“And you’re always changing the subject when people tell you things you don’t wanttohear.”
“Okay. You canstopnow.”
“What? I skipped to the end. That was the last one.” I didn’t believe that for a second, but he just nudged my left ankle with his foot; the one where I had the angel tattoo. “Remember when we gotthose?”
“Yeah.” How could I ever forget? “After Mom died.” I frowned at him a little. “Took us like two years to do it, though, since you werechicken.”
“Since I wanted to make sure we got something cool and you didn’t make us get matching pink unicorns orsomeshit.”
I rolled my eyes. The tattooswerecool, and yes, they were my idea, but luckily he’d agreedtothem.
“It was his shirt, wasn’t it?” he asked. “That Zeppelin shirt of Brody’s you always wear. That’s where you got the idea to do theangels.”
I just blinked at him, a little surprised he’d figured that out. The angel on our tattoos looked nothing like the image on theshirt.
He shrugged. “I told you, I see things.Icare.”
“I knowyoudo.”
He was silent a moment, just looking at me. Then he said, “It’s always been Brody foryou,huh?”
I swallowed. This wasn’t something Jesse and I had ever discussed. I knew he had some idea back then, and maybe all along the way, that there was something between us. I was pretty sure he figured maybe I had some hopeless crush on Brody. But he’d never asked and I’dnevertold.
“Yes,”Isaid.
He seemed toprocessthat.
“It’s you for him, too,” he said, and it wasn’t aquestion.
I justnodded.
“Well, for me it’s Katie. And knowing she’s mine… I can’t tell you how that feels. How… rightitis.”
“I know,” I said. “Iseethat.”
“Then, if he’s the one for you… what the hell are you waiting for? Mom and Dad are long gone, and I’m officially giving you permission to be happy, littlesister.”
I could feel my eyes tearing up, the little prickle inside, but I blinked the wetness back. “Oh, well. If you’re giving mepermission…”
He grinned, but we were interrupted then, as Zane, Dylan and Ash burst into the room with some friends, carrying enough booze to entertain a small army on leave, followed by Maggie and Elle. Zane immediately appointed himself DJ, cranking Thin Lizzy through the sound system, and the party officially gotunderway.
Dylan introduced me to his buddies, then I got caught up talking with Elle and Ash, and gradually the party room filledaroundus.
It was just like old times, but better—because I wasn’t suffering in silent guilt, longing for Brody from afar… watching him across the room throwing me angry, hurt looks… wanting so badly to talk to him and just notknowinghow.
This… this was so muchbetter.
While I chatted with Katie and her friend Devi, I did watch Brody across the room. Mingling, talking and laughing, looking happy. Maggie was right. He did smile around the guys. A lot. But when he looked over at me, which he also did a lot, he didn’t stop. He just smiledbigger.
And eventually, once everyone had drinks and burgers, then more drinks, and he was satisfied that his job had been done, he came over to me and tookmyhand.
“Come with me,” he said, leaning in close to kiss my neck. “I want to show yousomething.”
ChapterThirty-Two
Jessa
Brody led me upstairs,to the second floor. To the room at the very end of the hall—and when we stepped inside, I had to do adouble-take.
