I’ve barely knocked on the door when he opens it, with such a look of worry on his face that I immediately feel guilty.
“Are you okay?”
I nod and walk into the apartment.
“Yes. Everything’s okay. I... think so. Are the other guys here?”
“No, they’re all out. What’s going on, Zoe?”
“We have to talk about Jase.” It’s no use putting it off.
Caleb freezes. His eyes get intense, like he’s trying to read my mind. Then he exhales with a sigh. “Okay. Phew, I think I need a drink for this conversation,” he says. Maybe he really was reading my mind. Something about the expression on his face tells me he knows why I’m here.
He puts a hand on my shoulder and waits a second to see how I react. When I don’t flinch, he guides me to the living room. I drop onto the sofa while Caleb takes a bottle of whiskey out of the glass cabinet next to the door to the roof terrace.
“Do you want some?” he asks, holding up the bottle. At first, I want to refuse, but then I nod. “Just a little.” To calm my nerves.
Caleb seems to feel the same way. He gets two glasses from the kitchen and hands me one. I take a tiny sip and grimace as the alcohol burns in my throat. I don’t really like whiskey or alcohol in general, but a pleasant warmth spreads through my stomach.
Caleb downs his whiskey in one go and regards me with a look that’s simultaneously anguished, worried, and curious. “Okay, I think I’m ready. Shoot.”
I hesitate and bite my lower lip. I don’t know where to start.
“What are you worried about?” he asks, because he’s my brother and knows me better than anyone else in the world.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” I’m honest. I have to be, because I already hurt him once, and I never, ever want to see him the way he was that night again.
Caleb swallows and then shrugs, grinning at me. “If you’re worried that I might still have feelings for Jase, I can put your mind at ease: I don’t. But you already know that.”
“Yes, I know.”
Caleb has Parker, and he’s totally infatuated. But that’s not the only reason I was worried.
“Then spit it out.” He pokes me encouragingly, and then I just say it.
“We argued. I mean, that’s not quite right. Jase... he told me about a lot of things—things from last year that you and I didn’t know. And somehow, it got out of hand.”
Caleb stiffens, but I keep talking before he can get the wrong idea.
“We had sex, and—”
“Wait. What?” Stunned, he stares at me, but I’m not done yet.
“We slept together,” I repeat, and his look becomes even more incredulous. I understand how he feels. Even I can barely believe it. “But then Jase told me to leave, and earlier today, I told him everything.”
“You told himeverything?” I hear shock in his voice, and it takes me a moment to understand his reaction. I shake my head vigorously.
“No, noteverything. I didn’t tell him anything about you. Just about me.”
Caleb remains silent, reaches for the bottle, and fills his glass again.
“Caleb, I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to hear this. I shouldn’t have told you.” I make an effort to get up, but my brother pushes me back onto the sofa.
“Stop apologizing. You have nothing to be sorry for. I want to hear everything. I just have a feeling that you’ve left out an essential part of the story. So let’s start again. What did Jase tell you? And why?”
“It’s about his parents. Did you know they kicked him out?”
Caleb goes pale, and his eyes widen in horror. “What?”
