Page 19 of Don't Puck the Wrong Brother

"I don't know," I admit. "He said his phone died and he crashed at Jake's after some party. But he'd specifically made it sound like he'd be home."

"That's…weird," she says slowly.

"No, what's weird is that I SLEPT WITH HIS BROTHER!" I half-shout, then immediately lower my voice. "Lennox, do you understand what I did? I was supposed to have my first time with my boyfriend, and instead I had it with his brother by mistake. Who does that happen to? What kind of sick joke is that?"

"A pretty fucked up one," she admits. "So that's why you broke up with him? Because you…and his brother?"

"Of course, that's why! How could I possibly face him after that? How could I ever look him in the eyes again without seeing his brother? Without remembering what I did?"

"But Cade doesn't know?"

I shake my head. "No. And he can never know. It would destroy him."

"Have you talked to Sanderson since?" she asks carefully.

I hesitate, then nod. "He waited outside my dorm a few days ago. Cornered me around the building."

"What did he want?" she gasps in shock.

"To make sure I hadn't told Cade. That's all he cares about—keeping this a secret." I twist a tissue between my fingers. "Not that I blame him. Cade would never forgive either of us if he found out."

"So, what happens now?"

"Nothing," I say firmly. "Absolutely nothing. I broke up with Cade. I told Sanderson to leave me alone. I'm going to focus on school and pretend this never happened."

Lennox studies me for a long moment. "So…was Sanderson's dick really as big as the rumors say? Monster-sized?"

"Lennox!" My face burns so hot I'm surprised my skin doesn't melt off. I cover my face with my hands but can't help nodding slightly.

She bursts into laughter, falling backward onto my bed. "Oh my God! You lucky bitch! Your slept with the legendary Sanderson cock, and you didn't even have to wait in line!"

"It's not funny!" But her laughter is infectious, and I find myself laughing despite the absurdity of it all. "It was the worst night of my life. A huge mistake!"

"A disaster with a monster dick," she says, wiping tears from her eyes. "Some girls have all the luck."

"That’s not luck," I tell her and a comfortable silence fills the room.

She sits up, still grinning. "Sanderson is a total puck boy, Han. All he cares about is hockey, he parties hard, and has quite the reputation."

My stomach sinks. "Reputation? Like…he's slept with the whole campus? So, that means I, too, slept with the whole campus!?"

Lennox shrugs. "I don't know about the whole campus, but he gets around. Never had a girlfriend that I've heard of. He's more of a hookup kind of guy."

Great. Just great. Not only did I sleep with my boyfriend's brother, but I'm also just another notch on a bedpost. The disgust I feel for the situation—for myself—intensifies.

"He and Cade are nothing alike," Lennox adds. "It's weird they're even related."

I think of Sanderson's intensity, the way he backed me against that wall, the heat in his eyes. So different from Cade's gentle warmth.

"Yeah," I agree quietly. "Nothing alike."

Eventually, I pull Lennox into a hug. "Thank you," I murmur. "For listening. For not judging. For keeping this secret."

"Always," she promises. "But are you sure you're okay? You didn’t have to break up with him."

I nod against her shoulder. "I just want to move on. I want nothing to do with either of them. I just want to forget this ever happened."

But even as I say the words, I wonder if forgetting is possible when the memory of that night is branded so vividly into my mind.

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