Page 5 of Saving Wyatt

I pursed my lips and cocked my head to the side. "Really? Even with his own brother?"

"He's always been like that. I don't know. Maybe it's our age difference or maybe he's just an extremely private person. I've always tried to reach out. Build some kind of relationship, but⁠—"

"You haven't been able to?"

He shook his head. "It always feels like he's keeping me at arm's length. I guess that's why he hasn't told me about—" He stopped abruptly, and I frowned.

"About?"

"Nothing. It's...erm...nothing. So yeah. That's been my day. How was yours?"

I studied his face a little longer, trying to read in it what he wasn't telling me, but then I decided it was probably none of my business, so I answered his question.

However, when the pizza arrived and I could finally unwind for the day, I prodded further. Maybe it was none of my business, but the problem-solver in me couldn’t let it go.

"Have you tried opening up to him? Your brother, I mean." I chewed on a greasy, cheesy slice and looked at my friend.

"Yeah. There's not much to share though, so it's kind of a moot subject."

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to tell your brother you've retired? I would think an ex-Marine like him would have thoughts and opinions on that."

"Navy SEAL, and yeah, I know he would. Probably why I don't want to tell him."

I narrowed my eyes and shook my head. My friend was weird. Then again, I didn't know the family dynamic with his brother, so who was I to judge him? Only his best friend, I suppose, but still.

"I think I'm gonna have an early night." I yawned and pushed the pizza box away after a few more minutes.

Today had been a long day, and tomorrow was probably going to be equally exhausting. Sickness and misfortune didn't stop for the holidays and neither did I.

My beauty sleep was cut short when I was woken up at the crack of dawn, barely six in the morning, by a panicked Warren.

"What happened? Are you—" I started.

"It's my brother. He's been arrested," he said before I could finish.

"What? Why?" I rubbed the sleep off my eyes and sat up in bed, trying to blink away the exhaustion.

"They say he killed a guy."

I frowned. "Shit. What are you going to do?"

"I...I don't know. He said he was being questioned. His lawyer doesn't think they have enough to charge him yet, so she thinks they'll release him under investigation."

I took a beat to get up and pull up my pants and then approached my friend and held him by the shoulders.

"That's good, isn't it? That they don't have enough evidence?"

"I guess." He winced.

"How can I help? Are you okay? Do you need me to do anything?"

Warren sighed and relaxed in my arms. "I don't know if there's anything I can do. Or what I should do."

"Right. If they're going to release him, maybe we should pick him up, right?"

"I'm sure his lawyer can give him a ride."

I frowned. "Warren, you big, thick idiot. He's your brother. He needs you there."