the truck.”
He shakes his head and tries to stand, but falls back on his ass. “Look for Randy or Eric. They’re DDs tonight. Don’t make me call your momma.”
He pops the top to another beer and chugs it back. Maybe it’s even worse for him than I thought. I turn for my truck, trying to tell my legs to walk, but they’re worse than pool noodles. Dang. How much did I drink? And why the hell did I park in effin’ Egypt? Once I finally reach the trusty old Chevy, I yank the door open, but it slams closed.
Eric steps in front of me, holding out his hand. “Keys, bro.”
There’s two of him. Does he know that there’s two of him? I rub my head. It’s already hurtin’ like a bastard. “Junior, I got this. I’m just gonna sleep.” He pushes my shoulder, making me stumble back. “The hell was that for?”
He scoffs. “You’re drunk off your ass, Braxton, and you never trust a drunk. Now give me the damn keys before you kill yourself.”
My throat tightens. “Like father, like son, huh?” I manage to choke out.
Eric’s face falls. He blinks quickly, shaking his head. “You’re not gonna be like your dad tonight.” He swipes the keys right from my hand. “Get in. You’re going home.”
There’s no use arguing. He’s lucky I haven’t puked all over his boots. I slide into the passenger seat and slump down, my eyelids growing heavy. Marisa flashes through my head, clear as ever, even through the alcohol haze. I squeeze my eyes closed. I don’t want to think about her. I don’t want to think about how tonight was my fault. I should’ve seen something was wrong. I’m her damn boyfriend, and I couldn’t even tell that she was thinking about offing herself.
The truck lurches, taking my stomach with it. I puke on the floorboard. Flopping back against the seat, I close my eyes again. I hope Marisa’s sleeping. That’s all she wanted to do. Right now, that’s all I want. Maybe we can sleep together.
“Do I wanna know what happened?” Eric asks.
“Nope.”
“You gonna be all right?”
Nope. “Sure.”
He snickers. “You’re a piss-poor liar, Braxton.”
The truck slows and rumbles over my driveway before it stops. I force my eyes open. The house is dark, which means Momma must have given up on me and gone to bed. There’s no telling what time it is, but I’m in for it tomorrow.
Just as I reach for the door handle, Eric says, “You’re the most together person I know. If you’re losin’ it and my brother’s losin’ it, I don’t know who the hell to count on anymore. Y’all are making me look normal.”
It’s hard to hold it together when everyone leaves you. Jamie loved me, left me, and forgot all about me. And apparently there’s something about me that makes people want to kill themselves. I wasn’t good enough for Dad. I’m not good enough for Marisa. I’m not good enough for anybody.
Love sucks. It’s a damn joke, and a bad one.
“Best advice I can give ya?” I say. “Put a steel trap around your heart.” I step out of the truck. “Drive this on home. Bring it back whenever.”
Stumbling into my room is a cruel reminder of what I thought tonight would be. This was date night, because Marisa’s supposed to leave for Maryland on Sunday. So the pile of pillows and blankets still sits next to my door. They never got to be loaded up in the truck bed and taken out to the pond. And I never got to tell Marisa how nuts she makes me. How her smile makes me understand every stupid love song cliché. How crazy I go when she’s not around.
How I love her. No matter how much it freakin’ sucks, I love that girl.
Damn it.
chapter twenty
The goblins are back. They don’t have pickaxes this time. They have drills, screwdrivers, and hammers. Basically, they came with the whole damn toolbox.
The sun streaming through my bedroom window is like a laser. I yank the comforter over my head with a groan. What I’d give to sleep in for just one Saturday, especially today. I can’t remember the last time I got the chance. My door swings open just as blessed sleep nearly takes me again. Wait for it. Wait for—
Momma snatches both the comforter and sheet off me in one swift motion. “Up. Now.”
I groan again, rolling my face into the pillow. “Five more minutes.”
Her footsteps cross my room. I hear