Chris and Gut talk in the backyard, on lawn chairs drinking beer while Adrian plays with Gutâs two kids, Sarah and Connor.
Gut used the neck of his beer bottle to wave in Adrianâs general direction, âThis is still so hard to believe.âÂ
Chris couldnât stop the snort of disbelief, even if he tried, âYouâre telling me.â
âItâs more like one of Adrianâs lies, so you two really are engaged?â
The pause was longer than necessary- more of an admission than anything else before Chris forced himself to reply with, âYup.â
âThat must be one hell of a story.âÂ
Chris couldnât think of anything, so he stayed silent, causing Gut to turn and look at him for the first time since they began talking about Chrisâ future nuptials.Â
âChristopher Smith, the notorious Chimp Arm, silent on the topic of a conquest? I canât believe my own ears.â
âDude, this is your brother weâre talking about!Â
âYeah, well, youâre fuckinâ Thimble so I donât know what to tell ya.â
âI donât even know where to start.â
âYou can start with the first time you decided to bang the walking basket case?â
Chris took a big swig of his beer to delay the inevitable, âI didnât know it was Adrian the first time.â
âWhat?!â Gut gasped then leaned in closer to Chris, âAre you telling me that fucker is kinky?âÂ
âNor the second, or third- or well,â Chris pinched his face staring at the bottle in his hands, their story didnât sound so great when he left out the superheroing part. Goddamn Vigilante. âTechnically, Adrian wore a mask for the first couple years,â Chris said, averting his eyes. Was it a couple years? Did they bang that first year? NoâŚ
âHe wore-â Gut mouthed out Chrisâ explanation as his mind wrapped around the idea that his baby brother hid his identity to fuck Dorianâs high school best friend.
âNow that Iâm saying it outloud, itâs not that-â
âNo-no. This sounds exactly like something Adrian would do. We both knew how obsessed he became with you right before you left for the army.â