Chapter 33 #2
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, hands fisting and flexing at his sides like he didn’t know what to do with them. He couldn’t quite meet her eyes. When he did, it lasted less than a second before his gaze dropped to the floor again.
He was ashamed, and the realization made her stomach twist.
“Do you hate me?” he asked, as if the words cost him something.
The question undid her more than any memory had. “I could never hate you, Andy. You’re my brother—I love you, and nothing will ever change that.”
She pushed herself upright and let the blanket fall the rest of the way to her lap, needing to be closer to him. “Come here.”
He hesitated, then crossed the room, stopping just out of her reach.
Up close, she could see the faint puffiness beneath his eyes.
She couldn’t avoid the conversation they needed to have anymore. Lifting her hand, she patted the cushion beside her. “Sit down.”
He lowered himself onto the couch, like the air had gone out of him—shoulders slumped, elbows braced on his knees, and his head hanging. He still wouldn’t look at her.
“Andy.”
His eyes flicked up, glassy and rimmed red, then dropped again.
“We need to go over what happened.”
His jaw tightened immediately. “I know.”
“No,” she said gently. “I don’t think you do.”
Silence stretched between them.
The air conditioner clicked off, and the sudden stillness made her skin prickle.
Brian had told her everything the night before. Every detail. What Andy had done. The hacking job for money. The reckless assumption he could dip into something dangerous and walk away clean. She’d lain awake beside him, replaying it all until exhaustion finally dragged her under.
“You did something foolish,” she said quietly. “You got involved with gang members and thought you could handle it.”
His shoulders hunched even more.
“I didn’t think it would go that far,” he muttered.
“That’s the point.” Her voice stayed calm, even though a part of her wanted to shake him. Yelling would only make him shut down. “You thought you could control it. You thought you could make a little money, prove you weren’t some kid they could push around—”
“I wasn’t—” He stopped, jaw tightening. “It wasn’t like that.”
“Brian told me about the first job,” she said evenly. “The cash. How easy it was.”
His silence confirmed it.
“You took the money,” she continued. “And when nothing bad happened, you convinced yourself it wasn’t a big deal.”
He scrubbed both hands over his face. “I don’t know. I just—he said it was nothing. Just information. Just a small thing.”
“But it wasn’t nothing, Andy. What you did was illegal.”
“No, it isn’t,” he snapped, then winced as if he hated himself for raising his voice.
“Even Brian said it’s a gray area that I wouldn’t get in trouble for.
Nobody gets arrested for rerouting an IP address.
And Diego made it sound like he was just messing with someone.
I didn’t think he’d come back and want me to do anything serious—something that really was illegal. ”
“That’s how they draw people in,” she said quietly. “They find what you’re good at. They make it sound small. Harmless. Technical. Like a puzzle—something fun.”
He stared at the floor.
“I didn’t think he’d—” His voice cracked. “I didn’t think he’d come after you.”
“There it is.” She swallowed past the tightness in her throat. “You didn’t think.”
He flinched.
“You got involved with someone dangerous and assumed the danger would stay contained,” she continued, steady but firm. “That it wouldn’t spill over. That it wouldn’t touch me.”
His breathing hitched.
“I never meant for you to get hurt,” he said, barely audible. “I swear, Tess. I would never—”
“I know you wouldn’t.” Her voice softened, but she didn’t back down. “But intent doesn’t erase consequences.”
He finally looked at her fully then, and the guilt in his eyes nearly broke her heart.
“I could’ve gotten you killed,” he whispered.
They both knew how close it had come, so she didn’t deny it. “Yes. You could have.”
The truth hung there between them—heavy, unavoidable.
“And that’s why we’re talking about it. You’re not evil. And you’re not a criminal mastermind. You made a reckless choice—one that had serious consequences.”
Not wanting to beat a dead horse, she took a breath and let it out slowly. “You’re grounded from the computer for a month.”
He didn’t argue. Not even a hint of protest. “Okay.”
“You’re not allowed to carry this alone either. I’m going to see a therapist to deal with what happened, and I want you to go too—with and without me. We’ll get through this together, just like we did when Mom and Dad died.”
His lips pressed together, and he swiped away tears that rolled down his cheeks. His depression weighed heavily on her. She hated seeing him like that. It would take a while, but they’d get through it.
“I love you, Andy. No matter what. Remember that.”
He nodded, then threw his arms around her shoulders, sobbing. “I—I love you too. I’m so sorry, Tess! I’m so sorry.”
“I know. It’s going to be okay.” She rubbed his back as he let it all out—the fear, the guilt, and the shame. When he finally got his emotions under control and pulled away, a thought occurred to her. “You know what? Why don’t you invite Kelle over tonight for dinner? I’d love to meet her finally.”
He blinked. “What?”
“We’ll order pizza and play Jenga or something. Brian will be here too. You need normal right now, and so do I.”
His eyes softened slightly, and a faint smile appeared. “Okay.”
It wasn’t much.
But it was a start.