Chapter 16

Jason.

He had to go to Jason. He couldn’t risk Luke’s or Rebecca’s; Dad would come after him, and their parents wouldn’t stand in the way if Dad decided to cause a scene. Jason would. Jason was about the scene. Jason would defend him, if only for the one night.

He pulled on a t-shirt and found a battered jacket, one inherited from the brother himself, and sent a text. Coming over. Nothing else. Jason wouldn’t need an explanation.

A tiny knock sounded from his door. “Shane?”

“What,” he snapped.

Chloe cracked the door open, but Shane was used to her enough that he simply continued to pull on his combat trousers and ignored her.

“Where are you off to?” she asked quietly.

“Out,” he said shortly.

“It’s dark.”

“Yeah, well, it’s winter,” Shane retorted, throwing a notebook and pen into the backpack for school tomorrow. No way he was coming back and risking Dad first thing in the morning. “It does that.”

She closed the door behind her. “What’s going on, Shane?”