“Yeah.” Asher coughed and cleared the thick lump that had lodged in his throat during his breakdown.

Jay’s light skipped to Asher, who had the same reaction, squinting and blocking the harsh assault with a hand.

“Dude, eyes.”

Jay directed the beam to the ground. “What’s going on? We’re renting this studio by the hour. Lewis is on a rampage up there, and Charlotte is worried you’re backing out.”

“We aren’t backing out,” Asher said. “I just—”

“His girlfriend dumped him last night, and he needs a minute to get his head together. Tell Lewis to relax. We’re coming.”

Jay watched us both before focusing on Asher. “Sorry about your luck, man. That’s piss poor timing.”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“How long until we can get moving on this?”

“Five minutes,” I said. “We’ll be right up.”

“All right.”

Jay spared one last glance between us and headed out of the storage room and toward the elevator taking the only source of light with him. The darkness was more profound since he’d killed any night vision we’d acquired.

I couldn’t see anything beyond the outline of the far exit and the thin strip of light under the rolling bay doors on the other side of the room.

When Asher touched my shoulder, I jumped, even though I knew he was there beside me.

“I got dumped? That’s the best you could come up with?”

“Well how else are we gonna explain those crybaby eyes? They’re gonna be red and puffy, I guarantee it. Lewis will be thrilled.”

“Crybaby eyes?”

“Yeah, boo-hoo, wah-wah. Oh, I’m destroyed my best girl doesn’t want to be with me. Now all I have is my brother.”

“Hey. I did not get dumped, and if I did, I wouldn’t act like that.”

“You’re having second thoughts about the whole sticking it to your brother thing, aren’t you?”

“More and more.”

“I’m a good lay. I can give you references.”

“Atti?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m not sure we’re quite there yet. Let me absorb the fact that you don’t think I’m a freak for taking advantage of a situation to—”

“Get off.”

“You’re making it weird.”

“Dude, we’re brothers. Twins. It’s weird all by itself without my helping it.”

“I’m regretting getting dumped by my nonexistent girlfriend.”

“No you aren’t. You’re just realizing that it’s you who’s the nervous virgin in all this and not me.”

Asher fell silent, and it was then when I understood how true those words were. His recent interest in gay porn, his endless questions, they all made sense. This was uncharted territory for my brother.

“I’m not a virgin,” he mumbled.