The trip out to meet my brother went just as I thought it would.

I cried, I laughed, I cried, I smiled and I cried some more. Justin was really great the whole time. He never once looked uncomfortable or like he wished he was somewhere else. That in itself meant the world to me. Most men would have bailed, but he stuck there with me for hours. Hell, I had to convince him to leave.

The ride home wasn’t half as quiet at the ride there was. He kept me talking, asking all about the crazy things me and Matty would do growing up. I told him all of my favorite memories of when we were younger and I haven’t stopped smiling since we left the cemetery.

“So, needless to say, the two of you were grounded a lot?”

I laugh, “Actually, no. We had the O’Day charm.”

“The O’Day charm?” he asks, laughing.

I laugh with him, “All we had to do was smile and bat our eyelashes at the cop or ‘city official’ and they’d let us go with a warning.”

“Smile and bat your eyelashes huh? So I should look out for that?” he asks, grinning.

“I’d be on the look out.” I say as he turns into the driveway. We wait as the garage door opens and he sighs.

“What?” I ask, “Today wasn’t as exciting as every other day of your life?”

His head jerks towards me, “Maddy, I loved being there with you today.”

“It was a joke Justin.” I say, the smile falling off my face rather quickly.

“I loved every second of today. I just…” He sighs, “I can’t imagine going through what you’ve been through. I don’t know how your as sane as you are.”

“I lost my brother, my life didn’t stop because of it. I thought it had, but it get’s better day by day.” I shrug, taking a deep breath.

“It’s not just that. It’s your parents too. I don’t know how you deal with them and their…” He pauses, obviously trying to find the right word.

“Bullshit?” I suggest.

He nods, “Bullshit works. I… I don’t know. I guess it’s so foreign to me because my mom and I are so close. I can’t imagine not having her just a phone call away. I can’t tell you how many times I call her, asking for advice or just to bring myself down to earth. She’s my rock.” He frowns, “You don’t have a rock.” he shakes his head, “How do you deal?”

“I have Hadley. She’s amazing, you’d love her. She’s spunky and always knows exactly what to say. She’s my rock I guess.” I shrug, “I still have Matty too. I talk through any problems I have with him.” I chuckle, “He doesn’t answer, so don’t give me that ‘you’re a crazy ass’ look.”

He laughs, “Hey, I didn’t say anything.”

“I saw the look.”

He gasps, “What look?” He asks, innocently, driving into the garage and turning the car off.

“You were giving me a look that just plainly said, you think I’m insane.”

He laughs, “I do not think your insane.” He leans over the center console with a grin, placing a kiss on my forehead “I do think you’re incredibly gorgeous right now though.”

“I’m sure I am. Red puffy eyes, mascara streaked cheeks, what more could you ask for?”

“You forgot red, chapped nose from all that rubbing earlier.” He says, and I smack his shoulder.

I cover my nose with my hands and growl at him.

He laughs, “I was joking,” He pulls my hands from my face. He smiles, running his thumb softly back and forth over my cheek.

“Thank you.” He says, quietly.

“For what?”

“Letting me be there with you today.” He smiles, “I know how close you were… are with your brother and the fact that you wanted me to meet him means a lot to me.”

I sigh, “You’re the first.”

He looks at me, wrinkling his forehead in confusion, “The first what?”

“To come with me to his grave.” I pause, noting the shock registering on his face, “Not even Hadley has gone to his grave with me. I normally like to go alone because I become a blabbering mess when I’m there and I don’t normally like people seeing me that way.”

“I’m… honored.”

“You should be.” I joke, grinning at him.

He smiles, “c’mere smartass.”

He leans forward over the console again, pulling my head towards him for a kiss. He tangles his fingers in my hair pulling me closer, if that was even possible, deepening the kiss.

Apparently we have some pent up sexual tension, because the next thing I know I’m straddling him in the drivers seat, topless, grinding my throbbing pussy up and down his straining erection.

His fingers are engraved in my ass, pulling me harder into him. I moan, tilting my head back as he latches his mouth to my neck before making a trail of wet kisses over my collarbone and down the valley between my breasts.

My fingers massage the back of his neck, keeping his mouth on me as long as possible. I feel his hand slowly travel up my ribs before he pulls down the top of my pink lace bra, latching his lips to my nipple.

“Oh god.” I moan.

His fingers expertly unlatch the back of my bra, tossing it in a pile along with his shirt and my previously discarded shirt.

His mouth finds mine again and he pulls me flush against him, skin to skin.

That’s when reality set in.

“Justin, we’re in your garage.” I breathe out, trying to catch my breath.

He looks around like he was surprised at my statement, “Shit. I guess we got kind of carried away huh?” he says, running his hands up and down my back.

I chuckle, “Kinda.”

He kisses me again, a lot shorter this time before grinning, “As much as I’d love to have sex with you in my car, even in my garage… I think we should get dressed and go inside.”

I just stared at him, my brain trying desperately to figure out a way to keep him here, kissing and touching me for the next few hours.

“We do have those rules to abide by, too.”

“Right,” I nod my head slowly, “the rules.”

He leans forward kissing my shoulder, “Who’s idea was it to make these rules anyway?”

“Yours… Mine…” My eyes flutter shut as he kisses my neck again, “What rules?”

He chuckles against my neck, “That’s what I’ve been thinking.” he pulls back, looking me in the eyes, “I have to say, the car isn’t my first choice for this though.”

“Mmm…” I hate it when he’s right.

“Put your shirt on darlin’.” He says, passing me my shirt and bra.

I climb back into my seat, redressing as he did the same, unfortunately. I swear I could look at this man naked all the time.

“So are we done with the rules or are they still being enforced.”

I sigh, turning towards him, “No more rules.”

He nods, grinning like a five year old on Christmas morning, “Let’s go inside.”

************************************************************************

“So what did you two crazy cats do this lovely day?” Trace asks, scooping at least three helpings of mashed potatoes on his plate.

“You’re a pig. You know that right?” I ask, wondering where the hell he puts all that food. Well, he does have a little belly on him, but I’m thinking that’s more beer than anything else.

“God I missed you today.” He jokes, scooping another helping of potatoes onto his plate.

“We went out, what did you guys do today?” Justin answers for us.

“Oh I cleaned your house, I cooked lunch for your friend, I cooked dinner for your friend and girlfriend all while rescheduling days of work and keeping your schedule from getting double booked again by your retarded moocher of a friend.”

“’m ‘ot re’ar’ed.” Trace mumbles with a mouth full of food.

“Notice he didn’t mention the mooching.” Rachel says, shaking her head.

“Ok, so what did he do to piss you off today?” Justin asks, laughing.

“Nuffing.” Trace says, again with a mouth full of food.

“Nothing? You call me having to reschedule more than three days worth of appearances and studio time because you can’t figure out that July is the seventh month of the year and not the eighth.”

I can’t help but laugh at that, “Did you finish high school or did you just drop out when your friend became famous?” I joke with him and he flips me off.

“Hey, I’d be nice. I know your dirty secrets and I’m pretty sure Justin and Rachel have your Momma’s phone number.” I grin when his eyes grow wide, “You know how much I love story time.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.” I say, testing him.

Justin and Rachel both laugh when Trace bows his head and stays quiet.

“You didn’t have to clean the house Rach.” Justin says after a few minutes of silence.

She shrugs, “I didn’t do the whole house, just the rooms I use.”

“So the kitchen, bathroom and pool house are spotless right?” he says, winking at her.

“You know it.” She smiles at him, shaking her head, “So where’d you guys go?”

“Malibu.” Justin answers, avoiding telling them where we really were.

“What’s in Malibu besides Barbie?” Rachel asks, taking a sip from her glass.

“My brother.” I answer.

“Oh wow, your brother lives in Malibu? Was he easy on Justin? I know how crazy brother’s can be with new men in a girls life. Justin acts like he’s my brother every time I hook up with a new guy.”

I see Justin close his eyes, shaking his head, trying to let her know to stop, but she just kept going.

“Your quiet so I’m assuming your brother didn’t like Justin? Eesh, sorry J. Better luck next time.”

“Shut up Rachel.” Trace says, wide eyed.

“What? I’m just joking with him. I’m sure her brother loved him.”

“Shut up Rachel.” Trace says again through gritted teeth.

“What?” She asks again, looking around the table at all of us.

I clear my throat, taking a deep breath, “My brother died two years a go yesterday.”

The look on her face was enough to make me want to cry all over again. I could see the shock and pain in her eyes and it was the same look I got from everyone when I told them that Matty had died.

“I’m… Oh god, I…” She stammers.

I shake my head, “It’s fine you didn’t know.”

“I’m so sorry, if I would have known… God, I’m such an ass.” She mumbles.

“At least we agree on something today.” Trace says, trying to lighten the mood.

Rachel punches his shoulder growling at him, “You’re a dick.”

“Enough guys.” Justin says sternly.

“I’m sorry, Madison. I had no idea.”

I smile weakly at her, “It’s ok. You didn’t know.”

The table was quiet for a few minutes, but I could see the wheels burning in her head and I knew she wanted to ask how it happened. I figure now would be a hell of a lot better than later to answer her questions.

“You can ask.” I say, looking over at her.

“Are you sure?” She asks, and I chuckle, nodding.

“How’d it happen? How old was he?”

“He was 26 when he died. He was on his way home from Iraq for our 27th birthday, when his plane was shot down.” She gasps, “He actually survived the crash, but later died in the hospital.”

“So you two were…” She trails off.

I nod, “Twins.”

“Did you look alike?”

“Very much so.” Justin answers, running a hand up and down my leg for support.

“Wow, I’m sor…”

“Don’t be sorry. Everyone seems to be sorry, but sorry wont bring him back.” I say, forcing myself not to cry until I made it out of the room.