Page 105 of Make Her Mine

I look over at Zach, then back to Jefferson. “Graham told you?”

Jefferson shakes his head. “I knew, Harlow. I was at the party. Graham came and got me when he realized you needed to go home. He couldn't drive. He’d had too much to drink. I took you home and put you to bed that night.”

He’s drunk. I should just chalk this up to that. But if he’s drunk, he’s obviously not thinking fast enough to cover any of this up. “You took me home that night?” I ask.

“I took you to our house and put you in Graham’s room. Then I went and hunted that fucker down.” He points at Zach.

I look at Zach. He doesn’t dispute any of this.

Jefferson broke his hand, took himself out of the championship game—the biggest thing in his high school career—for me.

“You did it because you were drunk, right?” I ask.

Jefferson shakes his head. “No. I wasn’t drunk that night. I knew you both were going to be at that party and I wanted to make sure nothing happened. But…” He looks so pained. “He still got to you.”

“Why would you think something was going to happen?” I ask.

“Because earlier that week I told Zach that I was in love with you and that he needed to leave you the fuck alone. That’s why the fucker tried to get you back. That’s why all of that happened.” Jefferson cups my face. “It was my fault, Harlow. So, I had to do something.”

I take a hold of his shirt with both hands and shake him a little. “Absolutely not. It wasn’t either of our faults. It was all Zach.” I step back from him and look at Zach. “You are such an asshole. Oh my God. I wish he’d had a chance to hit you once before Derek called my dad.”

Zach shakes his head. He just looks…tired. “Wouldn’t change anything.”

Yeah, well… He’s probably right.

Still I step around Jefferson, stomp into the jail cell, pull back my hand, and punch Zach as hard as I possibly can.

He howls and covers his nose.

And the next thing I feel is Jefferson pulling me back, hauling me up, and throwing me over his shoulder. Though I swear he’s laughing as he does it.

In the end, there are charges filed.

Just not against Jefferson.

Totally worth it.

CHAPTER 23

JEFFERSON

I made a lot of mistakes last night.

I really wish I could remember them all.

I remember a couple of big ones. The first being starting a conversation with Zach Nelson.

But many of them are more a sense that I did something stupid rather than a specific memory.

For instance, there’s no way I actually told Scott Hansen that I wanted to marry his daughter, but I definitely thought about it, and I might’ve said something inappropriate about my feelings for her.

I roll to my back and press my hands to my pounding head.

One of my mistakes was absolutely drinking shots with Zach, determined to prove to him that no matter how drunk I was, my claim that I am madly in love with Harlow was not going to change.

I am absolutely regretting that this morning. I feel like shit. In a few hours, I’m going to have to start getting ready for my brother’s wedding. As one of the groomsmen, I don’t have all of the hair and nail appointments the bridesmaids do, but I need to be available to my family for any last-minute errands or tasks, and this evening I have to stand up in front of the town next to Carver. And not throw up.

At least I get to dance with Harlow. And kiss her. And take her home at the end of the night.

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