Page 10 of My Heart to Keep
What is it about drinking?I didn’t get the eagerness to try beer or vodka or whatever. Still, my senior year wasn’t going to revolve around babysitting Marcus. I’d done that last year, and the aftereffects had landed me in the hospital. I wasn’t repeating that again. As much as I loved Quinn, I wasn’t her babysitter either.
My senior year would be focused on basketball, scouts, college scholarships, and spending as much time with Quinn as I could before we both went our separate ways next year. At least I expected we would go to different colleges since her plan was medical school and mine was basketball.
The paramedics carried Celia away with Liam following closely.
Mr. Thompson ran a hand through his brown hair, appearing angry, tired, and ready to yell at someone.
Carter, who I just noticed standing not far from his dad, narrowed his gaze on me before stalking over.
Here we go.
Carter wagged his finger. “This is your fault.”
Ethan slid his hand in between Carter and me. “Back off, dude. My brother had nothing to do with any of this.”
Carter ignored Ethan as though he weren’t standing next to me. “You got my sister drunk so you could take advantage of her. She was with you around the barn earlier. Wasn’t she?”
I put a hand on my brother’s arm. “Ethan, I can handle Carter.”
Ethan lowered his hand but didn’t leave.
I inched closer to Carter. “I don’t control your sister’s actions.” Then I blew in his face. “Do you smell alcohol on me? No. So fuck off.” The last thing I wanted to do was fight him or cause any more trouble. But I wasn’t about to let him pin any of the evening’s events on me.
Carter’s nostrils flared. “If I find out you had anything to do with this, I will end you once and for all.”
I stuck out my chin. “Dude, go back to college. Stay out of our business.” Then I sauntered away, not giving him a second look. “Ethan, let’s go to the hospital.” Carter hated me, but Liam didn’t, and since he and I were good friends, I wanted to support him.
Ethan brushed his shoulder against Carter’s as he passed by.
Carter caught his arm. “You Maxwells are all alike. You think your shit doesn’t stink. You think you own this town. Your cousins were the same way.”
Ethan stood toe to toe with Carter, almost eye to eye. “You sound jealous, dude. And next time you feel the need to threaten my brother, think twice. Because you’ll have more than one of us to deal with.”
Carter plastered on an evil grin. “Bring it, dude.”
I gripped Ethan’s shoulder. “Not here, man. People are watching too.”
Quinn ran down the path from the house.
Her mother stood on the deck with her hands on her hips. “Quinn,” she shouted.
Carter pushed Ethan’s shoulder as he rushed to block Quinn. “Mom is calling you.”
Quinn shoved him out of the way, or she tried. “I want to see Celia. I’m going with her to the hospital.”
The lights of the ambulance were fading as they left the farm.
Carter gripped her arms. “Liam is going with her. Go up to the house and get cleaned up. You look a mess.”
Quinn glared at her older brother. “Fuck you.”
I felt like I was in an alternate universe, not exactly sure who Quinn was right now. I knew what alcohol did to a person. Hell, Marcus had given us a front-row seat to his drunken behavior a few times already, and I didn’t like the drunk Quinn. If her idea of letting loose was to take up drinking or anything else, like drugs, then our relationship was in jeopardy.
“We need to get out of here.” Ethan’s voice broke through my trance.
I kicked my legs into gear alongside Ethan, and we headed up to the lot by the farm store.
“Maiken,” Mr. Thompson called.
