Page 69 of My Brother's Best Friend

“You’re not fine,” Vera said, wrapping her arms around me from behind and resting her chin on my shoulder to stare into the mirror at me. “And it’s okay not to be okay sometimes, Maddie. I know you try to act as if nothing is wrong, but what you experienced isn’t something that can be brushed off.”

But still, I felt so bad about complaining. My problems were nothing compared to what happened in the slums of Redwood. Hell, I looked at Poison and the shitty place they lived and couldn’t help but think how small my problems were compared to theirs.

Even Vera … she didn’t live in the rich part of town. She lived in the slums too. Ms. Rodriguez worked her ass off so Vera and her brother could have a better life. My problems weren’t even problems to them.

“I shouldn’t be complaining,” I said, guilt washing over me. “I have a good life here.”

“Problems are problems,” Vera said. “We all have them. No matter how rich you are.”

Still, it felt so wrong.

The bed creaked behind us, and Alec tumbled out of the bed and landed flat on the rug, belly first. “Fuck, that hurt,” he grunted, turning over onto his back and covering his eyes with his forearm. “Why is it so bright?”

“Because it’s school time!” Vera chimed. “I’ve got to go. Blaise is outside, waiting for me.”

As if on cue, a horn beeped outside. I peered out the window to see Blaise Harleen, eating a Boston cream doughnut in the driver’s side of his sports car. I thanked Vera again for bringing over a coffee and told her that we’d see her at school.

Once she left, Alec climbed up from the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair and cursing. He hadn’t showered since yesterday. His hair was a greasy mess, and he honestly looked like shit.

But I wasn’t going to tell him that after the night he had.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked quietly, sitting beside him.

“He was fucking two guys from our school,” Alec said.

“What?”

“Two guys in our senior class.”

My eyes widened, and I opened my big mouth to respond, but I didn’t know what the hell to say to him. Did Mrs. Wolfe know? They both seemed so happy together, but his father wasn’t home a lot due to work …

He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulled me into his lap, and buried his face into the crook of my neck. “What the fuck am I going to do? Do I tell my mom? What will happen at school today if I see them?”

“Maybe you won’t run into them,” I offered.

“And Spencer,” he said, running another hand through his hair. “I’m so fucking stressed.”

“It’s okay,” I murmured, taking his face in my hands.

When he looked up at me, he sighed softly and grabbed my waist tighter. “I’m a terrible fucking boyfriend, huh?” He barely let out a laugh. “Can’t even ask my girl how she is doing after the worst day of her life. How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Maddie.”

“I just don’t want anyone to look at me differently today, but I know that it will happen.”

“If anyone tries to fuck with you, I’ll kick their ass.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t want you getting in any more trouble. You have so much on your shoulders as it is. And if you do, you might be out for the rest of the hockey season. This is your senior year.”

“I don’t give a fuck. I’d do it for you.”

“You would risk your own hockey career for me?”

“Yes.”

It was one simple word, but it meant everything to me.

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