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My legs shake when I slide back to the ground. Warren curses, rubbing his face.

“What the fuck?” I repeat. “You can’t just go around attacking people.”

Warren doesn’t respond. He paces a tight circle, rubbing his face, putting his hands on his head, then shaking them out.

“Were you fighting with… with Ellis?”

“Was nothing,” Warren says, ending it with an agitated huff.

“Bullshit, nothing. You sounded wrecked. You look wrecked, War. What’s going on?”

Warren stops his pacing to lean against the brick wall of the bar. He thunks his head back, and after a minute, he looks down at me.

“I messed up, Em. Messed up my relationship. Messed up my friendship with Dill. Ruined all my future plans.” He laughs, a sad broken sound that has me frowning. “Have you ever wanted something so badly, you lost sight of everything else around you?” He says it softer than Warren normally speaks.

“Yes,” I answer. Simple and honest, no jokes to be found this time.

My big brother looks at me and inhales deeply. “You should go see if he’s okay.”

I glance in the direction Dillon went, but the night has swallowed him up. “Are you okay, War?”

Warren rolls his head back on the wall and looks up, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Nope.”

My instinct is to push. To demand he tell me what the hell is going on with him, but there is something about the aching hurt on my brother’s face that keeps the incessant questions at bay. I swallow them all down, and instead bump my shoulder against him.

“Will you at least promise to tell me when you’re ready?”

He doesn’t respond, just nods with a weary sigh.

I guess I have to accept that, even if I don’t like it.

Emerson

Bitches & Bros

Z: You owe me $18.72 Emery.

Ian: Are you good, dude? Where did you go?

Z: Make that $38.72. Gave Ellis a 20 tip. He looks sad.

Ian: Warren? Emery?

Z: Dillon just came in here busted up to collect a pretty redhead…

Z: helloooooo???

Ian: Pretty sure we were ghosted by our brothers, dude.

“So, my theory is that Warren and Morgan had a threesome, and the other chick ended up having a boyfriend. Boyfriend found out, put a hit on Warren. Warren is freaking out, of course. He’s about to be executed when he least expects it, mafia style. He’s fake breakup-ing with Morgan, so he can send her away and the bad guy doesn’t also come for her as an extra fuck you to my brother. Ya know? Totally plausible scenario.” I lean forward. “Makes sense why Dillon keeps beating up my brother, too. Though tonight was definitely Warren’s fault.” I sigh and shake my head. “What a mess. My mom will be sooooo mad if he gets himself blown up and it has to be a closed casket.”

The Uber driver blinks at me where he’s half turned. His phone chimes in the holder on his dash, and he looks over at it then back at me. “Um, yeah, man. That sounds…” He shrugs, a nervous laugh ending it. He scratches the side of his head and looks back over at his phone.

We’ve been parked for ten minutes.

Lights are on.

I know he’s home.