Page 109 of Fight For Me

She laughs, poking me in the side. “I know how hard scary feelings are for you. Try to persevere.”

“Hey,” Will says when I join him in the kitchen. “You, uh, okay?”

“I’m fine.” I still feel a little embarrassed about my outburst. “I’m sorry, man. That was a lot of shit that had nothing to do with you.”

“No.” He holds out a hand. “Don’t apologize. I…I had no idea you felt like that.”

I run a hand through my hair, feeling awkward as fuck. Feelingsarehard. “I don’t always. It’s not like I’ve been massively unhappy or anything. It just…it comes up sometimes.”

He nods. “Like when your brother is being a douche about the girl you like.”

I chuckle. “You weren’t being a douche. You were defending your friend.”

He shakes his head, stepping closer to me. “Mostly, I was pissed that you didn’t tell me. I was hurt, you know? That you kept such a big secret. Especially after the show started to air and you kept insisting it was all editing. I guess it felt like you were going behind my back.”

“It wasn’t personal like that, Will.”

“I get that.” His blue eyes pierce into mine. “But I need you to get something too.”

My stomach sinks. He’s going to tell me to back off, that she deserves better—

“Alex is my friend, and I love her to death,” he says. “But you’re my brother. Mybrother, Wyatt. I’ve looked up to you since the day I was born.” He lets out a strangled laugh. “You named me, for fuck’s sake. Please don’t think for even one second that I was choosing her over you.”

The lump in my throat makes it hard to talk so I just nod. “I get it.”

“I don’t think you do.” He grasps my shoulder. “Alex is one of my favorite people, and I’m not sure there’s really anyone who deserves her.” Will locks his gaze on mine. “Except for maybe you. Because you’re the best guy I know.”

“Aw, fuck,” I mutter, wiping at my stinging eyes. Will let’s out a shaky laugh.

“Where’s Dad when we need him, right?” he asks. “He’d be so happy to be in the middle of all this sappy stuff.”

“What sappy stuff?” Dad’s voice booms from the doorway, and we both curse.

“Are you hugging without me?” he asks. “Get over here.”

“You’re certifiable, you know that right?” I ask as he pulls me into a hug. Over his shoulder, all three of my uncles are rolling their eyes and laughing.

Dad puts an arm around both of our shoulders. “What are we hugging for?”

“We’re commiserating about what it’s like to have such a weirdo for a father,” Will says, totally deadpan.

I suddenly realize that just about everyone I was worried about judging me is now in this room. But none of them are looking at me like they want to pummel me. They just look…normal.

“What’s everyone doing here?” Will asks. “You were all at Dalt’s when I brought CeCe down. Did the Littles kick you out of your own house?”

“Nah, we heard Wyatt was here and wanted to check in,” Reed says. “How you doing, kid?”

“Uh…” I look between them, confused as to why they aren’t yelling yet.

Lennon clasps my shoulder. “We’ve all been there, Wyatt. It sucks having your personal shit plastered all over like that.”

“Totally sucks,” Dad agrees. “I’m sorry this happened to you, kid. You hanging in there?”

For the third time in the last ten minutes, I’m dangerously close to tears. This was the last thing I expected and on top of everything else, it feels like too much.

“You’re not mad?” I blurt out.

“Why would we be mad?” Reed asks.