Page 57 of Red Zone
When we pull into the driveway, Beck’s already unbuckling before I put the car in park.
“I’m just gonna chill in my room,” he mutters.
“Whatever you need, man,” Jaxon says gently.
Beck nods once, eyes still rimmed red. He disappears inside without another word.
Jaxon and I head into the kitchen. I grab two waters from the fridge and hand him one.
“He didn’t even get mad,” I say, twisting the cap off. “That’s what’s messing me up. If it were me…”
“You’d burn her apartment down,” Jaxon says, cracking a tired smile.
“Damn right I would.”
We both go quiet, the silence heavy.
Jaxon leans against the counter, arms crossed. “You think he’ll be okay?”
“He will be,” I say, more certain than I feel. “Not today. Not this week. But we’ve got him.”
Jaxon nods slowly, then glances toward the hallway. “We gotta keep him busy. Keep his mind off it.”
“Agreed.”
And we do. Because that’s what brothers do.
Even the ones you choose.
Dragging my phone out of my pocket I see I’ve got a few texts, but one stands out.
Lyla: You alive? Or did the kids run you into the ground?
I smirk and type back.
Barely survived. I think one of them tried to challenge me to a push-up contest.
Lyla: And?
I let him win. Obviously. Can’t go around crushing ten-year-old dreams.
Lyla: Wow. Personal growth.
Don’t get used to it.
A beat passes, then:
Lyla: You free later? I have some stuff I want to go over.
For the princess? Always.
Lyla: I’m hungry, so I’m bringing snacks. Dealing with you is stressful enough without sustenance.
Jaxon walks back into the kitchen just as I’m grinning at my screen.
He eyes me, grabbing a Gatorade from the fridge. “What’s that look?”
“What look?” I say, too quickly.
