Brandon’s hand slid to the back of my neck, and when I looked up, he grinned. “This is weird, feels incestuous, and may literally be the death of me. You always remember who the best friend in the world is. Okay?”
I nodded.
With that, his lips covered mine, and before I even knew what was happening, he was kissing the hell out of me. His hand went to the small of my back while he pulled me as close as I’d ever been to him.
Even over the music, I heard a crash behind me and knew who it was. I pulled away and looked over while my pulse shot through the roof. A tray of dishes lie on the floor while Ed and Dan each had an arm, struggling to hold Gabe back.
“Oh shit.” Brandon inhaled sharply at the same time my hands began to tremble.
My rib cage squeezed every organ in me at the torn look on Gabe’s face. He was furious, but his eyes were filled with pain. He pulled like a wild animal, trying to escape, as Ed and Dan restrained him.
With a great force, they got him seated in a chair, and he dropped his head forward. I couldn’t hear what Ed was saying to him, but after a few minutes, his face lifted. His green eyes locked with mine for a moment before he stood up, turned, and walked out of the room.
The wind was knocked out of me, leaving me gasping for air as I watched him leave. This would be the last time I’d see him. Gone forever.
The party bounced right back, but I felt like I’d been dragged along the street by a bus.
I don’t know how I made it back to my table, but I plopped into my chair, praying my heart would quit pounding against my ribs.
“I’ll get you some water.” Brandon touched my shoulder before he walked away, and I was alone at my table. Alone. Cue the music; All by myself…
Dave appeared and sat down beside me.
“Hey.”
I squeezed out a smile. “Hi.”
“So…you and Brandon?”
My cheeks burned as Dave could normally read me like a book. To top it off, he was quiet as he examined me. I hated quiet Dave. All I could muster was a shrug.
He leaned back in his chair. “What are you doing, Fern?”
“Just enjoying my cousin’s wedding.” Was my nose growing?
He exhaled. “You’re killing him.”
Everything around me vanished as I stared at my brother. He knew? There was no way he was aware of terrible decisions I’d made when it came to Gabe. First of all, Gabe wasn’t dead. Death would’ve been the likely outcome of such a dark discovery. Secondly, Dave would’ve immediately hunted me down and locked me in Mom’s house until I left the Land of 10,000 Lakes to ensure I’d never breathe the same air as Gabe ever again.
My vocabulary was stuck in my throat as I opened my mouth twice but not a sound exited.
“I found out at the game when he went after you.”
“But you didn’t say anything.” I felt like a five-year-old being caught in a big old whopper of a lie and could feel heat wrapping up the back of my neck.
“Not to you.” He leaned up. “When he came in the locker room that day, I pounced.” He let out a long sigh. “I took every insecurity he has and threw them all in his face. He was trying to explain, but I wouldn’t hear it.”
I swore to God if one more thing caused my heart rate to jump up again, I’d end up a pile of bones and blood on the floor.
“Instead, I told him he was no good for anyone, especially you. That he was incapable of not hurting people, that all he’d ever be is a fuck up, and that he was so messed up from his past, it was just a matter of time before he turned into the bastard he truly was and hurt you.”
I was light-headed, knowing the punch those words would have on Gabe. When he came out of the locker room, I remembered his eyes. They were filled with a sadness I’d never seen before.
“I told him if he cared for you at all, he’d go out and tell you whatever he had to in order to make you run.”
The pounding in my ears grew louder. Gabe’s words from that day, the words that beat me to a pulp, played again. The sentences that made no sense at the time and left me scarred.
“You—”
