Page 82 of My Brother's Best Friend

CHAPTER51

MADDIE

Everyone suddenly went quiet. I glared at my brother and swallowed, my heart racing harder than it should. I hadn’t meant to scream the words, but I couldn’t stop them from tumbling from my mouth.

Alec deserved to know.

“Wh-what?” Alec whispered.

“We didn’t do shit together,” Oliver said, looking at his car.

“You’re a liar,” I growled at him. “You can never keep eye contact when you lie.”

Alec peered over at his mom. “Is it true?”

“No,” she said, but then dropped her gaze and her voice. “Of course not.”

I crossed my arms, not wanting to be part of this, but already too deep. Alec wasn’t going to stand up for himself—at least, I wouldn’t be able to if I had gotten raped, then had everyone bully me for it, then found out my dad was sleeping with two male classmates and my best friend was banging my mother.

“Then, what were you doing with her, Oliver?” I asked as calmly as I could.

“She wanted help with a gift for Alec’s birthday,” he said.

“Where’s the gift then?” I asked.

“In my car.”

“Get it.”

Oliver stormed to his car, slipped into the driver’s seat, and threw the car in reverse, speeding down the driveway and then onto the road. I slammed my foot into my own tire because I was pissed.

“I’ll be back,” I said to Alec.

Because I was about to follow my idiot brother wherever he went and beat his ass for being such a dickhead to his own best friend. Alec was going through more than Oliver could wrap his tiny mind around, and he needed someone.

Not a lousy friend who’d sleep with his mother!

“Wait,” Alec said, catching my wrist and pulling me back.

Midway through opening the driver’s door, I paused and gazed back at him, worried that I shouldn’t leave him alone here, all by himself. Maybe we should just find a place together, like Blaise and Vera, and live there for the rest of the semester until college.

“I got some good news tonight,” he whispered.

Anger slowly dissipating, I released my grip on the door handle and gently took his face into my hands. “That’s great, Alec,” I whispered, warmth flooding through my chest for him. “What happened?”

“A group of people who work for Glacier showed up at practice tonight,” he said, keeping his voice quiet. “They want me to come watch a couple of their practices in the spring, and he said that I could bring you.”

My eyes widened, and I threw my arms around his shoulders. “That’s amazing!”

He pulled me closer and relaxed in my embrace, his shoulders slumping forward and a low breath escaping his mouth. I held him tightly for as long as he needed, and after another moment, he pulled away.

“Are you going to be all right?” I asked.

“As fine as I can be,” he mumbled. “I should just expect this shit.”

I grabbed his hands. “We’re going to get out of this town. I promise.”

Tears welled up in his eyes. “Soon?”

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