Conspicuous Secrets

Chapter Twelve

I posted chapters 12-13 so make sure you read them in order!

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"Your car is ready to get picked up," Kason informed my brother and me as he read through his phone messages. I leaned back against Kason's black Dodge Charger. Kason, Jaxon, Marla and I were currently just wasting time talking, since school was over and we didn't have anywhere to be.

"How much is the final bill?" my brother asked.

Kason pulled his car keys out of the inside of his black leather jacket. "I'm not telling you because you aren't paying it," he replied.

"Kason, we can at least pay half of it," my brother argued.

He shook his head at my brother. "No. I'm not letting you pay anything."

I rolled my eyes and Marla clapped Jaxon on the back. "Let him pay for it Jax," she said. "It's impossible to win an argument with him." I narrowed my eyes at the girl with her hand on my brother's back, not missing the nickname she gave him.

"Let's go get the car then," I joined in.

My brother's hazel eyes met mine. "It's actually almost time for me to go to work," he told me. "I'll have to go straight there from the mechanic's shop."

I crossed my arms and sunk back against the car behind me. "Then how am I supposed to get home?"

"I'll take you," Kason spoke up, twirling his key ring around his pointer finger.

"Then how am I supposed to get to the mechanic's?" Jaxon asked.

"I'll drive you there," Marla told him, finally removing her hand from his back. "Holden went home with a friend, so I have our car."

He turned to fully face her. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

She shook her head, making her dirty-blonde hair dance. "Not at all," she said, grinning in a flattery way. "Come on." As if in a daze, he nodded and followed her toward her car, without daring to say goodbye. The action made me roll my eyes. He was so crushing on her.

Kason turned toward his car so I removed myself from the driver's door and walked around to the passenger's side and climbed in. Once we buckled our seat belts, Kason started his car and drove out of the school's parking lot. "They will be together in no time," he said with a slight grin on his face.

I furrowed my eyebrows and looked to the side at him. "What?"

"Marla and your brother," he clarified. "They're so into each other."

I paused. "Did they each tell you that?" I recalled Marla crushing on my brother as soon as she first saw him.

"No, but it's not that hard to figure it out."

There was a long moment of silence since I chose not to reply. I didn't want my brother falling in love with a girl at this moment and time. It was too much of a risk. No deep attachments. We couldn't have someone missing us if we were to disappear. Although, I couldn't keep him from falling for someone. Especially if that girl is as pretty as Marla.

The street we lived on caught my eye as it passed by the window. "You missed our turn."

"No, I didn't."

I narrowed my eyes at his stupid, perfectly messed up brown hair. "Yes, you are," I said, not knowing what he was playing at.

"I'm taking you somewhere for dinner since your brother won't be home," he informed me. I kept staring at him, not able to figure out his intentions. It definitely wasn't a date because you could hardly call us friends. We hadn't known each other for long. Then again, I wasn't complaining because I knew for a fact that our fridge and cabinets back home were basically empty.