The Best Mistake - Cookie O'Gorman Page 0,82

you guys been?” Chase asked.

“At Emmy’s,” Baylor said, and my heart jumped, waiting to hear if he’d say more. “The girls were painting some shelves, so we decided to crash.”

“Well, next time take this sad sack with you, so I can read in peace.”

I shook my head. “Why would I want to go over there?”

“Why do girls like unicorns and guys like dragons?” Dex lifted his brows as we all looked to him. “What? I thought we were playing a game to see who could come up with dumbest question.”

With an eyeroll, Chase said what I’d been dying to ask. “How was everyone?”

“Good,” Baylor said as he got a glass from the kitchen and filled it with water. Dex followed behind him, grabbing a coke. “Well, except for that Honor chick.”

I cut my eyes to him quickly. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Why do you care?” Dex said. “I thought you said you didn’t want to go over there.”

“Can one of you idiots just answer the question?” I said.

It seemed like my heart was beating for the first time in three weeks. I hadn’t gotten much sleep in nearly that amount of time. I’d just been coasting through the days, waking up, going to school, going to practice, coming home to see how Chase was doing and repeat. This was the first news I’d heard of Honor. She hadn’t texted again, and Emmy was being so tight-lipped I couldn’t get anything out of her. Not that I’d tried too hard. This was a bed of my own making, and I was currently drowning in it.

My frown only grew as Baylor bit back a grin. “Truth is she looks like she got hit by a truck.”

“Or a train,” Dex added.

“Yeah, or got ran over by a stampede of wild horses—which is basically the look you’ve been sporting these past couple weeks, Arch.”

“Now, I wonder why that could be,” Chase said.

“Guys,” I said, “we’ve been over this. Yeah, I…feel a lot of things for Honor.” Baylor snorted at this, but I kept going. “I’d probably lay down my life for that girl. But it doesn’t matter. My family needs me more.”

“My arm is healing,” Chase said, “and there’s nothing you can do to speed up the process. Why don’t you just admit it? You miss her.”

“I do miss her.” My voice was losing its strength, but that seemed to be happening a lot recently. “All the time.”

Baylor sat in the recliner across from me and Chase. “Then why don’t you go and get her back?”

“What?”

“Why don’t you get her back?” he repeated slowly. “It’s the most obvious solution. So, you sent her a text telling her you guys needed to take a break. Well, guess what, Arch? Breaks end. You just need to stop your pity party and tell her how you feel.”

That made my blood rise. “Pity party? I left you for one night, and now Chase’s arm is broken. I could’ve prevented it from happening.”

“Really?” Dex said, leaned forward, putting his elbows on the counter of the kitchen. “Because Bay and I were there, and we couldn’t stop it. Everything went from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye. I don’t get your logic.”

“Of course, you don’t,” I said. “I’ve been looking out for you guys all your lives.”

“I know,” Dex said.

I shook my head. “I don’t think you do. Worrying about you guys is a full-time job. Chase was the one I didn’t think I had to worry about and look what happened to him.”

For once, Baylor wasn’t smiling. His face only held concern. “You don’t have to worry anymore, Arch. We’re grown-up now.”

“Yes, I do have to worry,” I said, the words nearly a shout. I was trying to stay calm, but they just kept pushing. These past weeks without Honor had been a torment. I couldn’t stop what came out of my mouth next if I wanted to. “None of you get it. You’re my younger brothers. Emmy’s my baby sister. It’s my responsibility, my duty and privilege, to protect all of you and Mom. If Dad was here, he’d understand.”

“But he’s not here,” Baylor said quietly. “And you’re not him.”

“I know that.” I sighed.

Dex cocked his head. “And Dad wouldn’t have blamed you for what happened. Or any of us. He would’ve blamed those idiots at the bar.”

“You want to know what I think?” Chase said then kept going, not waiting for a response. “You’re just mad at yourself because you forgot to be sad for