Hate to Love You novel · Chapter 14 of 24

Chapter 14: Straight Question

"He gave it to me because I was cold," I said.

"When?"

"Tonight."

"Where?"

"At the overlook on the ridge road." I took a breath.

"I was with him, Mason."

"After the diner."

"I'm not going to lie to you again."

My brother set the jersey on the table.

It looked very small there, a gray rag between the milk and the salt shaker.

"Okay," he said.

His voice cracked on the second syllable.

"Okay what?"

"Okay, I know. You're an adult. You can go where you want." He pressed two fingers to his eyes. "I'm going to go upstairs."

"No."

"Kennedy."

"No, you're going to stay here and I'm going to ask you one thing."

He dropped his hand.

Overhead, a floorboard creaked, and we both listened until it stopped.

Dad turned over in his sleep, down the hall.

I lowered my voice.

"Did Shay Dunleavy shove you?"

"I told you he did."

"I know what you told me. I'm asking you again, in this kitchen, with nobody here but me."

Mason looked down at his left hand.

He thumbed the Velcro strap of his knee brace, in and out, in and out.

"He came from behind," he said. "I felt his hands."

"Where were you on the floor?"

"Under the basket. I was driving."

"And where was he?"

"Behind me."

"Mason."

"I said behind me."

He wouldn't look up.

I knew that thumb on the strap.

I had watched him do it at nine years old, on the phone with Mom, when she asked whether he'd finished his homework.

He hadn't, and he told her he had, and he picked at his shoelace for the entire call.

Now he did it to a strip of black Velcro.

My throat went tight with something that wasn't anger.

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