6

I knew what he wanted—he wanted things to be okay between all of us.

But it was easy for him. He was Asher and Mya’s biological son. He was a part of them.

I was… different.

I appreciated everything they’d done for me over the years, appreciated that they’d cared enough to want to keep me and make it official by adopting me.

But I wasn’t like them.

The Bennets were a close-knit family. Aaron, his twin sister Sofia, and their parents Asher and Mya. They had a tight group of friends and family. A whole network of people in Rixon who had their backs.

I’d been a part of their lives for seven years, but the truth was, I’d always been on the outside looking in. The piece of the puzzle that didn’t quite fit.

And now I was the bitter disappointment.

But that was my M.O., and no matter how hard I tried to break the cycle, I ended up back at square one. Sabotaging everything good in my life.

“I keep thinking about Leigh, about what it must be like, waking up with ten months of your life just gone. Some trip, huh?”

“Yeah.” I grimaced, trying to school my expression. Even though my heart careened against my chest at the mention of her name.

“Shit, sorry, man.” Aaron cast me a sympathetic glance. “I know it can’t be easy for you.”

“I’m just glad she’s okay,” I said over the giant fucking lump in my throat.

Waking up that day to discover she was in a coma, was one of the worst moments of my life. But realizing it was all my fault… that was something else.

“Hey.” He clapped me on the back, and I winced. “It wasn’t your fault, E.”

Had I said that out loud?

“I was driving.” The words were like acid on my tongue. Because I’d been doing more than just driving that night.

It should have been me lying in that hospital bed with no memories of senior year. Fuck only knew it would have been an improvement. Then I wouldn’t have to endure the constant stares of disappointment, and the cold shoulders from Ashleigh’s parents.

Not that I blamed them.

Their daughter had been in a coma… because of me.

I’d done some shitty things in my life, but what happened that night… the truth behind the accident… I would never forgive myself.

“Ezra, man. You gotta let that shit go. It was an accident.” Aaron gripped my shoulder. “I know it sucks that Ashleigh got hurt, but she’s okay. She’s going to be okay.”

Such bullshit.

But I didn’t argue. What was the point?

“Yeah,” I murmured.

“You should go see her,” he added. “You know she’d want you to.”

And if that wasn’t the whole fucking problem.

 

   

Aaron insisted on sticking with me as I headed for The Junction. It was a rundown diner on the edge of town, but I preferred it over the more popular places downtown. Maybe it was the fact kids from school didn’t hang out there. Or the fact that Manny, the owner, let me stick around for as long as I wanted without asking questions.

The house special burger didn’t suck either.

“What is this place?” he asked as I shouldered the door open.

“The Junction.”

“I can see that.” He flicked his eyes to the faded signage. “But why have I never been here before?”

I shrugged, making a beeline for my regular booth.

“Usual, Ezra?” Manny called across the counter and I nodded. “Better make it two.”

“Coming right up.”

“You come here a lot?” Aaron gawked at me.

We were brothers by definition, sure. But I didn’t spend a lot of time with him, or his sister, or their friends. They liked partying and football and high school drama, and I… didn’t.

I kept to myself. It was easier that way.

When I’d first arrived at the Bennets’, they had all tried to encourage me to hang out with Aaron, Sofia, and their friends. But everything was different in Rixon. And the Bennets… they had money. They had a big house and nice things, and I had the clothes on my back, a boatload of bad memories, and a closet full of skeletons.

It wasn’t easy trying to fit in, knowing I never really would, and as time went on, it just became easier to stop trying.

“Now and again.”

“You know, E, we’ve been brothers a long time now.” Aaron drummed his fingers against the Formica table. “Yet, sometimes, it’s like I don’t even know you. But since we’re going to be seniors together—”

My spine snapped straight. So he knew. Aaron knew what his father had demanded of me.

I wasn’t surprised, not really. Asher had probably railroaded Aaron into taking me under his wing once the start of the semester rolled around. But I was still hoping to get out of it. High school was over. Done. It wasn’t like I had plans to go to college.

Asher and Mya had wanted it for me, but they hadn’t pushed. Not too hard. Not until it was apparent I wasn’t going to graduate.

I hadn’t witnessed Asher lose his shit much over the years. But when Mya came home at the beginning of senior year and handed him my transcripts… his anger had been a living, breathing thing.

They’d expected me to turn it around, and I hadn’t.

I hadn’t even tried.

“It would be cool to hang out occasionally.” Aaron yanked me back to the present. “Dad’s hoping you’ll join the team. Coach Ford said—”

“I’m not joining the team,” I said, flatly.

“But I’ve seen your throwing arm and you’re fast, E. Really fucking fast. You’d be an asset to the Raiders, and with Kaiden, Gav, and Bryan all moving on, we could use fresh blood.”