Page 47 of Shane

“My boyfriend at the time.” Tears start to swell in my eyes. I wipe them with the back of my hand, and Shane squeezes my waist a bit tighter. “John stormed inside the party looking for me and ended up in a fight with the asshole.”

“Was it bad?”

“You fight a lot, right?”

“I’ve had my share.”

“You need to be careful then because you never know when one could go sideways.”

“How did it go sideways?”

“The asshole ended up hurting John really badly. Completely smashed his knee and his head in.”

“Is he…okay now?”

“He was in the hospital for two weeks and has been in physical therapy ever since.”

“Damn.”

“His life was totally upended. He was supposed to go to the University of Miami in the fall, but the worst part is that he’ll never have full use of his leg and may have to walk with a cane for the rest of his life.”

Shane turns me a few degrees in his lap, my back against the staircase’s banister, and looks at me steadily. “I’m sorry, Kennedy. That’s a terrible story that I’m sure is weighing heavy on your heart. Do you still talk to John?”

“He never wants to talk to me again.”

“Why do you say that? That wasn’t your fault.”

“I just told you the whole story, Shane.”

“And?”

“I broke all my rules. I went there alone. I drank past my limit. And if it weren’t for me, John wouldn’t be permanently disfigured.”

“I bet that’s not how he feels at all.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. His parents filed a civil suit against the guy and named me as a co-defendant.”

“And what did John say?”

“He blamed me too.”

“Well, shit. What an asshole.”

“My parents were livid with me. They were going through their divorce and didn’t want to go through a long court battle, so they settled with the guy’s family. My father had to sell one of his franchises to pay.”

“Fuck, Kennedy. That’s some bullshit. You did nothing wrong. That sounds like they knew your father had some money and saw a payday.”

“John’s parents didn’t have that type of money. I think they had to file for bankruptcy or something but he never called me again.”

“Boys are dumb, and sometimes we get into situations that are over our heads. His parents probably made him cut off all ties with you.”

“I guess but I’m not surprised.”

“Hey, maybe you dodged a bullet. John doesn’t sound very bright. He should have just pulled you out of the party and not confronted the guy. Not alone anyway.”

“You shouldn’t blame the victim.”

“And neither should you. You were a victim, too. The only victim if you ask me.”