BooksBarbecue
Back When We Were Bright and Beautiful
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Part One
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. Part Two
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. Part Three
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. Epilogue
  68. Author’s Note
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. About the Author
  71. Also by Jillian Medoff
  72. About the Publisher

“Don’t be an asshole, Cassie,” Nate says. “Can’t you just relax for once in your life?”

“Actually, no, I can’t.” My jaw aches, my head roars. Nothing makes sense. Why is he discussing Billy in public, much less with Powell? It’s our family’s private business. “Nate, he doesn’t know anything about Billy’s case.”

“We know everything, Cassie Quinn.” Powell slides his hands over my bare legs. “Everything about you, everything there is to know.”

Oh, how I wished Nate had rushed to my defense. In my fantasies, when he saw Powell humping me, Nate shoved him aside. He raised a hand. Made a fist. Boom! Again and again, Nate punched Powell’s lights out. Get off my sister, get off her, get off her, get off her.

“Get off me!” I smack Powell’s chest with open palms. “Get the fuck off me.”

“Hey! That hurt.” Powell is laughing.

I’m shaking. I need to calm down. I stalk off to the ladies’ room again, and when I return, Powell and Deacon are gone. Nate orders two more drinks. I sip mine slowly, trying to straighten up. Soon, the bar is almost empty. It’s just me and Nate, and he’s wasted.

“Why were you such a bitch, Princess?” Nate’s supporting his head, barely, with an elbow on the bar. “Those guys believe in Billy. They’re standing by him. That means something.” He signals for Tess. “Absolut and tonic, please, Tess-tosterone, Tess-ticle, Tess-la, Tess of the d’Urbervilles.”

“You sure you need another drink, Nate?” Tess looks at me.

Shaking my head, I mouth a no. I pull on Nate’s arm. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

He won’t budge. “Those guys know Billy is innocent. Their support matters. We need them.”

“I understand, Nate. But we have no idea what really happened that night—or what they’ll say about Billy in court. Maybe he should take the deal. I told you, I tried talking to him, but he got angry at me. I just wanted to help. I didn’t mean to piss him off.”

Nate’s eyes flutter open; suddenly, he’s wide awake. “Cassie, for someone so smart, you are so stupid. Billy is never gonna talk to you. Never. Billy hates you, Cassie. I mean, he doesn’t hate you—he loves you, you’re his sister. But he can’t stand the sight of you.”

“What are you talking about?” I’m panicking. The bar feels too dark and too loud. My scalp prickles.