CHAPTER THREE
JAX
SUMMER FINALLY CAME after what had been a damn long year. That Sophomore Kill Day prank caused something to happen to my relationship with Aubrey. I saw her for more than just the little girl my brother hung out with and as part of my life.
Or part of me. I couldn’t figure out which. Without her around, and with Jay protecting the hell out of her, I freaking missed the little spitfire.
So, week after week, I’d played nice. I said hi to her in the halls, I walked with her and Jay to school, I tried to eat lunch with them when Katie wasn’t around.
I’d made a fucking effort the rest of the school year, even got her to go to a few parties with Jay and me.
Not that I needed her or him to talk to me or anything. Life was just better when she did. Plus she was my friend too.
Kind of.
I’d found during the rest of the school year, I sort of saw red every time she was with my brother alone.
So, about a month into summer, I took another step in making peace. I called her to invite her to a bonfire party.
Aubrey’s dad was the one who answered the phone.
He never answered.
He must have come home early, and I was shit out of luck because he said she couldn’t do anything. Frustrated and confused, I hit end on my cell phone harder than I wanted.
Jay came up behind me. “Who’d you just call?”
“I called Aubrey’s house. Thought maybe she’d want to go to the party. Why doesn’t she have a goddamn cell phone?” I mumbled, still staring at my phone.
“She coming?” Jay said, climbing up on one of the kitchen barstools.
“No, her dad answered.”
“Frank answered?” he almost yelled.
“Yeah, man. Weird, right?”
Jay looked a little panicked. Then his mouth snapped shut like a locked box. He shrugged his shoulders and looked away.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He scooted off the barstool and headed toward the foyer. “Let’s go upstairs and get ready for this party.”
I grabbed his arm. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He tried to yank his arm free, but we both knew I was stronger. Jay wasn’t weak, but I was still older and meaner. Jay had always been the baby, the one everyone loved, the perfect child who never got into fights. Fights had their benefits though. I could beat Jay in a fist fight any day.
He glared at me when my grip tightened. “Jax, you’re eighteen. Act like an adult. Let go of me, and let me get ready. I’m not telling you shit.”
My baby brother’s eyes iced over like mine did when I was set on something.
“Fuck,” I mumbled and let him go. I knew I wasn’t getting anything out of him.
We both got ready and went to the party in silence.
We pulled up to a huge bonfire in the woods and saw two kegs set up, our friends all drinking. Bottles of liquor had been scattered around the fire, and everyone looked like they’d been partying most of the night. The moon was bright, the bugs were staying away, and beautiful cheerleaders had put on their shortest dresses to dance around the flames. The scene should have made me happy. I should have been throwing back a drink and smiling when one came up to slide her arms around my waist. I should have been happy as hell that Jay had found one of the other cheerleaders and was cozying up next to her by the fire.
Instead, I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. Something wasn’t right.