Page 61 of Rebellious

He seems so serious that I might actually believe him. “So why do you come out here?” I mean, what else could exist for Fenn at the lake besides girls?

He shrugs. “Solitude. Peace.”

Huh. Who knew Fenn could even pronounce solitude, let alone enjoy it? “I thought you guys came out to party?”

He scoffs. “We party enough at home. Why would we bring it here?”

“Change of scenery?” I offer.

He holds a branch for me to duck under. “Is it so hard to believe I enjoy silence?”

I frown. “No, it’s easy to believe,” I tell him. “But it just seems odd you feel that way since you’re always ‘on’.”

He shoves some brush out of our way. “Sometimes I don’t have a choice but to be on. It’s expected of me.”

I suppose he’s right. The all-star pitcher and known troublemaker on campus would be constantly busy. But Fenn has always been that way. Even when he was little and wasn’t a star pitcher. “Is there something you need to talk about?” I try again.

I feel like a terrible big sister. All my life I’ve worried over Bennett. Not that I didn’t worry over Fenn and Drew, but it wasn’t the same. Fenn and Drew had each other, and I had Bennett. They didn’t have the depth and concern Bennett required.

But maybe they did.

Maybe I’ve missed it in my pursuit of Bennett.

“Nah, I’m fine,” he says, pushing through the last bit of brush, revealing a vast space with nothing but sand and an entry point to the lake.

“Wow,” I tell him. “This is stunning.”

He nods like he’s a little embarrassed showing it to me. “It’s not as populated as the other side.”

No kidding. No one is out here.

“No one thinks to hike through the brush and trees,” he notes.

I laugh. “No one but my nosy ass brother.”

I’m not surprised at all that Fenn and Drew found this place. They are the two nosiest fools I know.

“Let’s get this party started,” Drew hollers, pushing through the entrance Fenn and I just left, with Bennett right behind him.

Bennett takes a minute to look around just as I did. “Crazy, right?”

Bennett’s brows furrow in confusion.

I wave at the serene landscape in front of us. “It’s crazy our brothers were actually sober enough to find this place and live to tell about it.”

Bennett busts out laughing and Fenn looks like he tasted something sour. “Come on, Fennius,” I tease. “Don’t be such a baby. You know it’s true.” I shake my head, walking over to a spot by the water. “I can’t remember a time when you weren’t drunk on this island.”

“Have a little faith,” Drew says. “Sometimes we were just tipsy.”

My eyes narrow. “I’d say that was a rare occurrence.”

“Fine,” Fenn snaps. “Some girl stole the boat last summer when we were passed out. We found this place because we were looking for help.”

“I knew it!”

Bennett shakes his head and spreads out the blanket. “You two are lucky to be alive.”

Fenn flips me off and makes his own pout station with his towel. “Did someone bring the football?”

---