Wayne's POV
Zac and I agreed to each drive for an hour. We were both exhausted from staying up all night so it's only fair that we get to catch a short break. I didn't let it go in the car, though.
"When are you and Kel ever going to come clean about what's going on between the both of you?" I ask as it's Zac's turn to take the wheel. We are about forty-five minutes away from Bristol now and the sun is already up.
He clears his throat, evidently uncomfortable. It's a first for him. Zac has always been calm and composed in most situations, and I've already known him for three years. He rarely behaves this way.
"What do you think is going on?"
"Why don't you enlighten me?" I smirk at him. I'm not blind to see the stupid googly eyes they shoot each other ever since the beginning. I knew right from the start that he was attracted to her, but I didn't expect that infatuation thing to last this long.
"I..." he sits up straight, trying to come up with a good enough reply I suppose. "I like her."
"Okay. That's all?" I wait patiently.
"What else?"
"Have the both of you banged each other?"
He almost choke. "Bro!"
"What?" I glare at him. "You think I don't know? You can really be more touchy under the table."
He sighs, not trying to defend himself. "I like her. I really really do."
"Does she knows that? And likes you back?" I pry. I barely know a shit about my sister's life and this is my chance to get involved.
"We haven't actually talk about this. But I'm sure she knows." He smiles faintly, probably thinking about my sister. I'm hoping he isn't picturing her naked in his head or something.
Then, I recall something. "Hold up. So that picture on your instagram recently. That's my sister's thigh in her underwear?!" It's beyond weird. When I first saw the photo, I actually found that leg hot. But now knowing it belongs to my sister is inappropriate as hell.
Zac stifles a laugh and I punch him in his upper arm. He winces. I am a boxer for a reason.
———
"Wayne." My mom opens the door to our family home. She looks tired and aged. It feels like a long time since I last visited her and I suddenly feel guilty. "Who's this?" She turns to Zac.
He diligently puts out a hand. "Zacson Gray, ma'am. I'm friends with Wayne and Kelsey."
Mom takes his handshake. "This is the first time Wayne ever brought a friend home. Come in."
We step into the living room and I can instantly hear the silence around us. It's quiet, eerily quiet. The house seems to lack any trace of joy too, perhaps because there's only two people and a dog left living here. Speaking of dog, I don't see Brocco, our family Maltese anywhere.
"Where's Kel? And where's Brocco?" I question. Mom emerges from the kitchen with two cups of hot coffee that she probably just brew minutes before we arrived. She looks like she barely caught a wink either.
"Upstairs, in her room." I attempt to stand up from the sofa when my mom stops me. "Don't. Let her rest first. It has been a hell of a night for all of us." She sighs, taking a sip of her own coffee.
"I know right." I sit back there. "Do you have a clue what's going on? Why is she even here? She was clubbing last night at Boston with her friends."
"She was already half-way on the highway to Connecticut when she met the accident. I think she unintendedly drove this way." Mom rubs a hand on her forehead. I debate whether to go over and give her a hug or something, but I realize I'm never one to be affectionate. "She lost control of the car and it spun in circle. Thank god it didn't flip, although it crashed into a tree."
From my peripheral vision, I see Zac's hands clench into fists. He's trying to stop himself from just barging upstairs to her room to see her.
"How is she? Is it serious? Did she go to the hospital?" I ask quickly, knowing Zac wants the answer too.
"She did. She was sent there by an ambulance. She blacked out for awhile but woke up and insisted she felt fine. The doctors couldn't make her stay for observation. We only reached home around 6AM and that's when you called."
Zac visibly relaxes after knowing she's alright. Damn, this guy is serious with my sister. I'm glad to see that.
"Did she tell you what happened? Why did she run off with her car like that? She was drink-driving!" I demand to know. It's irresponsible for her to do that and cause worries onto the people who cares about her.
Mom's eyes flickers between me and Zac. Zac seems to get the hint, wanting to get up and leave the room to our privacy but I stop him. "It's cool. This guy here likes our Kelsey." I snitch on him and smirk. "In fact, he's far more closer and intimate to her than I am. He can listen."
Zac's expression is priceless. He looks like he don't know whether he wants to thank me or glare at me. I chuckle, punching him lightly on the arm.
"Oh?" My mom seems surprised. "Are you dating Kelsey?"
"Um..." he trails off. "We haven't really talked about this. But I would hope to."
"I see."
"So, what exactly happened?" Zac asks impatiently. It must be killing him not to know.
"Right." Mom clears her throat. "This is something not many people know. I don't think even you know about it, Wayne. But seeing how it's affected her last night, I feel like maybe telling you this may help her. Afterall, she's living with you now and if she needs help, you're the one who's closest to her by distance."
I nod, understanding this seems serious.
"She was running away from this boy. His name is Javier Patterson." She looks between us, trying to see if the name rings a bell. We glance at each other. Nope.
"And he is...?"
"Her ex-boyfriend. They dated in high school. It wasn't a pretty break up. He was abusive and full of threatens. He's a very manipulative guy. And because of that, Kelsey had doubts and questioned herself whenever he hit her. He always tried to put it in her head that it was her fault, she started it, or that she forced him to do it."
"Bullshit." Zac spits out and I glance at him. His face is literally turning red. If he turns green, he'll probably turn into a hulk at the rate that his veins are bulging.
Mom nods solemnly. "She didn't tell me much, but I assume she must've seen him at the club last night and they might've had some sort of a conversation that turned awry. She drove out of anger and impulse, which obviously isn't a good excuse to justify. She could've put herself and others in danger. But I hope you understand what led up to it, Wayne. She needs support, not blame at this point."
I don't know what to say, so I remain silent and stare at the ground. I didn't expect the sister that I know to have gone through something like that. She never told me anything about the years since I moved out. I always assumed she led the ordinary teenager life after discovering make-ups. Who knew that would cause her to get into an abusive relationship?
"Where's this guy? How is he not arrested?" I probe.
"I'm not sure. His family still lives here but he may have moved away for college. As for that..." she trails off.
"She didn't report him?" I narrow my eyes.
Mom shakes her head. "I persuaded her to. She told me his family has backgrounds that run deep. What kind of background, I don't know. But she seemed certain that he'd hurt her even more if she reported him." She sighs.
"He threatened her?" Zac asks. The mug in his hand might as well shatter from the tight grip.
"Yes. It was back-and-forth for quite awhile. Some days he'd warn her, some days he'd beg her not to. In the end, he offered her an out. His parents paid for her entire college degree in exchange for her to stay away from him. They deemed her a threaten to his future." She scoffs, taking a sip from her cup.
I stand up on my feet and move to get an ashtray. It's getting too much for me to handle without a cigeratte. Mom doesn't says a word about me smoking in her home, since dad is a smoker too, although I can see she doesn't exactly likes that I'm blatantly blowing smokes around her.
"That's the stupid scholarship she was talking about." I recall that one time when we were getting to know each other and she vaguely told me it was her to know and for me to find out. Well, I found out now, sis.
That morning, I begin to unravel more and more of my sister's secrets. Zac goes upstairs shortly after to check on Kel while I accompany my mom in the living room. Only now discovering about all these made me realize how much I actually not know about my own family. I haven't been a good son nor a good brother to them.
"I'm actually glad to see you here for your sister, Kelsey." Mom smiles at me as she cuts the vegetable. She's making breakfast since none of us have eaten anything. "I see that living together has helped with your relationship with her."
"Has it really? She didn't even open up to me." I grumble. I hate that she didn't trust me enough to share any of these with me. But can I really blame her? I have my fair share of secrets.
"It's not easy to open up about the struggles she's been through. But you coming here to see her is a good enough indication that you two have made up somehow. You wouldn't have cared about her when I told you she was home alone and needed someone few years ago."
Guilt set in again. I remember one time when my parents had to go away for a business trip for a month during summer break and they tried to ask me to come back to accompany Kel. I rejected it. She was sixteen and I told them she was old enough to take care of herself.
"You don't have to find her her apartment anymore, mom." I suddenly realize I ought to really let her feel like she's home with me. "I don't mind her staying with me. In fact, I might be going away after graduating. I can have her name added officially to let her take over the house." I assure her.
"I know." My mom shoots me a smirk. "I never intended to, anyway."