Jesse went to the party to save my brother.
He wasn’t the villain.
Jesse was the hero.
“I don’t understand… Why didn’t he tell me?” I whisper.
Danny looks down and shakes his head. And for the first time since I arrived, I see how this place has worn him down. “You’ll have to ask him that yourself.”
Tears burn at the back of my throat, and my whole body shakes.
“He loves you, I hope you at least know that,” Danny says softly.
“Five minutes left.” The guard’s loud voice startles me.
I grip the cold, hard plastic of my seat as my heart bounces in my chest. That was thirty minutes? I need more time.
“I don’t know where to go from here. With him, with you,” I admit, panic-stricken.
Danny shrugs, simply. “You go talk to him, about the truth. And you and me? We do this. You answer my calls. You tell me about your life—yourlife, not just updates about Fia.”
I nod, rattled.“Danny,” I say, and he snaps his head up at my voice. “I want you to know I don’t hate you.”
His eyes well for a split second, and he bites his lip, throat bobbing with a hard swallow.
We exchange a knowing look and both stand. I throw my arms around his shoulders, quickly squeezing him, even though we aren’t supposed to.
Pulling away nearly kills me.
He starts to shuffle away when I call after him. “Hey… have a merry Christmas.”
He turns, flashing his boyish crooked smile. “Merry Christmas... and Pen?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t wait ten more years to forgive him. Okay?” He smiles softly at me.
“I won’t.” I wave. “I’ll see you soon, Danny. I promise.”
37
Jesse
THEN
Age 18, August after Graduation
The music from the beat-up Honda Civic is so loud that my chest vibrates. If they don’t drive away soon, someone on this street’s going to call the cops. This is the nice part of town.
“You want to stop being pussy whipped and get in the fucking car, Rivers?” Sean asks, a cloud of smoke hanging around him inside the car.
“Dude, that’s my sister. That’s disgusting.” Danny punches Sean in the shoulder, but then he stares up at me with red eyes, awaiting my answer.
“Fuck off.” I pointedly aim my narrowed gaze at Sean. “And no. I’m good.” I salute them both, grinding my jaw, as Danny flashes a peace sign.
“Alright, bro, if you change your mind, we’ll be at Kel’s. Just hit me up.”
Danny barely finishes his sentence before the car peels off, puffs of black smoke sputtering from the exhaust before it disappears around the next corner.
