should know that. Hopeless fucking romantic.”

“Not all my romance has been hopeless, ass wipe.”

He stared at me, his eyebrows slightly lowered, making a very accusatory look on his face that I didn’t like. “Uh huh. If that’s what you gotta tell yourself to sleep at night, go for it. I hope this guy likes you back, though.”

“Aw. You actually care about me?”

“No. I don’t like the mopey look on your face or the stench of gross yearning you emit. Lover boy needs to give you a shower.”

“Okay, that’s enough. I’m going to work.”

He tilted his head back, groaning at the sky. “Ugh, you’re literally so not fun at all. Oh, hey.” He got right back in my way, just as I’d started walking. “We should have dinner at Mamá’s house soon. Text me on a day you won’t be lusting after Mr. Mystery, and I’ll set up a time with her. Get her something special. We haven’t done that in a while, and Papi’s anniversary is coming up.”

Right. I’d almost forgotten, which kind of made me feel like a shitty human being, honestly. Neither of us had known him very long, but we always tried to show up for Mamá more often around that time so she wouldn’t feel as alone. “Yeah, sounds good. I’ll text you. Are you going to let me go now, fartwad?”

“You’re a shitty brother. You know that?”

“I am not.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Are too.”

“How about this? Shut up and let me go to work.”