himself toward the hallway. “Please don’t think of going out there, Elle. Please.”
“I promised I wouldn’t, Leo. And I always keep my promises.”
“Okay.” He nods several times, taking a few more backward steps into the hallway. “Very well. I trust you, Elle.”
My heart speeds in my chest again, but I try not to think about it. I only nod and watch him until he disappears into the bathroom.
As soon as I hear the shower turn on, I run back over to my purse and pull out my phone.
Dialing Owen’s number, I wait for him to answer.
And wait.
And wait.
His voicemail picks up after the tenth ring and I hang up, dialing the number again. This time, he answers after only the second ring.
“What?” He sounds half-asleep, even though there’s only a two-hour difference between our time zones—and it’s only early afternoon here.
“Owen. We need to talk.”
“Can’t. Busy.”
“Owen, it’s important. I have to—”
“Hang on.” There’s some shuffling and the click of a door. “Okay, what?”
“What are you doing? And why are you asleep? It’s only two o’clock—”
“Dude, I pulled an all-nighter last night. We got a new group of girls down here from Wisconsin. Let’s just say they’re very eager —”
“Ugh, no. Don’t want to hear it. And Owen, damn it, make sure you’re using protection…” I glance over at the grocery bag of condoms on the counter. “You don’t want to be a father right now, and I—”
“Whatever, Mom . Did you call me just to bust my balls? Because I’ve got things to do. Girls to do—”
“No. That’s not why I called.” I almost wince at the thought of him with anyone . I’m still not sure why the college-age women who go down there find him so attractive when he’s so… Well, there’s not a nice word for it. Unclean. Icky. Gross.
I sigh. “I have a little issue.”
“This has something to do with Prince Fancy Pants, right?”
“Right.” I pause for a moment, trying to decide what to tell him. “Thanks so much for giving him your key, by the way.”
“No problem. My gut says he’s a decent guy—and he seems to like you. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t trust him.” He pauses. “Was that all?”
“No.” I wince again. “It’s…um… God, there’s no easy way to say this, Owen.”
“Just say it, then.”
“Right.” I let out a long breath. “There are vans outside the house. A lot of them.”
“So?”
“ News vans. You know, the press? Leo thinks they’re probably going to dig up whatever they can about me.”
“Oh.” He’s silent for what seems like forever. “It’s why I can’t come back, you know?”
“Well, you could come back. It’s been over a year. No one’s—”
“Elle, Sis, seriously. Do whatever you want. I’m here. They’re there . And I’m pretty sure this country doesn’t do extradition, anyway.”
Owen knows the word extradition ?
I shake my head—sometimes, I don’t give my brother enough credit. “But what if they find out? I mean—”
“They aren’t going to. If anyone was going to, they already would have. And even if they do, just deny you know anything about it. Because you don’t.”
“But I do . And that makes me at least partially responsible.”
He’s silent for another moment. “Well, like you said, it’s been a year. And seriously, Elle, no one gives two shits about that guy. And the world is a better place now. I tell myself that every single day.”
Something twists in my chest—I can’t believe my brother’s willingness to do the things he’s done. And I hate the guilt he so obviously feels about it—I know it’s why he numbs himself with weed and alcohol.
“It’s my problem, Elle. What happened to you was my fault, and I totally own it. And what happened after that is my burden, not yours. It was never yours. You went through enough, you know? The whole thing was my fault. And I’m not planning to worry about it unless I have to.
“I promised I wouldn’t, Leo. And I always keep my promises.”
“Okay.” He nods several times, taking a few more backward steps into the hallway. “Very well. I trust you, Elle.”
My heart speeds in my chest again, but I try not to think about it. I only nod and watch him until he disappears into the bathroom.
As soon as I hear the shower turn on, I run back over to my purse and pull out my phone.
Dialing Owen’s number, I wait for him to answer.
And wait.
And wait.
His voicemail picks up after the tenth ring and I hang up, dialing the number again. This time, he answers after only the second ring.
“What?” He sounds half-asleep, even though there’s only a two-hour difference between our time zones—and it’s only early afternoon here.
“Owen. We need to talk.”
“Can’t. Busy.”
“Owen, it’s important. I have to—”
“Hang on.” There’s some shuffling and the click of a door. “Okay, what?”
“What are you doing? And why are you asleep? It’s only two o’clock—”
“Dude, I pulled an all-nighter last night. We got a new group of girls down here from Wisconsin. Let’s just say they’re very eager —”
“Ugh, no. Don’t want to hear it. And Owen, damn it, make sure you’re using protection…” I glance over at the grocery bag of condoms on the counter. “You don’t want to be a father right now, and I—”
“Whatever, Mom . Did you call me just to bust my balls? Because I’ve got things to do. Girls to do—”
“No. That’s not why I called.” I almost wince at the thought of him with anyone . I’m still not sure why the college-age women who go down there find him so attractive when he’s so… Well, there’s not a nice word for it. Unclean. Icky. Gross.
I sigh. “I have a little issue.”
“This has something to do with Prince Fancy Pants, right?”
“Right.” I pause for a moment, trying to decide what to tell him. “Thanks so much for giving him your key, by the way.”
“No problem. My gut says he’s a decent guy—and he seems to like you. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t trust him.” He pauses. “Was that all?”
“No.” I wince again. “It’s…um… God, there’s no easy way to say this, Owen.”
“Just say it, then.”
“Right.” I let out a long breath. “There are vans outside the house. A lot of them.”
“So?”
“ News vans. You know, the press? Leo thinks they’re probably going to dig up whatever they can about me.”
“Oh.” He’s silent for what seems like forever. “It’s why I can’t come back, you know?”
“Well, you could come back. It’s been over a year. No one’s—”
“Elle, Sis, seriously. Do whatever you want. I’m here. They’re there . And I’m pretty sure this country doesn’t do extradition, anyway.”
Owen knows the word extradition ?
I shake my head—sometimes, I don’t give my brother enough credit. “But what if they find out? I mean—”
“They aren’t going to. If anyone was going to, they already would have. And even if they do, just deny you know anything about it. Because you don’t.”
“But I do . And that makes me at least partially responsible.”
He’s silent for another moment. “Well, like you said, it’s been a year. And seriously, Elle, no one gives two shits about that guy. And the world is a better place now. I tell myself that every single day.”
Something twists in my chest—I can’t believe my brother’s willingness to do the things he’s done. And I hate the guilt he so obviously feels about it—I know it’s why he numbs himself with weed and alcohol.
“It’s my problem, Elle. What happened to you was my fault, and I totally own it. And what happened after that is my burden, not yours. It was never yours. You went through enough, you know? The whole thing was my fault. And I’m not planning to worry about it unless I have to.
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