Page 221 of Burn Bright

“Wasn’t he only eleven-months-old?” Harriet asks with another hostile bite of Twizzler.

“Eleven-months of pure agony and loneliness I’ll never forget,” Eliot quips. He’s sliding his arms through a very,veryexpensive black peacoat, pressed and ironed.

“And that’s not your coat,” I point out.

“Finders keepers,” Eliot grins, popping the collar. He’s trying to get a rise out of Charlie, since the coat belongs to him.

Charlie isn’t entertaining Eliot tonight. He slips his wallet in the pocket of his black slacks, then grabs his keys. Probably about to Houdini himself to another country. Who knows?

I pull my MVU sweatshirt over my head, then toss Harriet her pleather jacket. “Well, I’m out of here—without you,” I point a finger at Eliot, then raise a hand likestay. Please.But Eliot is far from a dog.

He has an impish grin as he sinks his teeth into the apple.

“Where are we going?” Tom enters the living room, setting aside his guitar against the pull-out, and I internally groan.

“Ben is finally kicking the frat to the curb,” Eliot explains, which makes Tom grin like it’s the best news he’s heard all month. Eliot dumps his half-eaten apple in the trash.

“We could’ve composted that,” I say, “and I’m goingalone.”

Harriet watches us, chewing her candy more slowly. Her glare is presenting asangry, but I know she’s just contemplative.

“You’re ditching the frat?” That’s Beckett coming into the communal space. Already finished dancing in dress rehearsal forThe Nutcracker, he’s recently showered and wears black joggers and a tight-fitted tee. “Did they do something?” His protective stance is welcomed but unnecessary.

“No, they’ve been cool. I just don’t want to be in one. It’s a lot of time commitments. Too many parties they want me to attend.” Off his smile, I nod and smile back, “And I’m staying here.” Before they celebrate, I add fast, “I’m leaving now.” I swipe my granola bar and water bottle off the counter, about to head to the door.

“We’ll all go with you,” Beckett offers, which stops me dead in my tracks. Especially as Charlie and Beckett exchange a silent, unreadable look. Then Charlie blinks hard in palpable irritation and drops his travel duffel to the floor, like his plans are now cancelled. That easily?

For me?

No way.

“I’m literally just going to the frat,” I say. “If you’re concerned about me?—”

“None of us are doing anything for the rest of the night,” Beckett interjects. “We’re free.”

“Clearly Charlie has somewhere he needs to go.” I motion a hand to the duffel on the floor.

“It can wait.” Charlie stares me down like I’m making this more excruciating for him. “Can we hurry this up?”

“Charlie Keating finally finding his priorities,” Tom says while sticking his arms through his jean jacket, wearing it over a black hoodie.

“The night is practically over,” I tell them.

“The night isalwaysyoung,” Eliot counters, squeezing my shoulder while he rounds the island and closes in on the door.

Harriet shrugs at me. “Why not bring them along?”

Because you won’t be with me.I need to figure out how to quiet my panic when she’s not around. A catastrophe isn’t going to strike. I won’t hurt them.Think of Maeve’s birthday. Yeah, that went fine.

Eliot’s grin widens in my direction. “Even your girlfriend wants us present, brother.”

Her ocean blue eyes search mine, but I just take a big breath. I want to say my brothers complicate everything, but they also uncomplicate terrible situations too. “No security,” I tell them.

“What a shock,” Charlie says dryly.

“You didn’t call Novak?” Beckett asks.

It hasn’t been such a secret that I’ve routinely stopped informing Novak when I leave the apartment. I’m a legal adult. Not a kid. I can decidewhenI want a bodyguard trailing my every move, even if my mom has blown up my phone reminding me to attach myself to our private security.