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you feel any easier, though, I'll check with him before he jumps in a taxi home and we go elsewhere."
          "I was just double checking." His shoulders dropped as he leaned back. He stretched his legs as far as they would go under the rickety wooden table, releasing some of their tension and let out a long, slow, heavy breath.
          "Hey kids!" Matthias emerged from the crowd like a mist gradually made material. "You don't mind if I cut away early do you? I'm a bit tired for staying out till three in the morning dancing. Maybe I should try cocaine..."
          "Funny, that was what Gray was just talking about," I said, and felt a jolt to the ankle where the man in question had tapped it with his foot. I glanced at him then back up at my brother, who hadn't sat down. "Not coke. I mean, he was concerned you might think we were abandoning you by staying out while you called a halt to your evening."
          "Good God no! If anything it's the other way round. I was concerned you'd think I was abandoning you. Really. It's cool. Don't worry about it."
          Another glance from Matthias to Gray and back again told me the evening was sorted. Everyone was cool with everyone else and had he fully understood our sibling dynamic, Gray would have recognized the blessing implicit in Math's words, body language and mindset. God love him and his liberal sexuality.
          "You go enjoy yourselves," he added and silently I told him all right, all right, no need to overegg the pudding. "I'm gonna grab a cab."
          The three of us wound our way through the mob; we'd been extremely lucky to find seating, let alone an entire booth, so crowded was Gallagher's.
          The fresh air hit me like cold water in the face when we stepped outside; I gasped at the momentary lightheadedness it caused and pulled on my jacket.
          "You all right?" Gray murmured at my side. "We'll get you inside soon if you're cold."
          "I'll be all right if we keep walking."
          "Should have worn more clothes then, shouldn't you? Tart. I'm ashamed to call you my sister." It was obvious Matthias was joking but the look on Gray's face was a picture.
          "Shouldn't you be all protective of your sister, mate?" he ventured. "Instead of calling her morals into question?"
          "You know as well as I do that a discussion of Piper's morals would be a short one—"
          "All right, all right, enough of that. Sometimes," I added, turning to Gray, "I wish he was the sort of brother to stick up for me. Not often, though. Just when I wonder what it would be like for him to show a bit of respect."
          Matthias, with his hands thrust deep into his jeans pockets and shoulders hunched against the breeze, nudged me with his elbow. "I'm your big brother; it's my job to take the piss. What else could I do? Pull your pigtails?"
          "I'm wearing a jacket after all and you're still not happy?"
          "Yeah. Just keep yourself covered. Wouldn't want to scare the locals, would we? Hey, there's one!"
          A taxi with its lights on spun round, did a probably illegal one eighty and drew to a halt feet away from where Matthias stood on the curb.
          "Righto, kiddies, that's me off," he said, leaping forward to grab the taxi door before anyone else stole his ride. "Behave yourselves." He sniggered under his breath but I still heard. Once he had the door open and the cab was claimed as his, he deemed it safe to turn back to us. He and Gray did that half-slap, half-handshake thing guys do and muttered something which sounded like "Later."
          When it was my turn he gave me a full-on hug, making sure his head was against the ear on the opposite side from Gray so he could whisper, "Go easy on him." He drew back and winked. "Have a good time, you two." He climbed into the cab and I just had time to shout, "Remember to text me when you get home!" before he pulled