But he’s not fat. Not even a little bit. And he may not be hot in the standard sense of the word, but he is good looking. Not in the way Christian or Josh is, but I still think he’s cute. Besides, doesn’t personality count for anything anymore? The truth is that there are times I wish I’d ended up dating Hayes instead of Josh. I’d probably be happier.
My gaze involuntarily skates over to Christian as if it has a mind of its own. And I realize that Hayes wouldn’t actually make me happy either. There’s only one guy I really want to be with, and he’s currently in the arms of another girl.
“Hey, what’s going on with you?” Ashley asks, her eyes following mine.
“Nothing.” I shake my head vehemently.
She knits her eyebrows together. “You sure?”
“Positive.” Man, I need to stop staring at Christian. I’m making everyone suspicious.
Ashley’s mouth drops open. “Is that your brother?”
My head whips to where she’s looking. “Oh, no.” I’ve never seen my brother so drunk. He can barely walk. He’s stumbling over his own feet while some girl tries and fails to hold him up. But that doesn’t stop him from laughing and hollering out unintelligible things. Even though I promised myself I wouldn’t look at Christian anymore tonight, I have no choice. He’s the only one who can help me right now.
Lucky for me, he’s finally stopped kissing that girl. And that’s when I recognize her as Selena, one of the softball players. Great. There’s no way I can compete with her. It was the main reason I wanted to play ball when I was younger – so I’d have something in common with Christian and Cal. Seems that Selena has an advantage I can only dream of. Cal’s laughing catches my attention, reminding me that there’s something more important I have to deal with right now.
“Um…Josh. I’ll be right back.” I nod my head toward Cal. “I have to go deal with…something.”
He nods with understanding, yet there is a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. I can’t worry about it right now though. Stepping away from him, I head toward my brother. The ground slopes downward and I lose my footing, my ankle rolling to the side slightly. Geez, I haven’t even been drinking . Cheeks warming, I hope no one noticed. Regaining my balance, I hurry forward. Christian catches my eye and moves toward us.
“Hey,” Cal slurs when I approach. “What are you doing here, lil sis?”
“Hey, man,” Christian cuts in. Looking over at the girl trying to hold Cal up, he smiles. “Thanks. We’ll take it from here.”
Relief passes over her features when Christian grabs Cal’s arm, drawing him away from the girl.
“What’s up, man?” Cal says to Christian.
“Nothing much. Seems my night isn’t as interesting as yours.” A look of amusement passes over his features. He hoists Cal up, holding him under one armpit. “Emmy, can you grab his other side?”
“Sure.” I do as I’m told.
“Emmy?” Cal looks bewildered as if he’s seeing me for the first time.
I shake my head.
Christian ignores his comment. “C’mon, Cal. Let’s get you home.”
“But I don’t wanna go home. I’m having fun.” Cal pouts.
“What the hell is wrong with him?” I hiss. My brother isn’t a huge partier. Sure, he likes going to parties, but he rarely drinks, and never like this.
“He and Melissa broke up,” Christian explains as we walk forward.
“Melissa,” Cal says her name with disgust.
“Ah, I see.” My heart goes out to my brother. I know what it feels like to lose someone you care about. I glance at Christian as we drag Cal toward where the cars are parked in the gravel. Not that I’ve lost Christian. He’s right here. But he’s not mine.
He never has been.
And probably never will be.
It’s a depressing thought, and I understand my brother’s need to drink. To forget. To be numb. The problem is that eventually he’ll have to wake up. He’ll have to face everything again, and I
My gaze involuntarily skates over to Christian as if it has a mind of its own. And I realize that Hayes wouldn’t actually make me happy either. There’s only one guy I really want to be with, and he’s currently in the arms of another girl.
“Hey, what’s going on with you?” Ashley asks, her eyes following mine.
“Nothing.” I shake my head vehemently.
She knits her eyebrows together. “You sure?”
“Positive.” Man, I need to stop staring at Christian. I’m making everyone suspicious.
Ashley’s mouth drops open. “Is that your brother?”
My head whips to where she’s looking. “Oh, no.” I’ve never seen my brother so drunk. He can barely walk. He’s stumbling over his own feet while some girl tries and fails to hold him up. But that doesn’t stop him from laughing and hollering out unintelligible things. Even though I promised myself I wouldn’t look at Christian anymore tonight, I have no choice. He’s the only one who can help me right now.
Lucky for me, he’s finally stopped kissing that girl. And that’s when I recognize her as Selena, one of the softball players. Great. There’s no way I can compete with her. It was the main reason I wanted to play ball when I was younger – so I’d have something in common with Christian and Cal. Seems that Selena has an advantage I can only dream of. Cal’s laughing catches my attention, reminding me that there’s something more important I have to deal with right now.
“Um…Josh. I’ll be right back.” I nod my head toward Cal. “I have to go deal with…something.”
He nods with understanding, yet there is a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. I can’t worry about it right now though. Stepping away from him, I head toward my brother. The ground slopes downward and I lose my footing, my ankle rolling to the side slightly. Geez, I haven’t even been drinking . Cheeks warming, I hope no one noticed. Regaining my balance, I hurry forward. Christian catches my eye and moves toward us.
“Hey,” Cal slurs when I approach. “What are you doing here, lil sis?”
“Hey, man,” Christian cuts in. Looking over at the girl trying to hold Cal up, he smiles. “Thanks. We’ll take it from here.”
Relief passes over her features when Christian grabs Cal’s arm, drawing him away from the girl.
“What’s up, man?” Cal says to Christian.
“Nothing much. Seems my night isn’t as interesting as yours.” A look of amusement passes over his features. He hoists Cal up, holding him under one armpit. “Emmy, can you grab his other side?”
“Sure.” I do as I’m told.
“Emmy?” Cal looks bewildered as if he’s seeing me for the first time.
I shake my head.
Christian ignores his comment. “C’mon, Cal. Let’s get you home.”
“But I don’t wanna go home. I’m having fun.” Cal pouts.
“What the hell is wrong with him?” I hiss. My brother isn’t a huge partier. Sure, he likes going to parties, but he rarely drinks, and never like this.
“He and Melissa broke up,” Christian explains as we walk forward.
“Melissa,” Cal says her name with disgust.
“Ah, I see.” My heart goes out to my brother. I know what it feels like to lose someone you care about. I glance at Christian as we drag Cal toward where the cars are parked in the gravel. Not that I’ve lost Christian. He’s right here. But he’s not mine.
He never has been.
And probably never will be.
It’s a depressing thought, and I understand my brother’s need to drink. To forget. To be numb. The problem is that eventually he’ll have to wake up. He’ll have to face everything again, and I
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