See. He wanted nothing to do with me, and yet, he was in this bathroom with me, claiming a spot on the somewhat dirty floor. Though, if I was being real, they always kept every room in the office spotless.
I would’ve guessed that his home looked the same way. That not a fingerprint of dust was anywhere to be found. I also would’ve bet a grand that he lined up his cans in the pantry according to their expiration date. You didn’t run code day in and day out and not walk away with at least a tiny bit of neuroticism.
“If what you said is true,” he started, and I interrupted him straight away.
“Itistrue. I wouldn’t just make something like that up, Weston.”
“Relax,” he scolded, his voice turning lighter when he repeated himself. “If what you said is true, then I owe you a massive fucking apology.”
My head tilted to the side in confusion because, did I hear him right? Was he about to tell me he was sorry for the behavior he exhibited and the words he shot my way?
Yeah, I was fully living for this moment.
“That’s the first time you’ve been right all night,” I told him.
He grumbled next to me, clearly having a hard time coming up with words, but then he said them, blurting them out into the open like it was the most normal thing in the world.
“I’m sorry for how I acted and for the things I said. You didn’t… You didn’t deserve them. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me. It’s been a long fucking night. A long fuckingyear.” He muttered the last part, and it was almost like he was confiding in me. Like he was opening up and allowing me to see his vulnerable side.
Whatever made the year so tumultuous for him was right there on the tip of his tongue and inches from entering my ears and making things make sense. Perhaps it was the reason why he was so short with me. Why he pivoted and skedaddled out of the lunch room whenever I entered it. Why his footsteps grew faster when we were in the hall together.
“That’s… That’s why you found me in the break room. I needed a damn drink and remembered that Lennon hid a bottle a few months back on top of the cabinets.”
I knew it.
Still, I didn’t push.
It wasn’t my business unless he wanted to make it that way. So I said, “Thanks,” and accepted his apology.
It was a solid start. A small part of me hoped it’d be the beginning of a new friendship that wouldn’t always end in hurt feelings and snippy comebacks.
I realized then that it was almost odd how quickly Weston believed what I said. He didn’t question it once. Not out there or while sitting with me.
“I find it kind of hard to believe that you’re not questioning what I said about your brother.”
Weston made this sound in his throat. It wasn’t him clearing it, but it wasn’t not that either. “Lennon dated this girl his junior year of high school. Spent most of his year with her, and she thought they were serious, but Lennon…” I imagined him shaking his head. “He was screwing around on her with a few of the girls on the cheer squad the second half of the year.”
Wow. I couldn’t say I was surprised. Not with that easy grin Lennon gave everyone.
“She didn’t know?”
“Fuck no,” Weston said sharply. “No one did. He kept it under wraps and was smart about when he’d meet up with thegirls from the squad. It helped that the girl he was dating was more into academics than sports. Their social circles never crossed.”
Go figure.
“How did she find out then?”
“He was fooling around with one of the girls in the locker room. I left after baseball practice one day but forgot my phone in my gym locker. I went back to get it and walked in on them. Told him that if he didn’t come clean, I was going to do it for him.”
“Did he? Come clean, that is.”
He barked out a short laugh. “Teenage Lennon was a little shit who thought he was invincible. Thought I wouldn’t actually rat him out because we were brothers.”
That lined up with Lennon. Not that he didn’t think that same way now, but he definitely had that air about him like he could do no wrong—even after he was caught doing that exact thing.
“But you did.”
“Damn right, I did.” A heartbeat passed between us. “No one deserves to be treated like that. That girl back then didn’t, and you sure as hell don’t now.”
