“Oh, yeah. Sure. Definitely,” I say, doing my best to hide my surprise at Landon’s request. I thought he would want me as far away from any family drama as possible. “Of course.”
It’s difficult, but we finally manage to corral a stumbling Eli into the back of Landon’s car. I slide onto the seat beside him and hold the towel to his nose while Landon hurries around to the driver’s side. After slipping in, he shifts the car into reverse and pulls swiftly out of the driveway.
“Dad came by today,” Eli slurs, and the pieces start falling into place. He was upset after the talk with his father, left in a hurry, and tried to drown his rage in too much booze. Then he picked a fight. “Fuck that guy. Fuck him. I mean it,fuckhim.”
“He did? What did he say?” asks Landon.
“Oh, ya know. Stupid stuff.”
“What kind of stuff, Eli?”
“How I’m pathetic for crashing at your place. How I’m a disappointment. How even Junior’s more of a success. Stupid shit like that. Fuck that guy. He can fuck off…forever.”
“That’swhy you got wasted?” Landon shakes his head. “Because of shitDadsaid? You know better than that.”
We hit a bump in the road, and my hand jerks against Eli’s nose. He hisses, trying to push the towel away. “Ouch. Shit. That hurts.”
“You have to hold still, Eli,” I warn, trying not to be totally freaked out by the amount of blood saturating this towel. “We almost there, Landon?” I’m not squeamish, per se, but I’m definitely not a fan of bodily fluids. I could never be a nurse or a doctor or even a dentist, though it’s not like I have the grades for any of it.
Landon’s eyes meet mine in the rearview. “Nearly.”
He’s right. It’s not long before we turn into the hospital parking lot, slowing to a stop in front of the emergency room. Landon hurries out of the car and opens my door, tossing me the keys. “Can you park? I’ll get him inside.”
“Sure,” I say, surprised he’s trusting me behind the wheel. I guess current circumstances trump his distaste for my driving.
As the two brothers disappear into the ER, I park the Audi in the closest spot I can find, which isn’t really close at all. Despite the late hour, the air is thick and humid as I trek across the parking lot, and I can feel the sweat beading across my brow by the time I approach the sliding double doors. The ER, however, is the opposite of the muggy temperature outside, and I immediately break out in goosebumps as I step into the frigid waiting area. Wrapping my arms around my thin tank top, I wish I’d worn something a little more substantial.
I find Landon sitting alone on the far side of the waiting area, elbows resting on his knees as he stares blankly across the room. His brow is creased with worry, his knee’s jiggling in that way he hates, and his hair is mussed, like he’s been running his fingers through it repeatedly. My heart squeezes a little. Clearly, he’s worried about his brother, even if he’ll never admit it aloud.
“Hey,” I say, dropping down into the plastic seat beside him. He’s wearing a Cartmen Coast sweatshirt, though I don’t remember where he got it or when he pulled it on. Shivering in the cranked air-conditioning, I’d give anything for that hoodie right now. “They took him back?”
Landon nods and his knee stops jiggling, his brow smoothing out. I wish I could tell him not to do those things for my benefit. “Yup.”
“Good. I’m sure he’s going to be fine.”
Landon shoots me a sidelong glance. “I know. He broke his nose, not his neck.”
Dick dick dick dick dick.
I snap my lips shut, deciding to cut him some slack given the circumstances, and lean back in the chair. Arms crossed, I close my eyes, but it’s not long before I’m overcome with boredom. In the panic of the moment, I forgot my phoneandmy purse, so I sigh, and my eyes shift back over to Landon.
“I didn’t realize Eli cared so much about your dad’s opinion.”
Part of me expects him not to respond, but he surprises me. Maybe he’s as tired as I am and his filter’s malfunctioning. “My brother talks a big game, but he’s not immune to my father’s jibes.”
“They were a bit more thanjibes, Landon. I was there.”
His brow arches. “Eavesdropping?”
“I mean, notintentionally.”
“Mhm.” He clearly doesn’t believe me.
“Your dad tore into him. He said some really mean shit.” I shake my head, imagining myself on the opposite end of that conversation. I would have crumpled in seconds and immediately started crying. “It was not pretty.”
“Yeah, well, after all these years, it’s nothing new. Eli should know to tune it out.”
“Is that what you do?” Landon glances sideways at me, then looks straight ahead, giving a single nod. “Seems healthy,” I mutter, though it’s not like I’m one to talk. I couldn’t even get my sister to stay in the same room as me for more than five minutes.
