17. Chapter 17 Jack
Chapter seventeen
Blanche guides Margot and me into her house as we bellow our team’s fight song at the top of our lungs, still reveling in the victory.
“Yes, yes, the football team is very good this year,” Blanche says in reference to Ledger’s, Henry’s, and my alma mater.
We used to attend games all the time, but over the past several years, making even one a season has seemed like a stretch.
The Sinclairs are pretty much royalty at the university.
If Henry being the best quarterback to ever come through the school wasn’t enough, they could almost bankroll the program with the donations they send every year.
Margot heads straight for the minibar as soon as we get in the house and holds up a bottle of tequila. “Who wants to celebrate?”
Without waiting for an answer, she pours three shots and hands them out. We all clink the glasses together and take the shots, cheering to the big win tonight. Surprisingly, Blanche is the first to finish hers and slam it down on the counter, followed by Margot, then me.
“Alright, that’s enough of that for me tonight. I’m going to head to bed,” Blanche says before turning to walk out of the den. She’s almost out of the room before turning back around and fixing us both with one of her famous Mama B stares. “Are you two going to be alright?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say as Margot rolls her eyes.
She squints as she stares us down a moment longer before saying good night and leaving.
Finally alone, Margot fills us both another shot and holds one out for me. “You’ll stay with me, won't you, Jackie?” She may be a little tipsy, but she knows exactly what she’s doing when she bats her big eyes at me. “Pleasseee.”
This is probably a terrible idea. I try my best to keep my thoughts platonic, but it’s not like I’m oblivious to the way my body reacts to her. The truth of the matter is that I’m just incapable of turning her down. If the princess wants it, she gets it, and that’s how it’s always been.
“Margot, you know I can’t drive home if I take any more of those shots.” We both know that's a horrible excuse. I’ve had a room in every Sinclair house since they took me in twenty-five years ago.
Her eyes are already gleaming with triumph. “You can just stay here tonight! Come on, you have to stay so we can discuss the fact that Ledger has a girlfriend ! Seriously, is the world about to end? Have you ever known him to date at all?”
She’s not wrong about that. Ledger’s obsession with Sloane took me by surprise just as much as anyone. He had some short relationships in high school, but once we started college, he never saw the same woman twice. Neither of us did.
With a sigh of defeat, I take the shot of tequila from her hand and swallow it down in one gulp. Margot squeals with excitement before doing the same with her own.
“Oh, I know! Let’s play a game!” she says, clapping her hands before grabbing our glasses and the bottle and dragging me to sit down beside her on one of the sofas, apparently forgetting all about her inquiry of Ledger.
“Truth or dare. If you don’t answer or you refuse the dare, you have to take a shot.
But! If you take a shot, you have to go again, and you have to either do or answer what comes next.
You go first. What do you want, truth or dare? ”
“Um, truth, I guess.”
She wiggles her eyebrows before looking at me. “Do you have a girrrlfrieeend like Ledger does?”
“That's funny. No, I don’t.”
I can’t help but notice how she lights up a little at my admission. “Okay. Truth or dare.”
“Hmm. Truth.”
“Do you have a boooyyyfriend?” I try to mimic the way she said girlfriend, the alcohol causing her to cackle like a hyena.
“Nope, I’m a single lady.” She gives a little shimmy for emphasis, which has me laughing hysterically this time.
“Okay, dare this time.” Margot pauses for a moment to think before giving quite a diabolical laugh. “I dare you to text Ledger and tell him you think Sloane is the most beautiful woman you’ve ever s...”
I shoot my drink back before she can finish her sentence. “That was not fair, and you know it! I know not to accept another dare from you. Truth this time.”
“Fine.” She gives an exaggerated eye roll. “Who is the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen?”
“Easy. You are, Princess.”
“Ha. Ha. Very funny.”
Her playful demeanor fades when she finally takes notice of my intense gaze. “I’m not laughing, Margot. Truth or dare?”
“Truth,” she whispers.
There are so many things I could ask, so many I would love to ask. But for the first time in years, our relationship has been on good, healthy terms, and if I complicate things right now, I could lose one of my very best friends. “Am I still your favorite brother?”
She’s silent for a moment, and I can tell she’s thinking hard about how to answer this.
“Jack, honestly, I’ve never really seen you as a brother.
You’ve always been, well, more. So, no. You aren’t my favorite brother.
” She’s been looking down at her thumbs fidgeting during her answer, but when she looks up, she has the saddest smile I've ever seen on her face. “Still truth?”
I nod.
Our eyes are still locked on each other as she asks her truth. “Do you think of me as more than just a little sister?”
Fuck yes. I’ve always seen her as more. The problem is, that’s changed so much throughout the years, and I don’t know exactly what that is because I’ve never allowed myself to unpack those feelings.
Her eyes search mine for any indication of a nonverbal answer.
I should lie. I should lie and tell her no. I most definitely can’t tell her yes.
Instead, I do the only other thing I can think of. I take a shot, maintaining eye contact the entire time. I couldn’t look away from her if I tried. My admission causes her eyes to widen and her breath to hitch. “Jack…I dare you to kiss me.”
“Whatever you want, Princess.” What I wouldn’t give to taste those beautiful lips of hers.
Instead, I lean over and kiss the top of her head like I’ve always done.
When I sit back, the disappointment on her face almost kills me.
God, if she only knew how disappointed I am as well.
I have to force myself to do the right thing and go to my room.
“Good night, baby girl.”