I shook my head slowly and switched focus from Jackson to Christine. “No. I can’t get a hold of him,” I said. “I’m just going to Ashlee’s for a bit, if that’s okay?”

“Sure, sweetheart. Have fun.” Christine smiled, then rolled her eyes when Jackson scoffed.

“What? You want to hang out at Ashlee’s? You’re more than welcome,” I offered.

His eyes snapped to mine—his jaw hanging open.

I sighed. “Seriously. You can tag along.”

His face fell. “I’m good, Ky.” He turned his head back to the TV, but his eyes were cast downwards. “Happy birthday,” he muttered.

Jeff cleared his throat. “We can do something, son,” he said, speaking to Jackson. His gaze flicked to me quickly, and even though it was a split-second, I could see the disappointment.

Hell, I could feel the disappointment in the entire room.

Jeff added, “How bout you show me that aura game on the Zbox?”

Jackson chuckled. Shit, he was such a kid. “Halo, Dad. And Xbox.”

Christine stood up. “I’ll make some cookies,” she stated, rubbing my arm as she passed me. She lowered her voice, her words meant only for me. “Have a good time, Ky. Be safe.”

I watched Christine make her way to the kitchen, and Jackson and Jeff move to the Xbox set up under the TV. Jax started to explain what everything was while Jeff listened intently.

At that moment—there was a part of me that didn’t want to leave...but it would just be out of pity for Jax, and he’d know it. And he’d hate it. So, I stepped out of the house with a smug smile, my body already anticipating the night ahead with Ashlee.

Ashlee’s parents were away for the weekend. She left the front door unlocked and was already naked in her bed waiting for me.

We had fucked twice before she told me she was hungry.

I took her the ratty diner downtown, hoping to find Steve busy and forced to work late so he’d at least have an excuse as to why he stood me up.

He was there, just not working.

“This place is disgusting, Ky,” Ashlee whined, her hand gripping my arm extra tight.

I ignored her and marched up to Steve, who was sitting in a booth with a bunch of other people. His arms were around a girl on either side of him.

Conversation stopped when I stepped up next to their table. He was the first to look up, his eyes blood-shot, his lids heavy. Most likely from whatever the fuck he’d been taking.

“Baby bro!” He smiled and threw his hand out for me.

I smacked it away.

Two dudes in the booth stood up.

Steve raised his hand to stop them going any further.

“We need to get out of here,” Ashlee said.

I ignored her again.

“You know I waited for you for hours.”

“What are you talking about?”

I couldn’t contain my anger anymore. “You, you asshole! You were supposed to pick me up after the family birthday dinner.”

His face fell. Then he pushed one of the girls out of the booth and stood toe to toe with me. “You know they’re not actually your family, right?”

I shoved his chest. “And what? You are? Where the fuck have you been the last couple of years? You’ve come around, what? Four times? That’s not fucking enough, Steve!” I scoffed and looked down on him. “Don’t stand there and tell me they’re not my family. They’re here—where the fuck are you?”

“Fuck you, Kyler,” he growled, shoving me back.

“No, Steve. Fuck you!”

Ashlee squealed.

Steve’s friends got out of the booth.

I pointed my finger in his face. “You getting fucking high is more important than your own brother? Nice. Real fucking nice! That’s exactly the shit I had to put up with with Mom and Dad. I thought you were different, but you’re just as pathetic and fucked up as they are!”

He got the first punch in.

I got the next three.

We were told to leave.

We did.

“You’re such a fucking Neanderthal, Ky,” Ashlee said once we were back in the car. I turned to her, but she was smirking. “It’s kind of hot.”

We skipped the food and went back to her place, where we repeated the events from earlier that night.

Halfway through the second round, my phone rang. It was Christine. I ignored it.

Two minutes later, it rang again. Jax.

I looked at the time. It was past midnight—past curfew. I switched it to silent. I didn’t want to deal with it. I wanted to forget this shitty night. And Ashlee—she was helping me do that.

We fell asleep in each other’s arms and didn’t wake till morning. The panic I felt when I initially woke was nothing compared to how I felt when I looked at my phone. Over a hundred missed calls—all from Christine and Jax. The panic increased tenfold when I called Christine to apologize. Her voice was a shaky whisper. “You need to come home, Ky. Right now. It’s Jeff.”

When I got home, Christine was sitting on the couch, Jackson next to her, holding her hand.

Christine didn’t even look up when I called out to her. “He’s gone, Ky. Jeff...he’s gone.”

Jackson wrapped her in his arms.

He, too, refused to look at me.

While I was too busy thinking with my dick the night before, Jeff and Jax had set up the Xbox. They’d been playing for a while when one of the controllers died. Jeff went to the store, no more than five minutes away, to buy new batteries.