Jess called on the way up to the house, saying she was just leaving Seattle and would be back in a few hours. I shamelessly told her I loved her in front of Matt. He rolled his eyes. She asked how my night was - I told her she'd been right. About everything. She told me she already knew that much.
Matt took a call from Jimmy, who I was finally going to see today. He'd be arriving well before Jess and, with his help, we'd be able to finish the whole thing that day. I was to fly out the next, on the Sunday, and the house closed on Monday. Today was the day.
"So, Jimmy," Matt said when we pulled into Aunt Cathy's driveway. "You know he's got this ... thing for you."
"Jess told me. I'm supposed to tease him? And he's been lifting weights all summer? That about covers it."
"Jess would tell you to do that." He sighed. "Look. I know you and Jess and I have always been closer, and it was Jimmy tagging along. He's still just the kid. And Jess and I don't get jealous ... about things, but Jimmy?"
"So you're saying ... kid gloves?"
"It's worse. He's very ... possessive of you? He's got this picture, you're dad sent it, I dunno. He might think he's in love with you. I'm just saying, please be ... considerate ... in what you tell him. About Jess and me and you. And he's going to make me help him set something up. And it's going to be awkward and ... just go easy on him. You don't have to ... do anything. But a little bit would go a long, long way."
He was saying it would be good if I let the slut out just a little bit for Jimmy. We both got out of the car.
"You have to tell him, Matt. I'm having enough trouble coming to terms with what I've been doing without starting to lie about it."
"You're right. I - sorry."
I let it go. "Thanks, Matt. For ... everything."
"The pleasure," he said with a bow, "was all mine."
"Not hardly."
He headed in to start moving the new boxes down to the basement for the day, leaving me alone to collect my thoughts. He was right about me and Jess - it wasn't just sex, it was different with her somehow, some way he couldn't touch. I'd ride Matt piggyback, but I wouldn't hold his hand. But that left Jimmy as a question mark, the closest thing to a stranger I had left to meet this trip. He thought he loved me, whoever that was. What did he mean to me?
I didn't have to wonder for the first few hours. I started with Aunt Cathy's closet, putting into a special box anything I thought I might like to have. We were almost the same size in a lot of ways, making it almost as if fate decreed I should be taking over her place in the world. I was on my hands and knees in the closet when Matt came to find me.
"Harri?" he said at the door.
"Down here!" I couldn't spare the attention just that moment to look up. As soon as I took my eyes of one kind of shoe the details would slip and I'd never find its match.
I felt his hand trace down my ass. I wiggled my hips, trying to get him between my legs, where he gave me just a light pinch. Typical. I sat back and looked up at him.
"I've, uh, got to run to town to do some stuff with the equipment at my studio."
"Okay," I said. Why was he telling me this? Why did it matter?"
"Okay. I just wanted you to know. So, you know, I won't be here for awhile."
"Okay, Matt."
I turned back to what I was doing, puzzling over his words, while I sorted the last of the shoes. At the back of the closet was a little box I accidentally flipped over. Fuzzy handcuffs and lube. Fantastic. I left them on the corner of the desk so Jess could stash them with the rest of the secrets - or maybe just take it all home tonight.
Had Matt been wearing jeans this morning? I'd thought he had on cargo pants. Was-was this the signal that Jimmy had arrived? Was this the stupid, awkward thing? Whatever it was, I'd get to see the kid. That lightened my spirits considerably.
But, there in the main room of the basement was Matt again, shirtless, watching as he slowly flexed his arms. Except this Matt didn't have a tattoo, and, were those the same pants that - fucker was actually trying to pretend to be Matt? I mean, maybe in a dim room. Shit, the room was dim, so, not even then.
"Jimmy!"
He looked up, startled, sheepish.
"How's it going, kiddo? What's up with the ... shirtless vibe?" Okay, so I'd simultaneously taken every bit of Matt's advice and drop-kicked it out of the yard. Awkward my ass. This was cheerleader stumbles across quarterback in the locker room. I felt a little bit racy.
"I - " He cleared his throat. He still spoke with a slightly higher pitch than his older brother, but he was trying. "I - yeah. Moving stuff, you know? Shirts get in the way sometimes. So, you go by Harri now? Can I call you that?"
"Oh come here." I hugged him, chest warm beneath my cheek. "Why're you doing this?"
"What do you mean?" Jimmy's voice squeaked.
"Did you do it because you thought I ... wanted you to? Because you thought I'd ... like it? What has Matt been telling you. Just be yourself, Jimmy. Let's have a talk."
"It was spontaneous, I swear. All my idea. I was going to - you know about that?"
I was such a softy. "Know about what?"
"Well, it's just that Matt had been telling me - what you were like ... last night and - and I was thinking how cool you were, you know? And I couldn't help it. I was getting turned on, even though he's my brother, even though you were with my brother, thinking about the things he did to you. And I think Matt could tell, said I had nothing to lose, that I should face my fears, you know, be like you a little. And I kind of agreed, and he left, and here I am?"
"And here you are." I pulled back from him. "Am I your fear, Jimmy?"
"Well, no, it's just, well ..."
He looked at me with those big, doughy, dumb kid eyes. I couldn't believe we were the same age and would both be going to college in a few weeks. Then I looked at him again and thought about everything that had happened to me over the last few days. I ran my hands over his shoulders, down his arms. Held his hands. I didn't even go so far in my mind as 'in for a penny, in for a pound'. I just thought, wouldn't it feel nice if ...
"How do you feel, Jimmy? What do you want? Because I'm still trying to figure that out for myself, and maybe you could help me."