“Where else would I be, genius?” I chuckle.
“Are you drunk?”
“I might be. Rough night.”
“Did you drive to wherever the hell you are?”
“Give me another,” I shout to the barman who shakes his head. “I’ve been trying to get one more drink off him, but the asshole won’t budge.”
"Kace?" my brother's voice reminds me we're actually on a call.
“Jax, do you think I’m a fuck up?”
"No, bro, it's not that. I just . . ." He seems to choose his words carefully. "You need help," he breathes, sounding defeated.
“And Tiffany can do that?” I ask him, yawning.
“I have no clue, but I bet it’s worth a try.”
“And what if she realizes I’m the brother she should have chosen?”
"Trust me, baby bro, she wouldn't." We both laugh. "Where are you? I'll come to get you."
“Nah, I’m good. I’ll get a taxi.”
“Yeah right. The moment we ring off, you’re gonna beg that bartender for your keys.”
I rattle off the bar name, and he promises to meet me in twenty minutes.
Seated in Jax’s SUV,my head lolls from side to side. I can’t see anything in front of me. My head just spins. I take a sip of the water Jax insisted I drink. It’s soothing to my parched throat. The lights just speed by.
“I saw Dad,” I slur, my head flopping forward. “And Elaine. She’s grown so much. We have a sister, you know, Jax.”
Jax sighs. “Where did you see them?”
“The house. I was delivering pizza.” I laugh at the irony.
“How’d it go with him?” He casts me a sidelong glance. I don’t miss his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter.
“He was disappointed. He said he expected better from me.”
“That fucking—”
"You know what, bro, for the first time, I realize that even I expected more from me," I concede sincerely and hold his gaze for a second before he looks back at the road. "I've been messing about for years, living off my mother's death insurance and the measly salary I make at the paper."
“Don’t let him get to you, Kace.”
“Jax, I’m serious. I wanted to be a journalist, not a cheap knock-off. I didn’t even complete my degree. I wasted a scholarship and ended up in debt all because I wanted to prove to him that I can do whatever I want in my life. I didn't want to be the son he could talk about at his parties and get-togethers. I wanted to be a loser."
“You’re not a fucking loser,” my brother shouts. “You’re far from that.”
I shake my head and look away from him. We arrive at his house, and I notice the living room lights are on. He looks in the direction of my gaze. "She waited up for us."
“For you, Jax. Ain't nobody waiting up for me.”
Chapter 6
Kenzie
