Castles

Chapter 14

My heart was racing. I could barely breathe, I watched Sheppard help Max into the back of his car.

I was debating on moving to a new town and just starting over.

"Did you want to drop him off at home or what are we doing with him?" Sheppard asked from the other side.

"I... I... don't know." I wanted to shove him off of a cliff right then. I fumbled for the door handle so I could climb in.

Sheppard leaned in, searching my eyes for more of an answer. "Well, let me know." He disappeared from view and I tightened my grip on the door handle. I wasn't sure I should let Max out of my sight tonight or any more nights.

Max was puking in the back seat. I was in a panic. "Are you kidding me right now!" I slapped him in the arm. "You bust up his bar and now you are puking in his car?"

Max jerked at the collar of his shirt tearing it over his head. He threw it at me. "Shut up. My head hurts really fucking bad right now."

I swatted him again. "You shut up."

Sheppard started the car. "You guys are for sure siblings."

I ignored him and kept shaking my head at my brother. "I will make sure he pays you back for all of this."

Sheppard shook his head. "It's not a big deal."

Max wiped at his mouth and grinned. "See. This guy doesn't care. He's ride or die."

"What are you a rapper now?" I let out a heavy sigh.

Sheppard grinned. "That might go along with the murder he was talking about all the way to the car."

I wasn't grinning.

Max leaned in between our seats, his fingers tangling into my hair and annoying me even more. I grabbed at his hand and untangled his hand from my hair as he told Sheppard that I was boring and always bossing him around.

"Well that's what older siblings do. They look out for you," Sheppard tried reasoning.

"She thinks I need a mother, because ours is such a psychopathic bi-"

I clapped my hands undoing my seatbelt and shoved him. "Max, shut the hell up and go to sleep!" He tried saying more but I whacked him again. "I swear to god if you don't shut your mouth I will knock all of your teeth out!"

The car swerved, and I landed in Sheppard's lap. Sheppard righted himself before we plowed into the car next to us and came to a stop.

I climbed back into my seat and put my seat belt back on. "I'm really sorry about this."

He shook his back. "No worries."

"Two more blocks. It's the apartments on the right." I told him. I looked back at Max, relieved to see he was sleeping again.

That familiar ache was there. My head was spinning, and I didn't have the energy to handle his crazy anymore tonight. I was beginning to realize he was more messed up than I liked to admit.

I didn't even know Sheppard that well but I was sure he didn't think any of this was fine like he kept saying.

He pulled into the parking lot. "What floor are you on?" He asked, looking up at my apartment.

"Third floor." I quickly undid my seatbelt to get the night over with. The sooner I drug him up to my apartment the sooner I could try to forget it happened. And hopefully, Sheppard would forget too.

"Then you're going to need help," he said, putting his car in park. He undid his seatbelt.

I quickly shook my head. "I will manage. You've done enough. Just go home please."

"What?" He made a face. "There's no way you will make it all the way to your apartment on your own."

"You'd be surprised what I can do," I admitted.

He tugged at his hair. "Let me help you, god damn it."

I raised an eyebrow, sensing his agitation. I climbed out of his car and watched him pull down his seats to get to my brother.

"I think I just stuck my hand in vomit," he let me know. He turned away and started laughing. "You don't know how fucking horrific this is for me."

"Why is that funny?" I laughed too, it was better than crying.

"It's either laugh or freak the hell out," he told me. He grabbed him under his arms and pulled. "Come over here and help. He said you were good at this kind of thing."

"Oh you mean disposing of bodies," I said back, pretending it was nothing more than wit, not truth.

He grinned wider at me. I grabbed Max's ankles, and we did our best to make it to the door.

"You know..." I took small steps and did my best to keep up with Sheppard. "One might say you are just as messed up as the two of us."

He pressed his lips together trying not to laugh anymore. "Well, you never did ask me how screwed up I was."

"You, screwed up?" I rolled my eyes, we made it to the door, and I pressed the four numbers to unlock the front door so we could get in. "I don't need to ask, I can tell you have your shit together. I was joking."

Sheppard used his shoulder to get past the door and waited for me to instruct him where to go next.

"There's an elevator over here," I told him. "But I hate it and I would much rather try the stairs." There were things I couldn't get over. My fear of elevators being one of them.

But he shook his head. "I refuse to carry your over six-foot-tall brother up three flights of stairs. You will have to get over your fear."

I shook my head at him. He was nuts. "Sheppard. This is not up for debate."

He started toward the elevator. "I'll be right there with you. And so will your brother."

I dropped Max's feet and watched him go a few more feet before he realized I wasn't helping anymore.

"What are you doing?"

"I told you I am not going in there," I said.

"I guess you win," he said, agreeing for the sake of it.