a hand to my chest and held where my heart was pounding.
Without looking away from Salinger, I quietly told Jeno, “Whatever you found, it wasn’t his. There has to be another explanation. I don’t believe he would hurt either of us like that. I don’t think he would purposely ruin everything we’ve all been working toward.”
It was probably the biggest leap of faith I’d ever taken, but as the words came out, I realized I meant every single one of them, even as Jeno snorted and rolled his eyes at me in disbelief.
“You have no idea how thoughtless and cruel an addict can be. They don’t care about anything but their next fix. Don’t ever think he can love you more than he loves getting high. I made that mistake more than once.”
Salinger flinched and made a move like he was going to charge his younger brother. I put myself in his path once again, putting both my hands on his chest and forcing him to look directly in my eyes. I opened my mouth to argue that while I understood why Jeno was so defensive and harsh, he still needed to hear what Salinger had to say.
Salinger cut me off. “If you’d give me a minute to defend myself, I can prove that whatever you found wasn’t mine.”
Jeno made a noise of disbelief and swore.
Dark eyes searched mine, and even though he looked like he’d been through the wringer, he managed to give me a lopsided smile. “You believe me even without proof of my innocence?”
I gave him a wobbly grin back and reached up so I could lay my fingers on his battered cheek. “I trust you. Don’t make me regret it.”
He nodded and put his hand over mine as he glared at his brother. “I totally get why you’re ready and willing to think the worst of me. I deserve that reaction. But I swear, I didn’t do whatever it is you think I did. If you calm down and let me explain, I’ll prove to you that I really have changed and that I’m committed to being a better man.”
Jeno looked like he wanted to argue some more, but eventually, he exhaled a loud breath and, with obvious reluctance, muttered, “Okay. Prove it.”
It was such a pivotal moment—one with so much on the line.
More than one relationship was at stake. I didn’t want life to imitate art in this instance. I was really hoping Salinger didn’t end up rewriting his happy ending into one that was tragic.
Salinger
MY FIRST REACTION when Jeno came charging out of my room calling me all kinds of names was shock. I didn’t even block the first punch he threw at my face. I was bewildered by his behavior because I knew I hadn’t touched so much as a Tylenol in months, let alone anything that would have him flip out on me. I could see that my suitcase was open on the bed, and the lining, which was usually zipped shut, had been opened. Clearly, Jeno came across something inside that set him off. And it was obvious my brother still hadn’t healed from the wounds I’d left him with when I was at my worst. He took care of me so well and had been the one guiding me for so long, I tended to forget just how young and vulnerable he actually was.
It was instinct to hit back when he charged at me again, and by then, I was also angry he wouldn’t give me a chance to get a word in edgewise. He was in such a haze of anger; he wouldn’t even tell me what he found. He just wanted to pound my face in. As a result, we ended up exchanging blows and taking each other down to the ground. It was a good thing Maren showed up when she had. Otherwise, Jeno and I might have really injured one another.
Maren was holding an ice pack to my throbbing cheek while I scrolled through my phone, looking for the evidence I knew would clear my name. Jeno was sitting across the room on a big, built-in bench seat that was attached to one of the many floor-to-ceiling windows in the condo. He had his arms crossed over his chest and was stubbornly refusing to look in my direction. He wouldn’t even let Maren tend to his split lip or bleeding knuckles. He was being obstinate on purpose. All I could see was a hurt little kid,