Page 66 of Glad You Exist

I wrap my arms tightly across my chest, preparing for the onslaught to come.

He adjusts himself so he’s facing me and braces an arm on the back of the couch.

“I’m sorry,”

Eyes wide, I tilt my head confused. Definitely the last thing I thought he was going to say.

“For?”

An exasperated sigh leaves him and for the first time in a while, I can see the control slipping from him. Like he’s letting go of something.

“Honestly? For everything.”

“I don’t understand—”

He shakes his head and puts a hand up. “Let me get this out.”

He rubs his face in frustration and I can tell he’s struggling to find the words.

“First, I’m sorry for the last few years of me just being too—”

“Overbearing?” I offer quietly.

He nods, a grin pulling at his mouth. “I was going to go with a word that starts with an A and ends with hole but that works too.”

“What is making you say this now?”

He rubs a knuckle across his chin, looking embarrassed, “A few people have called me out on it. Summer has been noticing it. The second she found out I took your car keys; she gave me the dressing down of the century. I planned to apologize to you tonight before I heard about what happened to you. Then that went out the window until your boyfriend talked to me.”

“How did you even find out about it?”

His jaw tightens, “One of the freshmen I was on the basketball team with was at the party. Senior now. Well, I ran into him at the Dick’s downtown, and he told me about it.”

Damn, I should have known. Dan and I are only three years apart, and went to the same high school, of course he would know some of the kids in my grade.

Then what he said next finally registers in my overwhelmed state of mind.

My boyfriend?

“I don’t have a—wait do you mean Brad?”

Dan’s grin is fully out now, amusement dancing in his eyes. He shoots me a look that says he knew about the kiss before I even told him about it.

“He called me shortly after we spoke on the phone. He wanted to talk to me before I took you home but didn’t want you to know, so when I got there, I texted Brad instead of you.”

I distinctly remember being told by my friends to change into sweats from the short dress Kim had styled me in. Kim pointed out that it might make my brother even more mad about the situation. And when I came out of the bathroom, both Brad and Kyle were gone.

Kim told me they were upstairs just setting up the VR goggles she and Kyle had gotten Brad for his birthday and that the boys would come down once Dan got there to walk me out. I remember thinking that was strange but didn’t think too much of it because Kim had already launched into a cross-examination about what was going on with Brad and me. I didn’t even question it because it had felt good to talk to Kim again and I needed her advice.

Which I got in spades. The gist wasDate him.

“Liz. I overreacted. I should have waited until you got home to talk to you about it or waited until you were ready to tell me about what happened. I just panicked, okay?”

I glance at my brother, sighing at the pained expression on his face. I remind myself to thank Brad for once again doing something I should have done myself but was too afraid to.

I owe my brother my life. He’s the one who saved me.

“I know. I’m sorry—”

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