Page 32 of Where the Darkness Goes

“I am not pining.” I glare at him.

“Dude.” He props his head up on his palm. “You’re pining so hard you’re a tree.”

“You’re an idiot.”

He chuckles. “Just go talk to her.”

“You realize you’re officially the worst big brother ever, right? You’re supposed to pummel me and say we can never be friends again for even looking at her.”

He studies me, going serious. “Is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know. If anyone ever looked at Jenny?—”

“Well, peopledolook,” he says simply. “And they will.” He quirks a brow.

I slam a hand into his shoulder. “She’s fifteen, you asshole.”

“Hey, easy.” His hands go up in surrender, then he uses one to rub the place I hit him. “I’m not sayingIlook, obviously. I’m not a total creep. I’m just saying it’s going to happen.” He’s quiet for a moment. “And the way I see it, if I can’t always be around to protect her, the best thing I can do is make sure I fully trust the man who is. If I didn’t trust you to be with my sister, I wouldn’t want you as a friend.”

His words shock me, both because of what he’s said and because of how serious he is when he says them. “Thanks, man.”I clear my throat, the moment too heavy and weird. “I don’t even know if she likes me like that. It was just a game.”

He flops onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. “Maybe she doesn’t.”

Ice forms around my organs. “You think?”

“She doesn’t really talk to me about that sort of thing, but there’s only one way to find out.”

“Just ask her?” Even as I suggest it, I’m feeling and sounding equally skeptical. “Maybe it’s weird. I should just pretend it didn’t happen.”

He groans, covering his face. “So we can continue to not sleep? I need my beauty sleep, Garrett. I don’t know if you’re aware, but your mom doesn’t like me for my brains.”

“Last I checked, she doesn’t like you at all.”

“That’s not what she was saying last night.”

I jab an elbow at him, and he dodges, laughing. “Kidding, kidding.” He pauses, then adds, “It was two nights ago.”

I shake my head against the pillow, then swallow, the moment going serious. “What if I ruin everything?”

He’s quiet for a long time, so long I think he might’ve fallen asleep. I turn my head to look his way and see him staring at the ceiling, too, deep in thought. “Well, then,” he says eventually, “I guess it’s been nice knowing you.”

I scowl and shove him, nearly knocking him off the air mattress. “Asshole.”

“You’re not going to ruin everything,” he says with a dry huff. “If anything, you’ll just make things super awkward for, like, a week or two, and then we can all laugh about that one time you sort of fell in love with my sister.”

Love.That word hangs in the air between us, heavy and real. So real it feels impossible.

“Now,” he says, “go find her and tell her you’ve pissed the bed or something and need to talk to her. Then drag her out ontothe porch and confess your love, but for the love of God, do it quietly so I can go to sleep.” With that, he flops over. “Oh, and if Brit needs some company while Tessa’s gone, tell her she knows where to find me.”

I bound off the air mattress with extra force, causing him to plunge toward the ground. He yelps, then pulls the covers up over him, still chuckling as I ease down the hall, stopping and backtracking six or seven times, practicing what I’m going to say like I’m fucking Romeo in the school play.

This is so stupid.

It’s Tessa.

It’s just Tessa.

I can do this. No big deal.

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