Meet You There

Chapter Thirty: The Morning After

I wake up to the first signs of morning creeping through a window I that isn't mine, and a headache that feels like my brain is trying to squeeze itself through the pores of my forehead.

Next, I realize I'm naked. In Brody's room. In Brody's bed. Lying next to Brody.

Shit.

I take my phone from my jeans pocket and check the time. 4:42am. I put my clothes on and sneak out of the Kennerley house so I don't wake Vicky or Frank up. I'd have a hard time explaining why I'm leaving their sons bed room at half past four in the morning.

Back at the barn, Ryan is in my bed, Megan is on my sofa and Charlotte is in her sleeping bag. I climb in to Ryan's sleeping bag and try to get some sleep, but all I can think about is what I can remember from last night, and how perfect it was. And, if I remember correctly, Brody told me he loves me.

No one has ever told me they loved me before, at least romantically. I've never had a relationship long enough for the word 'love' to be used. And I'm still not sure if I'm even in a relationship with Brody.

I suppose it is, just a secret one.

I decide to drink a few glasses of water, hoping to minimize the effects of the hangover. Since it's happened early, maybe if I drink a ton of water and sleep it off now, it'll be over by the time I have to wake up for work. I could always tell Frank I feel sick and could do with a day in bed, but Brody is bound to be hungover too, and there's no way we could both be sick.

I set my phones alarm, drink as much water as I can physically stomach and then climb back in to Ryan's sleeping bag, and I eventually drift off.

When my alarm goes off, it wakes Megan, too. Charlotte and Ryan sleep through it.

“Hey,” Megan whispers to me from the sofa. I'm close enough to hear her.

“Good morning,” I reply.

“Did you stay with Brody last night?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh,” she says nonchalantly and closes her eyes as if to go back to sleep, but opens them seconds after and looks horrified. “OH. Let's pretend I didn't ask that question.”

“Fine by me. So, hungover?” I ask her, changing the subject.

“Nah. I didn't drink much. I thought I'd help Charlotte with the drunks instead of being one of them,” she smiles and winks.

“Was I really that bad?” I ask, feeling embarrassed.

“Think of how you were the last time you drank, and multiply that by five.”

“Oh, God. Sorry.”

“No, don't be sorry. It was such an amazing night. I just wish Kyra was there.”

“She probably wouldn't have enjoyed herself very much,” I say, figuring if Kyra can barely stand parties, she'd hardly find clubbing any more appealing.

“There was so many beautiful girls there, though,” Megan pointed out. I remember the blue haired girl she was talking to. “I really want Kyra to get a girlfriend.”

“You really need to tell her the truth, Megan. About you not liking her like that.”

“I will. I promise.”

I shower and scrub at my teeth, making sure to remove any scent of alcohol from myself. Megan does the same and then goes back over to the Kennerley house.

An hour later, Brody and I end up on the same patch of field.

“Hey,” I say with a loose grin.

“Hey,” he replies.

“I'm really glad I went out with you last night,” I tell him, and I mean it.

“I'm glad you did. I mean, it was one of the best nights of my life.”

“No regrets then? About, uh, the thing that happened at the end of the night? Presuming you remember, that is...”

He laughs. “Of course I remember. It wouldn't have said it was one of the best nights of my life if I didn't. My only regret is that it took so long for that to happen.”

“Me too.”

We stand there looking at each other and smiling until we see Frank coming over, so we get back to work.

“Good morning,” he says.

“Good morning,” Brody and I reply almost in unison.

“Okay, I need you both to answer me a question, and I'm gonna need you to tell the truth.”

Oh my God.

“I went to sleep early last night. Brody, your mom said she went over to the barn to ask if any of you wanted a slice of cake. She said there was no answer, and when she looked in the window, there was no one there. She tried to call Megan, but there was no answer.”

I'm wondering why she didn't try Brody's phone, but I remember it's broken. I remember Megan telling me she'd left her phone at home by accident. Neither Frank or Vicky have my number, so they couldn't have called my phone.

Crap.

Neither Brody or I say anything, and Frank continues his interrogation.

“Also, Ruben, your friends car was gone. Where the hell where you kids?” he asks. He doesn't sound angry, just stern, like he's trying to assert his authority without trying to seem intimidating.

I know Brody said he would take full responsibility, but I'm worried of the punishment he'll receive if he does. I try to come up with a reasonable reason for us being out of the barn last night, but before I can, Brody is talking.

“Dad, I'm really sorry. None of this was Ruben's fault. Megan was at Kyra's, I don't know why her phone was off. I just really wanted to go to this new club in the city, and I knew you'd say no if I asked you, so I snuck out. Ruben tried to talk me out of it but I wouldn't, and him and Charlotte and Ryan insisted they at least go with me to look out for me. I didn't drink, dad, I swear. And we were home by midnight.”

Frank is quiet for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to believe his son. “That true, Ruben?” he looks at me directly and asks.

What do I say? I should at least take some of the blame. It's only fair.

“I-Yeah, that's true.”

No. That's not what I meant to say. I was supposed to take some of the blame.

“Alright. Brody, we'll discuss this later,” he says sternly and walks away.

When he's gone, I just look at Brody. “You really didn't have to take all the blame. I'm so sorry, I-”

Brody presses his hand against my mouth to stop me. “Ruben! Don't apologize, it's fine. I made you come. I don't mind taking the responsibility.”

He pulls his hand away from my mouth. “What will your dad do, though?” I ask.

Brody shrugs. “I don't know. I can guess a couple of punches. Nothing I haven't dealt with before. Don't worry about it.”

I hug him and we get back to work. I remember what he said about not needing me to defend him all the time, maybe this is his way of doing that.

“Are you doing anything with Ryan and Charlotte later?” he asks when we pull apart.

“No, not that I know of.”

“I was gonna go and sit near the lake for a while and read or something. I'm done for today so I'm going there now. Will you come sit with me when you're done?”

I smile. “Alright. I'll meet you there.”