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He came all this way to drag you back. He said he’d never let you go.
No. Oskar was not here. He couldn’t be. He wouldn’t dare.
I grabbed the windbreaker and wind pants that matched, putting the outfit back on over my Speedo.
Maybe it was me. Maybe the stress of the meet and everything with Win triggered my subconscious into doing something that once earned me peace. Yes. That could totally be it. I probably just did it myself. Oskar would never come here.
After grabbing what I needed from my locker, I slammed it closed and fled the locker room, not bothering to shower, change, or say goodbye.
I fled like the adrenaline and dread in my gut begged me to, all the while, my mind trying to promise itself that it was me who did that and I was safe.
The mind was a powerful thing, but my fear was stronger, and so deep down, I couldn’t quite be convinced Oskar wasn’t here. That those folded clothes weren’t a promise of things to come.
21
Win
He pacedlight-footed in the hallway outside my bedroom.Back and forth. Back and forth.
When I began to worry about the path he would wear in the floor, I wandered over to the door. “Wes.”
He stopped midstride, rotating to give me a sheepish look.
Thumbing over my shoulder, I said, “Get in here.”
I led him into my room, which he never hesitated to barge into at any other time, and leaned against my desk, crossing my arms over my chest. I was only two years older than Wes, but he would always be my little brother. He would always be someone I would protect and feel responsible for. We’d always been close. Our mom made sure of that, but when our parents died, it pushed us even closer.
In many ways, he was the reason I didn’t completely fall apart. He needed me, and focusing on him made the pain a little easier to carry. Max, Wes, and I were a family not just because of blood but because of loyalty, experience, and friendship.
“You wanna tell me why you’re wearing a hole in the floor out there?” I mused.
“I’m not sure I should.”
I frowned, dropping my arms. “You can tell me anything, Wes.”
He nodded. “Even if I want to talk about stuff I’m not supposed to know?”
I sighed. “You talked to Max.”
“I have eyes,” he shot, the bratty little brother making an appearance. “And I shouldn’t have to talk to Max. You should talk to me.”
“I do talk to you.”
“Not like you talk to Max,” he muttered.
I grinned. “Aww, little bro, are you jealous?”
He made a face. “That you two act like this is an episode ofMy Two Dads?” He scoffed. “Hardly.”
“First of all, I don’t need to know if you call Max daddy.”
Wes made a sound and gave me the finger. “Gross. It’s bad enough people think I’m dating my brother.”
I cackled.
“Seriously, Win. I’m not a kid.”
I rubbed a hand over my face. “I know.”
