Saxon smiled, a tiny one at first, then wide across his entire face. “How did he do?”
“He tore it up. A regular Fred Astaire.” I sighed and got a warm feeling low in my gut when I thought back on that night. “We had a great time.”
“Yeah, well, he’s pretty light on his feet for a guy,” Saxon said wryly. He shook a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and lit it.
“You’re not allowed to smoke in here.” I pointed to the prominently displayed ‘no smoking’ sign in the room.
“I don’t give a shit.” He blew a long lungful of smoke into the air.
“So, why would Jake have asked you for help if he didn’t feel something other than hate for you?” I waved the smoke from his cigarette away from my face.
“Alright.” He blew smoke out in a long stream. “But when he finds out that I lied about us being brothers, he’s going to hate my guts. I guarantee it. That’s not the kind of shit you just get over, trust me, Blix.”
I grabbed his smoking hand, took his cigarette, and put it in my mouth. I lifted his hand, and pointed to the place where the long silver scar was, the same as Jake’s. I took a drag and blew the smoke out. “Tell me how you got this.”
He looked at me, shock robbing him of any ability to speak for a few long seconds. He finally sputtered, “How the hell did you know I had this scar?”
I shrugged. “Do you want me to tell you how you got it?”
“No one knows that. Unless Jake told you. But why would that old shit come up?” He took his cigarette back. “You smoke like a fucking nerd.”
I grinned at him. “I am a nerd. And Jake did tell me.”
“Why?” Saxon asked, and the look on his face was more anxiety than hope.
“Do you want to know? Or do you want things to just suck? Forever? Because as much as you bitch about being unhappy, you sure seem to do everything you can to stay that way.” I watched him take another drag.
“You’re such a bitch, Brenna.” He pointed his cigarette at me. “But you’re damn sexy. That makes your incessant bitching easier to take.”
“And you’re shitty company. I’m going back to the dance. You know, the big prom, full of people? People who are at least pretending to be happy and dancing and having fun. That sounds preferable to being here, in this smoky-ass room listening to you whine about how awful your life is.” I turned to leave, but Saxon grabbed my hand.
He pulled my wrist up to his lips and kissed it. “Tell me what you know about my scar.”
“I know that you and Jake became blood brothers.” I leaned close to him. “Because you wanted him to know that he was your brother, even if you didn’t really have the guts to tell him. But it worked.”
“What do you mean?” He narrowed his eyes at me.
I shook my head at his dense inability to see the truth. “He figured it out. He knows. He’s always known.”
“Jesus Christ, isn’t there anything you two haven’t fucking blabbed to each other about?” he snapped. He crushed his cigarette onto a china plate on the table and stalked out.
I watched Saxon leave and felt a strange chill settle over my skin. I walked back into the midst of the big, happy gathering, but my heart wasn’t into the dance. That changed when I saw Kelsie, who pulled me onto the dance floor, and made me forget Saxon’s drama for a little while. We danced until we glistened with sweat and had to go to the cooler bathrooms to put damp paper towels on our faces. I checked the hallways and the room Saxon had pulled me into, but he wasn’t around. Before I could worry too much, the DJ played something that made Kelsie drag me back onto the dance floor, and we didn’t stop for a second until the DJ took a break for dinner.
The meal was nice enough, but I couldn’t really enjoy it, since I kept craning my neck, trying to catch a glance of Saxon’s dark hair and all-black ensemble. I checked every table where any girl he’d chased in the last few weeks sat. It was an insanely long list, and I’m sure I forgot more than a few, but he was nowhere to be seen.
After dinner and a few more songs, I needed a break.
“Kelsie, I’m going to take a walk outside. Get some fresh air.” I put my lips close to her ear so she could hear me.
“Do you want company?” She fixed the flower in my hair absent-mindedly.
I did, but I could see her eyeing the dance floor. The lights had been dimmed, a slow song was playing, and Chris looked dapper in his tux.
“No thanks. I’ll be back in a few minutes. I just need to cool off. Then more dancing?”
“Definitely!” She squeezed my arm, kissed my cheek, and floated across the dance floor and into Chris’s waiting arms.
I went out into the open courtyard to breathe in some fresh air. I headed to the gazebo; this place had one just like the last place, complete with twinkle lights.
I climbed the springy wooden stairs and sat on one of the benches when I heard a scuffling noise beneath me. I leaned over the side and saw Saxon sitting in the mulch, a silver flask in his hand.
“Hey, beautiful,” he slurred. “Whaz going on?”
“Saxon, you’re drunk.” I leaned over farther and he smiled a huge, dopey grin.
“You look pretty up there. Like some fiery goddess. Come on down, baby.” He waved at me clumsily. “I got more here for you.”
I walked back down the steps, around to the back of the gazebo and squatted down in front of him. The smell of liquor coming off of him was so strong it stung my eyes when he breathed out.
“Wanna sip?” he offered, waving the flask under my nose.
“No.” I took the flask out of his hand. “I don’t think you can drive. Did you drive?” He didn’t answer. I shook his shoulder. “Saxon, how did you get here?” I asked loudly, as if increased volume might push through his liquor-soaked brain.
“My fucking bike.” He laughed to himself. “How’d’ya think, Blix?”
“Well, can someone come and get you? Can someone come and drive you home?”
“Lylee is screwing her way across the Mediterranean,” he said slowly. “And any friend I had, I screwed his girl. And girls don’t count as friends. Oh, ‘cept you, right, buddy?”
“Right.” I got a lump in my throat when I thought about the sad truth of Saxon’s social life.
“Sit by me, Blix.” He patted the mulch next to him. “Sit by your big fuck-up friend for a minute.”
I sat down next to him and put one arm around him. He leaned on my shoulder, then nestled his head against me and breathed in, a long, hard breath. “You smell so fuckingood.”
“You need to get out of here.” I was a little worried. I hadn’t dealt with many drunk people, but Saxon seemed really drunk. I didn’t know if he might have alcohol poisoning, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to get him home. I didn’t want to involve any more adults than we had to. It would suck if Saxon got suspended or in bigger trouble because of this. It might be all the excuse he needed to just up and quit everything.
I felt a warm, wet splotch on my collarbone and realized he was drooling, happily, in his noisy sleep. What if he threw up and choked on it? I pulled my cell phone out and dialed quickly.
“Hey baby,” Jake said. “You’re home early.”
“Jake, I’m at prom. But I need you. Can you come? Please?”
“Are you okay?” I heard him pick up his keys.
“I’m okay. I’m at the Lakeside. In Short Hills. Can you meet me behind the gazebo in the garden?”
“Yeah. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Call right back if you need anything at all.”
Chapter Twenty-two
The sky got darker and quiet. The only sound was the distant din of the music and cheering from the prom and the gentle snores from Saxon’s nose. I adjusted him slightly because my arm was cramping and my shoulder ached. His head jarred loosely against me. Was he okay? I felt my throat tighten. Maybe I should slap him awake or get him some coffee.