Page 47 of Cheap Shot

He fell back against the wall and slid until he was sitting down. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired.”

Haley and I shared a look. There was a difference between sleep-deprived and insane, and he was clearly on one end of the spectrum.

“Where have you been?” Haley asked, folding her arms over her stomach.

“I was out.” He rubbed his face.

“Are you in trouble?” I bent down until I was sitting in front of him.

His eyes widened. “What? No. It’s nothing like that. I’ve just been really busy, and last night my phone died and I didn’t have a charger.”

“You didn’t answer me.” Haley’s voice grew louder. “Where were you?”

“I was out,” he repeated through a clenched jaw. “Don’t worry about it.”

“No problem there.” She huffed and turned around, pulling on her shoes.

“I’m sorry, Haley. What exactly happened?” Ethan asked, his tone soft and pleading.

She glanced at me then faced him. “I went to a party, and a guy put something in my drink. I got to a bathroom and called you, but you didn’t answer. Luckily, Reid came and got me before anything happened.”

Ethan stared at me, unblinking, before letting out a huge sigh and looking back at her. “I’m so sorry, Haley. I should have been there for you.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “I’m fine now.”

“Are you sure? Do you want to go to the hospital or anything?” he asked.

“No. I don’t.” Her tone was so sharp that I flinched.

Ethan dropped his head and gave in. “Okay.”

“I’m leaving.” She eyed him before sighing.

“I’ll walk you home.” I went to open the door when there was a knock.

I hesitated, confused for a second before opening it.

Jake was grinning at me with a duffle bag hanging from his shoulder.

“What are you doing here?” I was too shocked to think of anything else.

“Hey, nice to see you too.” He patted my shoulder and walked past me into the room. “Oh cool, we’re having a party.”

I closed the door and turned to see him offering his hand to Haley.

“I’m Jake, the attractive Bayman brother,” he said, and I immediately slapped him in the back of the head.

“Shut up.”

Ethan got up and brushed his hands over his shirt in a feeble attempt to look less like a walking dumpster fire. “Hey man! It’s been a while.”

They gave each other a hug, then Ethan gestured to Haley. “This is my sister, Haley.”

Jake’s smile grew. “Wow, seems like you got all the looks in the family too.”

Her cheeks reddened, and I nearly kicked out his knees. Was I jealous of my seventeen-year-old brother? Yes. Was he better with women than me? Obviously. I’d never admit it to him for all the money in the world, but he really was better looking and more talented than me. It was annoying to say the least, especially since he didn’t seem to have a humble bone in his body.

Her laugh was enough to snap me from fantasizing about beating him up just to make him remember his place as the little brother.