Page 42 of Trust Me
“Seeing each other? What the hell does that mean exactly?”
“We’ve been hanging out, watching TV, and stuff.” My eyes are still cast down on the walking path.
“You watch TV and stuff. Is it the kind of stuff that leaves him standing in his underwear where my niece can see him?” His tone is accusing.
“Will, that happened once when she had her fever. He helped me wake up every four hours through the night to take her temp and give her medicine. It was an accident that she saw him.”
He exhales loudly and finally asks the question I’m sure he has been dying to ask. “Does Jake know you’re sleeping with his best friend?”
“No! And he can’t find out, Will. This thing between Maddox and me, I don’t know where it’s going. We decided we would take it slow and see where it goes.If, and that’s a big if, itgets to the point where we want to have an official relationship or something, we’ll figure out how to tell everyone. But right now, we’re just having fun.” I take a deep breath and look my brother in the eye. “I really like him, Will. I think I might want it to go somewhere.”
“What happens when Jake finds out?” he asks.
“I don’t know. I would hope he’d be supportive. I’m an adult now, not a little girl who needs her big brothers to protect her.”
“Yeah,” he barks full of sarcasm. “I’m sure Jake is gonna be just fine with this. You’re playing with fire here, Avery. When he finds out, he’s gonna be pissed! At youandat Maddox.”
“I know. We’ll tell him. I promise we will, just not yet. We still have things to figure out. Please, Will. Don’t say anything to him. For me.” I’m pleading at him with my eyes.
He sighs. “Yeah, I won’t tell him. But only if you promise to get this mess figured out and fast. If he hears it from anyone other than you and Maddox, it’ll get real ugly, real fast.”
I smile at my brother and stretch up to kiss his scruffy cheek. “I will, I promise.”
After I pay for the pumpkins and we getthem loaded into the trunk of Will’s car, we set out to walk the corn maze. It’s lined with straw bales, cornstalks, pumpkins, and gourds. There are even a few scarecrows along the path and alcoves cut out where families can rest and take pictures along the way. Will has Brooklyn on his shoulders as we stroll along the path.
“You know, I really do like Maddox. I think he’s a good guy and a hard worker, but he doesn’t exactly have the best reputation. And as your brother, I don’t think I’m comfortable with him messing around with you.”
“First off, it’s my choice who I spend my time with, not yours, Will. Second, I’ve given it a lot of thought. I know he has a reputation for being a player. But I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s not Drake. While we’ve been together, we’re not seeing other people. And I trust him. That in itself is a huge feat for me. I won’t let what Drake did ruin any more of my life or possible relationships. But that also doesn’t mean I’m not scared, Will. I’m scared of getting hurt again or winding up alone. I don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life.” My voice goes quiet with that last part.
“I don’t want you to be alone either, Ave. I just don’t think I can stand to see you go throughanother Drake thing again. I wanted to kill that guy. I wanted to hurt him for hurting you. And I’m the quiet, reserved one. I can’t imagine what Jake and Nate were feeling.”
I stop and look up at my brother, who has been by my side since the day I was born. “I know you worry about me, and I appreciate that so much. What I need from my big brother now is his support and love.” I give him a big smile.
“Well, you have that. I promise not to interfere with whatever is going on with Maddox. Just as long as you both know I will hurt him if he hurts you.” He gives me his best stern, big brother glare.
I chuckle at him, at the thought of my gentle, book-smart brother getting violent over anything. “You are the best big brother ever. I love you, William.”
“I love you too, Avery,” he says as he throws his arm around my shoulder and walks us out of the corn maze.
*****
Halloween night proves to be perfect trick-or-treating weather. Travis and Will are overat my place to walk the neighborhood with me as Brooklyn goes trick-or-treating. This is the first year she can actually give the whole trick-or-treating thing a try. Travis has been working on her saying “Trick or Treat” for the last couple of days, but it still comes out “twicks o tweets.”
“Come on, Ave! Trick-or-treating started a half hour ago! If you don’t hurry up, Bean’s gonna miss it,” Travis yells from the living room.
“Almost ready!”
Brooklyn runs out of my bedroom after I finish securing the final pin in her long, blond hair. She’s bundled up underneath her pretty princess gown. And no princess can be without a tiara.
Travis picks her up and gives her raspberry kisses on her neck. They head down the front steps with Will and I trailing a very short distance behind. We wait on the sidewalk as Travis and Brooklyn go from door-to-door around my block to gather plenty of sugary treats.
An hour later as we head back down the sidewalk toward my house with a bag full of candy, a squad car pulls into my driveway. I see Maddox and Jake hop out and wait at the sidewalk for us to get there. Brooklyn sees them waiting for us and takes off running, but it isn’t her uncle whoshe runs to. She runs straight to Maddox. As Maddox picks her up, Jake looks at their interaction with questions in his eyes. Will and I exchange looks, knowing this could play out very badly.
“Seriously? Uncle Jake gets no love?”
“Don’t be jealous that she likes me more than she likes you. It’s not my fault that women find me irresistible,” Maddox replies with a big grin for his friend.
“She’s all sugared up, Jake. Don’t take it personally,” I say as casually as possible as I approach. He leans forward and gives me a kiss on the cheek as Brooklyn fills Maddox in on all the houses they went to trick-or-treating. “What are you guys doing here? Shouldn’t you be patrolling for toilet paperers or pumpkin smashers?”
