Page 142 of I Choose You

“I’d like you to apologize to Brooke the next time you see her.”

He scoffed. “What the hell for? I already did, remember?”

He had. He’d taken me by surprise that he did say he was sorry for the shit he said at the cake tasting. It was the one thing that gave me a twinge of hope that he wasn’t truly that horrible of a person, that he could see his faults and make up for it.

I shook my head. “About prom.”

His jaw dropped.

“I think it would go a long way, and I don’t like lying to her about who really dropped her on prom night.”

“Prom?” He rolled his eyes and tipped his beer back, draining it. “Seriously? This again? It’s been over a decade!”

That didn’t matter. Those scars ran that deep.

“How is she still hung up on this?” He stood, tossing his empty bottle to the bucket where we were collecting them for recycling.

Brooke claimed she wasn’t hung up on it, but I could tell it lingered in her mind. It likely always would.

“It’s about doing the right thing.”

He sneered at me. “You’re such a self-righteous prick, you know that?”

I ground my molars together, trying to hold on to my temper.

“You actually give a shit about something from over ten fucking years ago?”

I glared at his indignant tone, like I was being ridiculous. “It doesn’t matter how long ago it was. I care.”

He grunted. “Yeah. I know you care about her or whatever. But this is stupid. It was in the past. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“It does matter!”

He got in my face. “Not to me!”

I shoved him back as my anger grew. “It was your fault. Your idea. I shouldn’t have to own up to it on your behalf and explain.”

He smirked. “Then fucking don’t. Let it go.”

“You should own up for it!”

One of our uncles shouted from the deck. “Hey. Easy, boys.”

Neither of us cared. I wasn’t in any mood to back down right now. Kody never was. So, we were shouting. It wouldn’t be anything new. Maybe if I yelled even louder, I’d get through Kody’s thick fucking skull.

“I don’t have to own up to anything.” Kody lifted his chin, daring me to argue. “Especially not some stupid high school shit.”

“It wasn’t some stupid shit.”

He shoved at me, and I snapped. I couldn’t help this protective surge that took over me. I hated to think of Brooke being hurt. The way he blatantly disrespected her now was the last straw.

He scowled, righting his shirt from being ruffled from my push back. “I don’t care.”

“Boys!” another uncle hollered from closer to the house. “Break it up!”

“I’m done apologizing to her,” Kody swore. “Because I don’t care.”

I pushed him hard. When he stumbled and fell into the lake, I was breathing hard from the adrenaline. I tugged my shirt back in place from being yanked around in our argument.