anyway. We’ve been pushing it under the rug for years, but you have a problem.”
“I’m not an alcoholic if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“Like hell you’re not.” He looked down and up again. “I’d know. I’m one too.”
I went to cross my arms but the tube from the IV stopped me. “What are you talking about? I’ve never seen you take a drink in my life.”
“Why do you think that is?” He ran a hand through his graying hair.
“I thought it was because of Grandpa…” I knew Dad’s dad had drinking problems. He’d been in AA my whole childhood.
“It was partly, but I really stopped because I almost missed Ben’s birth.”
“Shit.” The word slipped out before I could think.
“Jake!” Mom snapped at me.
“Sorry.”
“I’m lucky your mother didn’t kick me to the curb. Thankfully, your uncle got me in there in time. I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol since.”
I didn’t know what to say. Why was he only telling me that now? Maybe if I’d known… I stopped that train of thought. It probably wouldn’t have changed anything. It’s not like I would have wanted to listen to him.
Dad didn’t wait for me to respond. “I already called Jim Morgan. He thinks he can keep you from doing any jail time because it’s a first offense, but there’s no way you’re getting out of this without at least some community service. You’re also going to lose your license. Jim thinks it might only be the minimum one year, but a 0.3 alcohol level is not a minor offense.”
Jim Morgan was Dad’s attorney. He’d only be talking to him about me for one reason. “Wait, I’m getting a DUI?”
“What did you think was going to happen?”
“I’m in the hospital…”
“Because you drove drunk. Thank the Lord you didn’t hurt anyone else.”
I hadn’t even thought about that. What if I’d hit someone? It was one thing to get myself sent to the hospital. If I’d hurt or killed someone else—I couldn’t even fathom it. I put my head in my hand. “What happens next?”
“You have a court date set up for next week. Now we wait to talk to the doctors and get you home.”
I looked up when I heard someone knocking on the open door.
“Can we come in?” Molly asked tentatively. Ben waited with her.
I made myself smile at her. “Yeah, definitely.”
“Why don’t we let you all talk? We’ll be in the waiting room.” Mom patted my hand before getting up. Dad gave me a small smile and followed her out.
I waited until my parents disappeared through the doorway. “I really fucked up this time, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, you did.” Ben pulled a chair over, gesturing for Molly to take the one Mom had been using.
“I’m sorry.”
Ben leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “For scaring the hell out of us? Mom probably lost ten years off her life.”
“For this and the other stuff.”
“Am I pissed you tried to wreck my relationship with Molly? Yeah, but it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“That was ages ago, Jake. We were kids.” Molly touched my arm gently. I wasn’t used to her talking to me nicely.
“You really don’t care?” I’d spent the last six years worried that Ben would find out. What kind of guy tries to screw his brother over like that? It had to have been my low point. It didn’t help that Daniela suggested it right after we’d hooked up. We were both using each other. I was the closest thing she could get to Ben, and she gave me sex without asking for anything more.
Ben straightened. His expression told me he wished he was anywhere but there. He wasn’t the only one. “I already told you I was annoyed, but it’s over. Let’s stop talking about it.”
Molly looked like she wanted to say something but closed her mouth.
“Just say it.”
She studied her lap. “Did you really have a thing for me?”
I smiled, waiting for her to look at me. “Yes, as misguided as it was.”
She laughed. “I had a crush on you once too.”
“You did?” Ben and I said at the same time.
“For over a year, actually. I thought I’d lost my mind. I was supposed to hate you.”
“What changed your mind?” I asked.
“I fell for Ben in eighth grade.”
“Your crush was in middle school? That doesn’t count.”
“What did you expect? Ben and I started dating when I was fifteen.” She rolled her eyes. Usually it annoyed me when she did that, but I liked it this time.
“It’s good to have the