Page 48 of Broken Pieces
My thoughts are disrupted as Laney, Summer’s sister, jumps into Mac’s lap. “There you are. I wondered where you went.”
Mac wraps his arms around Laney, “I’ve been here the whole time.”
“Well, you told me you would drive me home and I was startin’ to get tired.”
Mac smirks as he tosses his half-full beer into the trash. “I completely forgot. You ready to go?”
Laney grinds her body into his crotch, and she nods her head. I look over at Brooks who is staring at me. I glance away quickly as I hear Mac get up. “Well, it looks like I need to go. I’ll be back soon.”
Laney frowns at his answer although the way he pulls her in closer to him, I am sure he is lying. Brooks practically answers the question as he says, “No you won’t.”
Mac punches Brooks in the arm as he walks away with Laney in tow.
“So those two an item?” I ask to break the silence between us.
“I wouldn’t call them an item.”
Summer walks over and slumps into the couch Mac was in. “Did my sister just leave with Donnie Maclan?”
Brooks just shrugs as Summer continues, “She is such an idiot. When is she ever gonna learn he ain’t ever gonna want her in more than the way he has her now?”
“I am sure she’ll figure it out soon,” Brooks answers.
“Wait his name is Donnie? I thought his name was Mac.”
Brooks drinks from his beer, his eyes back to capturing mine. “His name is Donald. Most people call him Donnie. But I told him from the day we met I was never gonna call him Donald because it sounded like a pansy name. If he wanted to be my friend, he was gonna have to answer to Mac.”
“Wow that doesn’t make you an asshole at all,” I say sarcastically.
“Some things don’t change,” Easton says. I wince when I hear my brother approach and sit next to Summer.
“In some people’s eyes they don’t,” Brooks responds. I don’t know what happened between Brooks and my brother, but it was enough to make them hate each other.
“Alright you two play nice,” Summer interjects.
Easton glances over at me. “Is that a beer your drinkin’?”
I look down at the bottle, my hand covering the label. “Yeah big brother. A root beer.” I am sure he isn’t convinced.
“Alright then.”
“Really?” Summer asks. Thanks for uncovering my lie.
Easton leans back in the couch and it’s then when I realize he might be on his way to drunk. “She isn’t in public. She is safe here. I am fine if she has a couple drinks. Besides her birthday is next week.”
“It is?” Brooks asks.
I blush. I didn’t want everyone to know. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I am turning twenty-one but with everything else that’s going on and my lack of friends I just don’t really care. “Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Summer asks. “Oh my gosh, what day is it? I hope I don’t have anything booked that day so we can throw you a party.”
I sip my beer. “It’s really not that big a deal.”
Brooks chimes in, “But it’s your twenty-first birthday. Those are always big deals.”
I look at him and see the way he is staring at me still. A dangerous look with my brother being around. It’s hard to tear my eyes away from him. I want to know what makes those whiskey eyes of his burn. “It’s really not a big deal.”
“We’ll figure something out,” Summer says. I just nod at her as I risk another glance at Brooks. I know it’s dangerous, but his stare makes my body hum with electricity.