“It’s fine.” I knock my fist against his knee. It won’t erase his actions and inactions, but he’s apologizing now. “Thanks for saying sorry. And for realizing you’re an ass.”
Alec snorts.
“Yeah. I really am, Gem. God, when I saw you go through the same thing, only worse this time…it ate at me. But I was afraid.”
“You didn’t want them to lump you in with me after they accepted you?”
He shrugs. “I promise to do better now. I’ll be a better brother.”
Hearing him say that warms my heart. I missed him. We had so many fun things only we shared, and when we moved here, they went away.
“Cool.” I offer him a smile. “You know how you can really make it up to me?”
“Strawberry milkshake and fries?”
“Yes. Large fries. Maybe two large fries.” I make grabby claw hands. “Gimme all the fries.”
Alec snorts and shoves at me. “Want to go tonight?”
“Sure.”
I roll from the bed to pull on a pair of jeans and find my jacket.
“You know, there’s a party tonight.” Alec gets up from the bed as I dig through my clothes. “The only way to show Saint you’re not a fragile thing he broke is to show up.”
“I don’t know, Alec. Parties and I still aren’t on speaking terms. I get all anxious in that kind of atmosphere.”
“But you can show them you don’t care about whatever they think of you. I’ve got your back.”
“I already don’t give a shit about them.”
“I know, but they all think they got one over on you. Are you going to let them keep you down?”
I mull that over as I fold and refold the sweater I pulled out. He wouldn’t expect me to show up to his party after I fought tooth and nail to avoid them.
“Okay. You’re right.”
Alec crows. “Nice. Meet me downstairs in twenty? I’ll check on Mom and Dad and send them to bed.”
“Deal.”
As he leaves, I lay out a different outfit. One the old me would totally wear. It’s going to be my armor tonight.
I am stronger than Lucas. Time to prove it to him.
Thirty
Lucas
A weird mood has its claws in me as I set up bottles of alcohol on my kitchen island for the party.
If I’m honest, it’s been a cloud hanging over me for days.
Gemma blocked my number when I tried to reach out again. I wanted to explain my side to her, but I don’t know if she saw it before I couldn’t get through to her anymore. I’ve taken to climbing the tree outside her window in the middle of the night to peer in on her in the faint glow of fairy lights strung over her bed.
It pisses me off that we apparently ended before we got started over another misunderstanding.
If she would just let me tell her the truth, this would all shake out differently.