-Rayne-

My best friend, Neera, helps me into my house and onto the living room couch before straightening with a groan. "God..." She says on a soft exhale, rubbing her lower back.

I roll my eyes at her theatrics, smiling. "Okay, Miss Drama Queen. I'm not that heavy."

"Bitch, you try carrying you. Almost threw my back out of traction. I'll need a massage after this."

"Hey, you were the one that insisted."

"I did. You looked like a right mess covered in soot. Still do! I tell ya' I didn't know what to expect turning up at the hospital, whether you be burned to death and bleeding out or if you'd even... be in a single piece. Dag on nurse didn't say much. Fuckin' bitch. Made me think I was losing my best friend." Her voice cracks and she turns slightly away. But not before I catch the glimmer of tears in her eyes.

Since meeting on the jungle gym of Silver Heights Elementary back in fourth grade, I had only seen Neera cry less than a handful of times. She wasn't one for being overly emotional, even in stressful situations when it was more acceptable. At the hospital, she had shown up and immediately took control, from arranging a chauffeur home for my dad to dealing with the cops tirelessly questioning. But now that we were all alone, it seemed she finally let a crack in the armor show.

I clear my throat, fighting back my own tears. "A massage, you say? I could use one myself."

Hours after the explosion, my body still felt a little sore from being thrown to the ground. But a little soreness was a small price to pay for being alive.

The how and why of the explosion didn't matter so much at this point. I was damn lucky. Any closer and they'd be scrapping my charred remains from the sidewalk.

"You need anything?" She immediately goes about gathering the pillows and propping them up behind my back. Although she would never say it, I knew she appreciated the subject change.

"Mmm." I lean my head back, my eyes falling briefly shut. "A hot shower, a couple of aspirin, and a big juicy cheeseburger."

"Now you're on your own for that first thing, but...the other two. Let me see what I can do." She smiles.

"Thank you."

"Mm-hmm. You know you really should've taken up that hot young doctor's offer to come and look in after you once his shift ended."

It takes me a second to recall the man. He'd been hot for sure with greyish-blue eyes, and thick, brown hair that curled just over his collar and fit underneath his baggy blue scrubs. But she was wrong about one thing. He hadn't been a doctor but a nurse.

"He was a nurse, not a doctor. Not that it matters 'cause it was never going to happen."

"Ooo, even better! Everyone knows they do all the work anyway." Her dark brown eyes light up, and my request for food is all but forgotten as she perches on the chair arm across from me, her slender brown legs crossed. "But what do you mean never going to happen? How could you pass up an opportunity like that? He was practically on his knees, gagging for it."

"There's just something about jumping into bed with the first guy I met after surviving a near-death experience that doesn't appeal to me."

"Mmm, I don't know, honey. You might be missing out on a trick there. For me, nothing says I'm more alive than a couple of orgasms."

Laughing, I lightly swat her leg. "That's all well and good for you. But I think you're forgetting in my case, this guy could've just been looking for a story and I don't need the added stress if the media catches wind of what happened last night."

"Have you co..." Her voice trails off as my brother Raymond walks out from my kitchen, a glass of apple juice in one hand and my leftover turkey sub in the other.

He's still in his Al's Mow and Lawn Care Service uniform for some reason. A khaki button-down shirt with the company logo embossed on the breast pocket and olive green pants with a matching cap backward on his head. The last I heard he'd been laid off due to a shortage of work. That had been a few months ago now. But maybe things had changed.

Before I can ask, Neera speaks, "Ray? Have you been in there the whole time?" she asks.

He screws up his face. "Yeah. I would have come out sooner if I had known the conversation would turn to sex. Almost took a frickin' ice pick to my eardrums hearing you two."

"Boy, we are grown."

"It still doesn't make it any less weird. He's my brother, and you...you're like a sister to me. Ask anybody with siblings, and they'll tell you the same."

"Guys, guys!" I say, massaging my throbbing temples. "Let's move past that, alright? What I want to know is, did Dad call and tell you we were in the hospital?"

"Yeah."

"And... you didn't think to come see us?"

"No. He said you were getting released in a few hours. So I figured, why bother?"

"Wow." I breathe out, turning to Neera. "Did you hear that?"

"Yep. He's really vying for that Big Brother of the Year award. Isn't he?"

"You know what, Ray, with the way you speak, no one would believe we're family anyway. So you're right, why bother?"

"Don't get all piss-y with me, Rayne. It's not like either of you were dying or something."

"But w-" I stifle a groan. There was no point in explaining anything to him. And every second this conversation continued felt like I was slowly losing brain cells. "You know what, Ray? Just forget about it. Just forget about it. How bout you just tell me why you're here? Assuming there is a reason besides stuffing your face with my food. That is."

"Well," He takes another bite of his sandwich, smacking his lips. Smack, smack. "Dee's class has a field trip to the zoo coming up. And she's been talking my ear off nonstop about all the animals she can't wait to see. The monkeys, the zebras, and so on." He sighs and rolls his eyes, but a smile remains on his face throughout. "But as much as I would love for her to go, I'm a little short on cash right now. So can you..."

Figures, he'd come just for money. The only times he or my father remembered my existence were if they needed financial support, a designated driver, or a babysitter. Although the last one wasn't such a hardship since I actually adored my niece. And he knew this. It was the fastest way to get me to open my wallet. She'd never have to want for anything as long as I was around like we had growing up.

"A trip to the zoo shouldn't cost that much, bro."

"Yeah, it should only run you a couple dollars at most."

"Neera, please." I hold up my hand. "Let me handle this."

"Okay." She mouths, holding her hands up in mock surrender.

"Look," My brother begins scratching the three-day-old scruff on his face and shifting his weight to his other foot. "I don't like having to ask you for money any more than you do."

"If that were true, Ray, you would work hard."

"But..." he continues on as if I had never even spoken. "I fell behind on some bills and now I need some help. I got nowhere else to turn."

I exhale deeply, fingers repeatedly tapping on the armrest. "You back at Al's?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Well... Just for today. He had this big job and needed the extra hands. But work is work. I'll take what I can get."

I slowly nod.

It killed me to see him like this in between dead-end jobs and struggling to make ends meet.

He had been a stellar athlete all throughout high school, earning awards and accolades from nearly every sport he tried, but football was where his talents really shone. The starting running back for the team.

Watching him blitz his opponents down the field yard after yard was a marvel to see. His speed and agility unmatched. Therefore, it came as no surprise when he'd been offered a full ride to one of the top universities in the country playing football. Back then, he'd been so full of promise until everything turned to shit his sophomore year. One bad tackle had torn his ACL and shattered his dreams right along with it. With surgery and hours of physical therapy, he fared better than our father had, but finding another path...another dream hadn't been as easy.

"Alright...alright." I finally say. "Tell me how much you need, and I'll let you know when I can get it to you."

"Cool." He glances at his watch, muttering a soft expletive. "Can I text you the amount later? I need to get going if I'm going to swing by Dad's before picking up Dee."

"Yeah, sure. But Ray..." I wait for him to finish his drink and set the glass on the table, making sure I have his complete undivided attention before continuing, "I'll need a bill, receipt, or something to prove my money went where it was supposed to."

"What's the matter? You don't trust me?" He grins crookedly.

"It's not about that. Just trying to keep you on the straight and narrow."

"So when will you..." his voice trails off at the pointed stare I fix on him. He clears his throat and hooks his thumb toward the door. "I'm head on out. I'll...you'll let me know."

When I hear the door shut close behind him, I let my head fall back onto the couch, eyes closed, and slowly release the air from my lungs.

Dealing with my family was always draining.

Neera offers me a comforting squeeze to my shoulder. "It's hard to believe you two share the same DNA."