Since Summers

thirty seven : brothers

I rolled my eyes and took the Coke. When we had been dating years ago, Faith stole a can of Coke from her grandmother's store and gave it to me, knowing that the bubbly soda always calmed me down. "How's everyone?" I asked her as I opened the can and gulped down the chilled soda.

"I saw your mom and dad talking to a bunch of people downstairs," she slid down the wall and sat beside me on the floor. "And there's this guy who looks a lot like you. By a lot, I mean his face is an exact replica of yours. It probably cost him a million dollars in plastic surgery to get your nerdy face."

I let out a chuckle. If only that was the case. Sadly, apart from having the same face, we had the same blood running through our veins and shared the same parents. "So you've met my twin brother."

"Holy shit! He's your twin?!" Faith shook her head. "Now that makes sense. It's too perfect to be a surgery." Faith patted my shoulder and smiled. "So, what's up with you? What made you hide here on the ninth floor?" I was about to speak when she quickly added, "No, don't say because nine is your favorite number because I know it's not. It's probably something to do with Autumn, right?"

It was true that Autumn was born on the ninth of September and that was the reason why I unintentionally pressed nine, but she wasn't the reason for my distress. "It's not Autumn. I haven't met her today."

My hand instinctively went to my pocket and pulled out my phone only to realize that there was no text or missed calls from her. I let out a deep sigh and placed the phone between my feet. "I didn't know I have a twin brother until today, Faith. And he's such an asshole."

"Well, you just got a little sister two years ago and you said before that she was a brat." Faith flipped her hair to one side and turned to look at me with one brow arched perfectly on her powdered forehead. I suddenly felt bad for her. She'd made an effort to look pretty and accompanied me all the way here from New York City, yet I left her in a party where she knew no one. "Now you got an asshole brother, so what changes? Shouldn't you give him the same chance that you gave to your sister?"

She was right. "But he's no Shanelle. She was a brat because I was going to use her to get my revenge and didn't tell her that she's my sister," I tried to argue. "He was being an ass without reason."

"Are you sure?" asked Faith, giving me a pointed look.

I groaned. "Why do I feel that you know something I don't?"

"Because I do know something you don't." Faith giggled. "I overheard your twin brother talking to a girl in the bar just now."

That got my attention. I positioned myself so that we were face to face.

"From what I heard, it seems that he hates your father."

"He made that very clear," I commented. Faith stomped my foot with her high heels. "What was that for?"

"Ty, you hated that man your whole life. You only stopped hating him two years ago." Faith rolled her eyes and continued, "Not that he looks a lot like you but he feels the same way as you too."

I was so ready to throw a dozen reasons why he and I weren't alike but deep down, I knew she was (yet again) right. Maybe Flynn acted that way because he believed Alex had deserted us. Moreover, I remembered what he'd said earlier about Alex being the reason he was sent to adoption.

"Okay, fine," I replied with a sigh. "I'll go find that asshole and try to talk to him." I stood and offered my hand to Faith.

"Great!" She took my hand and raised it to her feet. "These heels are killing me!" Faith narrowed her eyes at me as if blaming me for her suffering.