The Hours We Have

chapter twenty

Nobody said anything on the drive home. 

Julian was quiet in the back seat and Roman was stubbornly staring out the passenger window, despite how I had tried to catch his eyes a few times. I knew that he knew those boys, somehow there was a connection, and I wondered if he was in trouble with them. Hopefully, it wasn't serious. I just wished he would talk instead of hiding everything, including his feelings. 

I debated about whether I would tell Mikeal about the encounter but as I mindlessly drove home, on a route I knew like the back of my hand, I decided not to. At least, not right now. If I was going to get Roman to open up, I needed him to trust me, and not see me as a tattle-tale. That was something I was coined by all four brothers when we were little because I always told Mom everything, and they hated that, I guess that's where the unspoken issues started between us siblings. 

I pulled in the driveway and cut the engine. Roman was out before I could even blink but he didn't beeline for the house, he went to the back of the car to grab our things. Julian quietly trailed behind us into the house. 

Mikeal was in the kitchen, dishing up dinner onto four plates, and I saw Finley laying on the floor by his feet, licking a bowl clean. It didn't even take me a second to figure out that Mikeal let Finley have some of the food. I grinned from ear to ear. 

My oldest brother glanced up, meeting my eyes, and I swore his widened. "You guys were quick," He glanced down at Finley, "It's not what it looks like." 

I couldn't stop grinning and said, "I knew you'd come around, Finley is too cute to ignore." 

Mikeal rolled his eyes at me before turning back to his task over the stove but I caught the slight tinge of his ears, it happened when he was embarrassed. Julian dug through our bags and retrieved Finley's new collar. 

He called Finley over, and I had to admit, the collar was perfect. "There you go, officially part of the family, huh boy?" Julian grinned, rubbing Finley's ears. 

Mikeal's hand paused, halfway between transferring the last of the food onto the last plate, and I knew he had heard those words, too. Roman snatched one of the plates and Mikeal snapped out of it to eye his younger brother, "You better be taking that to the table, and wait for everyone else." 

Roman groaned, "Alright, fine." It was almost like Roman wasn't bothered by the slightest about what happened at the store, he was acting perfectly normal now, and I scrutinized him. Perhaps he was better at pretending than I originally thought, if that was true, just how much was he hiding? 

Suddenly, Finley was growling, and I turned my head to find Ezra casually strolling into the kitchen. Julian burst out laughing, "So, it's true! Finley really doesn't like Ezra!" He said in between gasps, "Wow, I'm going to video this, it's priceless!" He reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone. 

"You better rethink that," Ezra paused in his step and scowled at Julian.

"Or what?" Julian scoffed, unlocking his phone. Before he could open his camera, Finley was scrambling away as Ezra leaped forward and put Julian into a headlock. "Ow! Jesus, don't twist my neck off!" Julian struggled against Ezra, "Dude, come on! I can't even breathe!" 

"Sorry, what was that?" Ezra mocked but his eyes were lighter with amusement, "You'll stop being an annoying little brother?" He ran his knuckles atop Julian's head. 

"Ezra, you jerk! Let go!" 

"Alright, that's enough you two." Mikeal interrupted their little brawl and Ezra held onto Julian's head for a solid minute before finally letting him go. Julian backed away, sputtering and red-faced.