“No,” Axel admitted.
Stop talking.
Axel couldn’t believe that he kept sharing details about himself with Brynn. She was definitely in the right line of work because he couldn’t stop revealing personal things to her. It was more than just unnerving, it was unprofessional. He was here on a job.
He watched as Brynn’s lips parted and curled into an easy smile that had his entire body relaxing and strung tight at the same time.
“I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing.” He was referring to more than just the conversation with Izzy.
She tilted her head to the right and one of her perfect curls slipped out of place, falling along the side of her porcelain cheek. Her green eyes twinkled as she said, “I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that’s not something you’re used to feeling.”
“No. It’s not.”
“Well, coming from someone who always feels like they have no idea what they’re doing,feeling just means you care.” Her smile widened. “I’d love to tell you that it gets easier, but, based on my experience working at the high school, I don’t want to give you false hope.”
“So you’re saying this isn’t going to end with her telling me what a great brother I am and thanking me profusely for knowing what was best?”
Her nose scrunched in an adorable expression as she shook her head. “I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
He felt a wide smile pull on his lips. It wasn’t something that he did often. Usually, he only smiled around Izzy. Not teenage-mutant-hysterical Izzy, but sweet, funny Izzy.
His phone buzzed again and he glanced down to see that she’d sent him a meme of her favorite comedian Jim Gaffigan in an orange jumpsuit staring longingly through cell bars.
She was so dramatic. Funny. But dramatic.
“Are you two close?” Brynn asked.
“Yes. We’ve always been close, but I’m not used to…,” Axel stopped himself. He wanted to superglue his mouth shut. He wasn’t just sharing, he was oversharing. When did his life turn into an episode of Oprah?
“What?” Brynn prompted. “You’re not used to what?”
“I’m not used to having to tell her no.”
Her brow furrowed in confusion but she nodded as if she understood what he was talking about.
“I just became her guardian.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“No, it’s not…” It was obvious that she was giving him her condolences. This was why Axel was not a fan of conversations, communication was not his strong point. “Our mom didn’t die. She moved to Brazil a few months ago. Izzy moved in with me over the summer. I dropped her off at school yesterday.”
“Your mom moved to Brazil?” she repeated, looking more confused than ever.
Axel nodded. “She met a guy that she thinks is going to be husband number nine.”
“Nine?!” Her eyes widened. “Your mom’s been married nine times?”
“Eight,” Axel clarified. “But if things work out the way she wants them to, then Rodrigo will be number nine.”
“Wow.” Brynn shook her head back and forth slowly. “That sounds…exhausting and expensive.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. Usually other people laced their responses with judgement. But Brynn actually seemed to empathize with his mom. It was refreshing and endearing.
“A few of them only lasted a weekend, so those were relatively painless.” He wondered if there was some kind of James-Bond-style truth serum in the air in Whisper Lake. “Izzy calls them Mom’s Britney husbands.”
Brynn chuckled, obviously getting the reference to Britney Spears’ forty-eight-hour Vegas wedding.
She looked at him slightly confused. “What’s your sister’s name?”