“I know.” He shakes his head sadly.
It angers me that someone so young has to shoulder this, to see all of this and can’t help her.
“I’m going to take her to my room. You can have the bed. You need your rest as well.”
“But what if . . .” he starts to say if our parents come looking for her.
“They’re passed out. Probably won’t be up until morning,” I tell him.
“All right,” he says, moving to the bed after I pick her up.
“You know what to do if you need me,” I say, and he nods.
I cradle Briar to my chest and leap over to my room.
“Lennon?” she whispers as I lie her on the bed.
“I’m going to take care of you,” I tell her.
“I just need you,” she says. “I need you,” she repeats, and I step closer to the bed, swallowing thickly as I grasp what she’s saying. I need her as well.
“Briar?”
“I can’t die a virgin,” she says softly.
“You’re not going to die,” I growl.
“We all die sometime.”
“Briar, I’m going to get us out of here. We’re going to make a life for ourselves, live happily ever after. But I don’t want to have you, not like this. I want everything to be perfect.”
Her eyes shine with tears as she cuddles up next to me. I hug her tightly, stroking her hair.
“I love you,” she whispers before falling asleep.
“I love you too,” I say.
Though she doesn’t hear it, I know she knows. She has to know how I feel by now. I will always love her.