Page 90 of All the Ugly Things

Font Size:

Page 90 of All the Ugly Things

He yanked his arm back to let forth another round of punches when I grabbed his arm.

“Let’s just go,” I said.

“Not done with him. No one fucks up my sister. No one.”

“Come on.” I yanked on him until he stood and then pressed my hands to his chest and shoved him backward. He seemed steady on his feet, eyes filled with rage but not hazy from beer. Maybe a little too alert. “I just want to go home. Are you sober?”

“I’m sober enough, Lilly.”

“We can call an Uber.”

“That’s stupid. We’re two miles from home.”

I’d been in the car with my brother before when he was drunk. He always insisted on driving. I’d never once gotten behind the wheel. He’d sideswiped a mailbox and ruined the third stall garage door when he forgot to open it before trying to park inside.

Tonight he didn’t seem nearly as bad.

“I just need a drink. Only one. To calm down before Dad sees me or finds out about this.”

Thiswas the rearranging of Billy’s face. He glanced down at the guy who’d touched me. Who tried to attack me and spit right on his pummeled and bloody and swollen face.

My brother threw his arm around me and pulled me to his side, guiding us toward the house where the party was back into full swing. He ignored the small crowd who had lingered, wanted the view of him punching someone but Josh only had his focus on me.

“It’s you and me, Lilly. Always. I’ll always be here for you whenever you need me. Even if I do have to leave a kickass party on campus to help. You know that right?”

“I know, Josh.”

It was us. Together. Always. We were all we had.

Despite the mention of the party he left, despite the drink he had, one more for me even though I’d quit drinking hours ago, he seemed okay.

Not sober, but I’d seen him worse.

After his drink was done, he tossed his keys in the air and tried to catch them in his fist. He dropped the keys and laughed.

“We can take an Uber,” I suggested.

“Nonsense,” he slurred and bent down to pick them up. “It’s two miles.”

It’d snowed earlier. Roads were wet. I couldn’t drive.

“Whatever,” I mumbled and hopped into the truck. Like Josh said, it was only two miles.

Two miles with rarely any traffic and only a couple of turns.

We’d be fine.

* * *

“Josh!”

I shook his shoulder and screamed his name again. His chin had hit his chest. But it was too late. The curve too sharp and he was pressing the gas too hard.

“Josh!” I screamed so loud my throat burned and reached for the steering wheel but it was too far away, my seat belt preventing me from grabbing it.

Not that I could do anything with my brother passed out behind the wheel.

“Josh! Wake up!”


Articles you may like