Page 92 of Her Brother's Keeper

“No, Mel almost did.”

She stilled, and I closed my eyes and told her everything, she kept up with the soothing little touches, and it did a lot to keep me calm. She sighed gently and bent over me, placing a kiss on my temple.

“I don’t know what happened,” I said and rubbed my eyes.

She was quiet for a time, lending me back the strength I’d poured into her time and again and I thought to myself,this is what partnership should bebefore she spoke again.

“Could it be, watching Archer, the always strong and solid one, break down… could it be that it triggered a panic attack or a flashback of some kind?” she asked quietly.

I nodded, “I think you might be right,” I said, thinking back to how I’d felt thrown back in time. How I’d felt like that fucking helpless little boy with Duncan bearing down on me. How I felt like my only defense against anything in this world had crumbled and I was suddenly on my own…

“Maren?”

We both turned, startled, at Sage’s voice. He sat on the stairs, peering at us through the spindles holding the railing together and I recognized that look. It was the same one that I’d seen on Rush, Grind’s and even Archer’s face a thousand times and more coming up…

“It’s okay, Sage,” Maren said, beating me to it.

“What happened?” He asked, and I sat up and sniffed, realizing that what Archer was to me, a defense, a big brother and someone I could always count on... I was that to Sage now. It was a huge responsibility and one I never fully appreciated until now.

I owed Archer one hell of an expensive bottle of scotch, and it still wasn’t even close to expressing the gratitude I had for him in that moment.

“Come on down here, buddy.”

Sage came down the stairs and sat next to me on the couch. The three of us talked, and worked on some of our issues. Sage’s distress atmydistress diminished and even he asked if Melody was okay, and what was going to happen.

“I don’t know, buddy. She stays in the hospital. I know Archer is gonna stay with her until she gets better. I guess it means I’ll be hanging out with Noah a little bit more for a while until they can all come home as a family.”

“Can I help?” he asked and I huffed a bit of a laugh.

“We’ll see,” I said.

“I thought you said that brothers helped each other when sh- things went sideways,” he corrected.

“They do,” I said, blinking in surprise.

“Then I want to help,” he said, mouth thinned down in a line of grim determination.

I exchanged a look with Maren, whose expression was a mix of pride and wistfulness. She said, “Good, I’m going to need you to help because I still have to work.”

She put out her hand and Sage put his on top, without hesitation. He looked at me expectantly and as cheesy as it was, it felt good and I felt like it was our own thing, so I put my hand on top of the pile. We raised them and dropped them with some finality and stayed on the couch, all of us staring into the fire for long minutes until we all agreed the following day wasn’t going to wait for us, and we needed sleep.

I stayed, cradling Maren in the curve of my body, pulling her back against me tightly and swearing on whatever powers that fucking be, that I was never letting go and that no matter what life threw at us, it was going to be me before her.

If it wasn’t, it was going to be me, not long after. I couldn’t fathom a life without her but she never had to know. No one did. That was just inviting trouble and shrinks and what have you. Just another thing my fucked up childhood had taught me early on.

Chapter 34

Maren

“You look beautiful,” Shelly said, leaning back with the mascara wand.

“Pictures, we need pictures!” Evy cried and then there was Melody, her camera in her hands, clicking away. Dazzling flashbulbs going off in my face until I raised my hand laughing at all of them.

We were at the club, andallof the ol’ ladies had taken over one of the guy’s rooms to get me ready for my prom date with Nox.

The club was having a huge laugh at my boyfriend – excuse me,my ol’ man’s, expense and I felt very lucky that he not only was taking it in stride, he seemed to revel in it.

All because it makesyouhappy.I thought. I smiled and stood up, the white dress Dani, Ashton, and Hayden had helped me pick was gorgeous. It was a solid opaque with spaghetti straps to hold it up. It clung to every curve and angle and made me look feminine, but that wasn’t the coolest part.

---