“Hey baby,” Jake said. “You’re home early.”

“Jake, I’m at prom. But I need you. Can you come? Please?”

“Are you okay?” I heard him pick up his keys.

“I’m okay. I’m at the Lakeside. In Short Hills. Can you meet me behind the gazebo in the garden?”

“Yeah. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Call right back if you need anything at all.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

The sky got darker and quiet. The only sound was the distant din of the music and cheering from the prom and the gentle snores from Saxon’s nose. I adjusted him slightly because my arm was cramping and my shoulder ached. His head jarred loosely against me. Was he okay? I felt my throat tighten. Maybe I should slap him awake or get him some coffee.

I tried to nudge him up, but he didn’t respond to my shakes and shoves. Then I heard the sound of footsteps running across the path.

Jake was there, looking confused. “Bren?”

“He’s really drunk.” My voice was thick with tears. I felt some of my worry subside at Jake’s entrance. “I didn’t know what to do.”

Jake eased me up by the hand, letting Saxon slump over. He held me close for a minute. “You did the right thing.” He kissed me. “I’m here. I’ll help him.”

“I don’t think he can sleep alone.” I glanced at him, all loose-limbed and drooling. “I don’t know if he’s alright.”

Jake crouched next to him. He slapped at his face a few times and Saxon’s eyes slitted open. “Piss off, brother,” Saxon croaked.

“Not a chance, asshole,” Jake said and smiled, then looked at me. “I’m going to take him home, but I want to take you first. Can you get me someone to help move him to the truck?”

“Let me help,” I pleaded. “I can carry half his weight. And I don’t really want anyone else to know. I think he kind of wanted to get caught.”

Jake snorted. “Sounds like Saxon.”

I heard Kelsie then. “Brenna! There you are! What’s going on?”

“Saxon got a little too drunk.” I waved my hand towards him. “We’re trying to get him out of here before any of the monitors notice, and he gets in serious trouble.”

Kelsie glanced down with her eyebrows drawn. “Do you guys need help?”

“Thanks. I think Bren and I have it. I’m going to drop Bren at home if that’s cool,” Jake answered.

“No problem,” Kelsie said. She made her way to my side and kissed me. “Be good. Call me when you get a chance, okay?” She eyed the two guys with me uncertainly, and I promised to call, letting her know with a look that I’d fill her in on the whole story later.

Jake and I half carried, half dragged Saxon to Jake’s truck and buckled him in, then cracked the window so the cold night air would blow on his face.

I sat in the middle, right next to Jake. He pulled onto the highway and put his arm around me. “This was a nice surprise.” He kissed my hair.

“Are you being serious?” I asked, not sure if he was.

“Well, a drunk brother sucks, but it’s nice to see you, especially the way you look tonight. I’m going to come out and say it; I was worried about you and that dress and all those drooling guys checking you out.” He leaned over and kissed my temple.

“Is he going to be okay, Jake?” I looked over and Saxon’s head flopped forward heavily, like he was a huge, punk ragdoll.

“No worries, Bren. I’m going to crash at Saxon’s with him tonight. I’ll drop him at his house, then drop you home, then I’ll go back to him,” Jake promised.

“Should we chance leaving Saxon alone?” I asked nervously.

“It’s only like ten minutes tops. So, other than Saxon pickling his liver, how was prom?”

“It was alright.” I shrugged and sighed. “Nate ditched me to try and skank Saxon’s date. Saxon whined to me the whole night. Though, we did dance a little.”

“Not a top-class prom experience like you had with Jake Kelly, huh?” He squeezed my shoulder gently.

“No.” I leaned against him. The middle seat only had a lap belt, so I didn’t usually sit so close to him. But it was nice. “I think Saxon is drunk because I kind of told him that you knew about the brother thing.”

Jake sighed, a long, tortured sound. “Jesus, Bren. Can’t you leave anything alone? I told you that he couldn’t handle it,” he muttered, but he didn’t sound very annoyed. Not really. I hoped.

“Are you pissed at me?” I smoothed my hand over his leg.

“No. I knew you weren’t going to be able to leave it all alone. It’s fine, Bren. There just isn’t any turning back at this point.” He kissed my hair. “But I know you probably had our best interests at heart. Or whatever. You’re a damn crazy woman.”

“Thanks,” I griped. We pulled into Saxon’s dark driveway and got out of the truck. Jake and I each took one shoulder and dragged him into the house, through the fancy foyer and pretentious living room, down the long hall to his room. Which was immaculate. I didn’t know if it was his doing or Carmela’s, but it was a vast improvement over the last time I had seen it.

We got the sheets back and hauled Saxon onto the bed. We turned him on his side. I took off his shoes and wrestled him out of his jacket and tie, then put the covers up around him and flopped next to Jake on the couch.

“Prom won’t be over for a couple of hours.” He ran a finger along my cheek. “Do you want to hang out here til you’re due back?”

It was strange to be with Jake in Saxon’s bedroom, but the night had been so weird in general, this just felt like one more insanity to add to a long list. I nestled into Jake’s arms in the dim quiet of Saxon’s room.

“I’m happy to stay here.”

Jake’s mouth found mine quickly and definitively. “I love you, Brenna. Whatever happens, know that.” He kissed my neck, flicking the woven butterfly clasps open with sure fingers.

His words made my spine stiffen. “What’s going to happen?” I asked, backing away.

He pressed his lips to the jutting bones around my collar, exposed by the gaping red fabric. “Nothing is,” he said, then moved his mouth lower. “I just said it to say it.”

“You don’t say anything to say it.” I pulled his head back up. “What did you mean by that?”

“Nothing, Bren.” But I knew he was trying too hard to move his hands and lips in a way that would make me forget or not pay any more attention.

“Tell me.” I pulled at his face, forcing him to look up at me.

“Nothing,” he repeated. “Like I said, it was just something to say.”

“Jake!” He stopped, but he didn’t lift his eyes to mine. “Tell me.”

“Next year is senior year for me,” he said finally, his voice low.

“I know that.” I hadn’t really thought about it much, mostly because it would mean that Jake moved on while I stayed behind, still looking at one more year of school while he was free to do whatever he wanted.

Part of me really hoped he did something incredible, something that would prove to every person who had ever doubted that Jake Kelly would ever amount to anything that he could go beyond everyone’s expectations. But a bigger part of me wanted, selfishly, Jake’s presence and calming love all the time, all through my own senior year. I wanted him to put his life on hold and wait for me to catch up, and I also wanted him to wait for me to tell him what his next step should be.

Because I didn’t trust that he could possibly know what to do next without me there to tell him. Not that I thought he was stupid. I just looked out for him in a way he couldn’t even do for himself. He’d been taught how to survive from circumstances, but that didn’t mean he could truly make good decisions for himself. He needed someone with perspective. And experience. Who cared about him. He needed me. Or at least, I wanted him to.

“It’s not like I have this incredibly bright future, Bren. I know no one expects much out of me. I see the way your mother looks at me,” Jake said, his voice hushed in the darkness.