20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Cody

“So. You and Stella.”

Mo’s cold stare sweeps over me, his gaze lingering on my bare feet peeking out of my sweatpants. Probably should have covered up the dogs for this conversation.

“I’m sorry Mo, I really am. I should have talked to you before it got this far.”

My first-year mentor pushes off the counter and walks over to where I’m standing. I roll my shoulders back, clench my jaw, and brace myself for the impact.

“What the hell took you so long?”

A hand claps my back, and the shock of it almost sends me flying.

Mo grins, “Easy there, captain. The fact you two have been crushing on each other for months now has been pretty damn obvious. It was about time you made a move.”

I regain my balance, struggling to recover my thought process.

“Wait. You’re not upset Stella and I got together?”

“That depends,” Mo gives me a pointed look, “Does got together mean you are together or just having sex?”

Nothing about last night was just sex.

“The first one.”

“Thought so.” Mo nods, satisfied with my answer, “In that case, no I am not upset you two got together. Besides the fact you snuck behind my back to fuck my sister, you’re still the most stand-up guy I know.”

I wince at the crude language, “Before this trip, we’d only kissed once. I was waiting for the right moment to tell you but then…”

Mo holds up a hand, “One thing led to another. Really don’t need to know anything else.”

Relief crashes over me as the guilt from these last few months finally falls from my shoulders.

He tilts his head, studying me carefully, “Why didn’t you approach me sooner?”

I sigh, “I was scared. You took me under your wing and showed me the ropes to the team and the university. And then you honoured me with the rookie-of-the-year award and nominated me for team captain. The least I could do was look out for your sister like you asked me too. I just didn’t expect to develop feelings.”

Mo’s pale blue eyes soften. “You were in a tough position. I know what it’s like to not want to disappoint a role model figure.”

I survey the older O’Brien sibling in front of me, Mo’s impressive physique and impeccable appearance leaving no hint to what cracks lie underneath.

“What did your mother’s death cost you?”

If my question startled Mo, he does a good job of not showing it.

“Freedom.”

“Freedom?”

Mo nods, “The day I buried my mother is the day I buried my ability to be anything beyond my father’s expectations.”

Before I can fully register the meaning behind his words, Mo clears his throat.

“Anyways, with the exception of your sex life try and keep me in the loop moving forward. You can come to me for anything.”

“I know. Thank you, Mo.”

“Don’t thank me. You know what you’re signing up for with my sister.” He winks, tossing me a picture-perfect apple from the bowl on the kitchen counter.

“Hurry up and eat. I want to kick your ass playing one-on-one again.”

I catch the apple, the green surface shiny enough to show my smiling reflection.

“Whatever, old man. You only won because I was taking it easy on you.”

Mo raises a disbelieving eyebrow and I give my middle finger.

Stella

The bedroom door opens just in time for the foam bullet to hit my brother right between the eyes.

Bullseye.

From my precarious location, I see Mo do a sweep of the room, looking for my hiding spot. His eyes linger on my usual spot by his closet when I let another shot fly.

Pop! Another head shot to my kill score.

Mo quickly zeroes in on my position with a smirk before walking over and holding out his hand for a weapon.

“Nuh uh. This is an ambush. You don’t get to retaliate.” I fire off another shot, but he dodges it, jumping onto the bed and snagging the toy gun from my hands.

“Hey!”

Shimmying along Mo’s upper bedpost, I swing my legs over the side and throw myself onto the thick navy comforter below. By the time I sit up, Mo has reloaded and is firing shot after shot at me.

I roll along the mattress, foam bullets pelting my back along the way. My feet hit the floor and I dash towards my brother, throwing all my weight against his legs. Mo stumbles and I sweep his legs out from under him, knocking his large frame to the ground.

We wrestle for the toy gun until we are both covered in carpet burns and Mo stands up in victory.

“I win!” Mo grins at me, his chest heaving with exertion.

“But did you see that tackle I made?”

“That was super sweet. My back didn’t appreciate it, though.”

I wheeze out a laugh, walking over to give my big brother a hug. Mo wraps his arms around me, his signature cologne filling my senses.

“You okay, Stel?”

“He makes me happy, Mo. Happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

Mo sighs, releasing his hold, “That’s not what I’m asking.”

His gaze searches mine and it finally dawns on me what he’s asking.

“I’m hovering around okay. I’ve been missing mom a lot recently. Starting university without her just feels wrong.” My tear ducts start to burn as I think about all the events my mother will never get to hear about.

All the people she will never get to meet.

“I know it’s hard.” Mo stares at me sadly, his eyes dry as the day he told me my mother was never coming home.

There have always been inequalities between my father’s expectations of Mo and me, but thanks to my chromosomes, I managed to skip the lessons on masculinity. My brother and his shrivelled-up tear ducts were not so lucky.

“But I hope you know mom would be proud of you. She would have loved to hear about all the events you drag your shy roommate to and she would have loved to hear about this thing you have with Cody.”

I smile, wiping the dampness from my cheeks, “You know me too well. What would you say to mom if she was here?”

Mo goes silent, his throat working up and down.

“I would ask her if she ever wanted to be someone different. If she ever wanted to escape the path laid out in front of her.”

I rest a hand on his arm, “Is this about working for the family company?”

Mo shakes his head, “That’s only part of it. Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m living someone else’s life.”

I frown, unused to seeing my brother so shaken.

“Then why don’t you take some time off? Step back and figure out what you really want to do. You always have a choice, you know.”

“Look who is giving out the advice now.”

“I always give advice. You just always choose to ignore it.” Mo chuckles and I give him a gentle shove.

“Pick whatever path you want, Mo. You only get one life, and it could end tomorrow or eighty years from now. May as well make the most of it.”

Not our most morbid conversation ever, but definitely ranking in the top ten. When you lose a loved one you start to realize how little time we all really have.

Mo nods, “You’ve given me lots to think about. Thanks sister.”

“Anytime brother.”

We smile at each other, and for a moment, I wonder if the thought running through my head is the same one that’s running through his.

What would mom think of the people we’ve become?