AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What did she say?”
Another shrug, but he answers, “Just called me a prick and then went on with her friends. It wasn’t bad.”
I grit my teeth because itisbad—Zach is not a prick. He’s one of the nicest guys I know, and it’s killing him that he hurt her. But what the hell was he supposed to do? Just date her forever even though he didn’t want to?
I think that would have been way worse, but I keep my mouth shut. “Where are Anna and Mary?”
“Staying with Grandma tonight.” I nod, silently happy that his little sisters aren’t stuck at home tonight. Anna is thirteen and has a lot of friends, so most weekends she isn’t at home anyway. But Mary is only eight, and while she has a couple of little friends she can stay with—it’s not every weekend.
Things were so different just around eight years ago, when Zach’s father was still here. He was a damn good dad. Hardworking and fiercely protective, but he died in an accident on the oil rig he was working on. Nothing has been the same since.
Their mom was pregnant with Mary at the time. Scared and alone with three kids. She married her husband’s best friend, Elliot Finch, despite him being a total asshole.
I can’t say I blame her. She got married right out of high school, and her husband was the breadwinner. He made the money, and she took care of the kids and the house.
She clearly didn’t know what to do. So she convinced herself she could love Elliot, but the truth is no one should. He’s an abusive prick and a drunk. Most of the time, his abuse is verbal, but I’ve seen enough bruises on Zach to know it sometimes gets physical.
I’d love to beat the shit out of the son of a bitch. He’s built and in good shape from years of hard labor, but between Zach and me, he wouldn’t stand a chance. But Zach won’t do it.
He loves his sisters too damn much to risk getting kicked out and not being able to protect them. He’s eighteen, but they won’t be for a while.
“Wanna stay at my place?” He nods slowly, and I watch him stand up, a little wobbly on his feet. I shake my head at him with a small smile. “You’re drunk.”
It wasn’t a question, but he argues with me anyway. “No. I just had a couple.”
I laugh at him, standing up and putting my arm around his shoulders, shoulders that also quake a little with each step because he definitely had more than he can handle. Neither of us are big drinkers, but it doesn’t matter to anyone in town that we’re underage because we’re Panthers. If they see us at an event like this, they offer us a beer.
Apparently, tonight Zach partook.
“Let’s get your drunk ass to bed,” I say as we stumble along the sidewalk from the park. I finished the one beer I had tonight a while ago, so I’m fine to drive home. I wouldn’t if I felt even a little bit of the alcohol in my system.
I drive the short distance to my house out in the country. It’s an old farmhouse that was built by my grandfather. I park and help Zach out of the truck and up the stairs of the porch.
My parents must still be at the dance, so thankfully, we don’t run into them or my younger brothers as I help him up the stairs to my bedroom. I used to share it with Jameson, but it’s all mine now.
He plops down on my bed, his fingers going through his dark hair like I assume he’s been doing most of tonight. I go to my knees by the bed and yank off his shoes and socks. “I can do it myself,” he slurs slightly. I think he’s reached the sleepy part of drunk, and for some reason, it makes me smile.
“Yeah, yeah.” I toss his shoes and socks to the side and stand up. “You sleeping like that?” I ask, gesturing to his clothes—a red Panthers t-shirt and jeans.
“Nah,” he says groggily and lifts his shirt up over his head, tossing it somewhere before he flops back on my bed. I’ve seen him like this too many times to count. It’s nothing new. We’re teammates on just about every team the school has to offer, and he’s stayed here every night he could since his mom married Elliot.
He fumbles with the buttons on his jeans a couple of times, his hands flopping down next to him. “Eh, fuck it.”
I chuckle as I watch his eyes slowly close. “You’re so damn lazy.”
“Fuck you, Bates,” he says, his eyes still closed and his hand lazily waving a middle finger my way.
I don’t think too hard about it when I flick the button on his jeans loose and lower the zipper. He helps me push the jeans down, leaving him in black boxer briefs. His eyes are still closed, and I look away, leaving his jeans on the pile of clothes and shoes.
I move to my dresser, shedding my own shirt and jeans before pulling on a pair of joggers, then turn off the lights. He’s passed out on top of the covers, but I managed to maneuver his big ass under the covers on the opposite side of mine and climb in with him.
Sleeping in the same bed with Zach is just familiar at this point.
I’m sure if any of our friends found out about it, they’d have something stupid to say—especially since my brother came out as bisexual not too long ago. But none of that really matters to me.
All that matters is that Zach is safe.
I’ll always do everything in my power to protect him.
