Tobias: Book One of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter Nine

"Thrane!" Tobias snapped at his brother who was laying on his couch. Naked. "What the fuck do you think you're doing!"

Thrane looked up at him through bloodshot eyes, his hair shooting in all directions. "It's way too hot in this house, so...I improvised." He shrugged his shoulders and averted his attention back to the TV where one of his horror movies was playing.

"Christ," Tobias muttered and headed into the kitchen to make breakfast. He was going to have to very, very thoroughly disinfect that couch.

After he made two, four-egg, cheese omelettes, he put some salt and pepper onto his, and called, "Thrane! Put some clothes on. Breakfast's ready."

Tobias heard Thrane sprint down to his temporary room down the hallway, and as expected, Thrane sprinted into the kitchen at the mere mention of food. They were both clad in baggy sweatpants, always neglecting to put on shirts, just like when they were kids.

"So," Thrane began after taking a bite from the steaming, hot omelette, "haven't had breakfast with her yet? You're a couple of weeks away from two months." He stated, referring to Jane.

Tobias remembered their time spent together last night. So far, he'd taken her out a little over thirty times in the span of six weeks. Completely unlike him, he had always stopped them both from going any farther than the occasional copped feel and heated kiss. Oh, how he wanted her - craved and pined for her even - but there was one thing he knew for sure: having sex with somebody too soon could end things too soon. He knew that, for most people, they would have been sleeping together awhile ago, but he wanted this time to be special.

That was why he had done what he did. He could tell that she was wanted him, that was for sure. When they both got off work at 3:00, they called each other every night just to talk and hear about each other's days. It usually ended up planning what to do for that night or day, and he could care less about whatever was on the agenda, just so that he could spend more time with her.

"Well, how am I supposed to do that when my idiot brother refuses to leave my house?" he asked, using the same excuse as always.

"Hey." Thrane placed his hands in front of himself defensively. "I told you, just say the word, and I'll be out of the house for the night."

"Don't you have classes starting soon?"

His older brother smiled a little sadly, wolfing down the melted cheese on the plate. "Yeah, but I just want to spend some time with my lil' bro."

"Seriously, what's wrong? You've stayed two, whole weeks longer than you were supposed, and you usually like your space."

"It's nothing." Thrane muttered, standing up and placing his cleared plate and empty glass into the sink.

"Thrane." Tobias stood up and gripped his brother's massive arm in his. "Have you been drinking again?"

His brother was an alcoholic. At the age of seventeen, he had started drinking at the football after-parties. He had only drank after football and basketball season was finished with when he had been that young, but by the time he had turned twenty-one, he had almost been kicked out of his college when he had driven his motorcycle into school. He had been stone-faced drunk at the time. No doubt about it.

Their parents had been called about it, and they had tried to convince Thrane to go to Alcoholics Anonymous, but he had refused. Sometimes, he was just too stubborn for his own good. About a month later, he had drank so much that his BAC level had been over 0.5, giving him alcohol poisoning that had hospitalized him. During his stay at the hospital, which had been three days, he had admitted that he needed help.