“Listen to me and listen to me good,” Cole grits out through clenched teeth while pointing to his face. “You are not responsible for Liam’s death.”

“If I’m not then who is?” If it wasn’t so tragic, Cole’s resolve would be laughable. “Not only did I betray him, I said some really awful shit to him that night. As his big brother and best friend, I should have been there for him…but I wasn’t. I wasn’t any of the things Liam needed me to be when it actually fucking counted.”

There’s no coming back from that.

His gaze cuts to mine. “Still wasn’t your fault.” He sits back down on the bed. “Liam, and Liam alone, chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”

“A problem I created for him.”

“How was loving Dylan a problem?” Oak interjects with a shrug. “I know Liam had a crush on Dylan and all but—not to be a dick— Liam and Dylan never dated. Hell, they never even came close. Given what Cole said, it seems like it was pretty obvious she was in love with you from the get-go and vice versa. Therefore, I don’t see how his death was your fault. Or anyone’s for that matter…except those assholes who teased him at school.” He looks around the room. “Or are we just going to keep ignoring that?”

“Bullying wasn’t why Liam killed himself.”

“And you know that how?” Cole bites out. “Were you with him in the closet that night?”

“Of course not, but Liam killed himself hours after we got into a fight because I betrayed him.”

“And hours after Tommy and those other dipshits made fun of him at the school dance.” He jumps to his feet. “You know he had issues, Jace. You and Dad can bury your heads in the sand all you want about that shit, but Liam was bipolar…just like Mom. The signs were all there. One second, he was happy…and two weeks later he was lying in bed the whole weekend acting like an irritable, miserable prick.”

A spike of anger runs through me. “Just because someone is bipolar doesn’t make them an asshole.”

“No, it doesn’t…but it does make them human. I know in your eyes Liam was a saint, but if he was here right now, he’d tell you he wasn’t. He’d also tell you he missed Mom, and how much it hurt him that Dad wasn’t around. And how much he hated being bullied at school and that it seriously fucked him up.” Shame etches his features. “He’d tell you what happened to him wasn’t your fault. Because you were the best brother he could have asked for. You protected him and loved him…which is a hell of a lot more than anyone can say for me.”

Shit. “Cole don’t—”

He slaps his chest. “I was his twin brother, Jace. I knew him better than anyone. Why do you think it was so goddamn easy for me to hurt him all the time? If anyone is responsible for what happened, it’s me.” He laughs, but it’s a dark, humorless sound. “Screw the kids at school, his biggest bully was right here at home.”

Fuck. I have no idea what to say to that. Cole and Liam had a shitty relationship. But I don’t want Cole placing this burden on his shoulders.

I don’t want to lose the only brother I have left.

I drag a hand over my scalp. “You can’t blame yourself.”

“Well, then you can’t either.” Crossing his arms, he stares me down. “If you want me and Bianca to be happy…you have to lead the way. Show us good things can still happen, because right now it feels like all this fucked-up family is destined for is tragedy after tragedy.” He takes the joint from Oakley and brings it to his lips. “I don’t know about you, brother, but I’m getting really fucking sick of it.”

Ain’t that the truth. “Me too.”

“Then prove it.” Blowing out a cloud of smoke, he juts his chin toward the window. “Dylan makes you happy, man. And if you love me and Bianca—”

“And me,” Oak chimes in.

He shrugs when we look at him. “What? I was starting to feel left out.”

Cole smirks. “And Oakley, you’ll man the fuck up like he said and get your girl.”

Either Cole just manipulated the hell out of me, or he knows me better than I thought.

Either way, it worked.

It’s impossible for me to be truly happy without Dylan.

She’s the one this fucked-up thing in my chest beats and bleeds for.

I’m tired of living without the other half of my soul.

I’m tired of missing my best friend.

I’m tired of waking up every day with nothing when my everything is right there.

Determination flows through my veins. “Where is she?”

Oakley lights another joint. “Home.” He blinks. “Wait…nope. She’s gone.”

I bolt out of my chair. “What do you mean she’s gone?”

“Crystal felt bad about Wayne blowing a gasket and threatening to kick her out yesterday morning, so she got her tickets to some rock concert tonight.” He takes a quick drag and blows out a puff of smoke. “Sawyer was supposed to go with her, but her boss wouldn’t give her the night off work.” He shrugs. “She asked if I wanted to go, but I told her I’d rather shove a fork in my eye than listen to that crap.”

It’s all I can do not to wring his neck. “You let her go to a rock concert alone?”

He looks at Cole. “Was I not supposed to?”

Cole winces. “Judging by the murderous look in Jace’s eye, probably not.”

His gaze swings back my way. “My bad. I thought—”

“What concert?”

“Shit, I don’t know. I think it was Jimmy eating…something. Wait, maybe it was Lenny. Nope, it was definitely Ben—”

I don’t hear the rest of Oakley’s sentence because I’m charging out the door to get my girl.

Chapter 46

Jace

“I need to see your ticket.”

I slap a stack of hundred-dollar bills in his hand. “This should cover it.”

“I can put you in the second row or you can stand in the pit. Which one do you want?”

“Pit’s fine.”

It’s where Dylan will be.

He hands me a badge with the words, VIP on it. “Need a poncho?”

“No.”

I just need Dylan.

He lifts up the rope. “Have fun.”

After walking through a tunnel that goes on for too fucking long, I enter the outdoor amphitheater.

Despite the rain trickling down and the thunder rolling in the distance, it’s still packed.

Flipping my hood up, I trek down the pathway leading to the entrance of the pit…but pause when I spot her.

Eyes closed and one hand thrust in the air, Dylan’s singing every lyric to “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World into the sunset while swaying her body to the music.

She looks so gorgeous and carefree it makes my breath catch.

The people in the pit are getting frustrated due to the impending storm, but Dylan doesn’t give a single fuck.

It’s one of the things I love most about her.

The sky opens up and the rain starts coming down in buckets, soaking her hair and clothes…but my girl keeps singing and dancing, never missing a beat.