Zailey (Sequel) ✔️

Part Seventeen

I popped my eyes open in the darkness of my room.
Frowning to myself, I wondered what woke me.
Until I heard a thud and the muffled, frustrated voice.
I looked towards my right wall, which led to the linen closet and bathroom.
Keegan's bedroom was on the other side of the bathroom.
He must be making some noise for me to hear.
I frowned and swung my legs out of my bed.
Was Keegan okay?
I felt suddenly wide awake as I trudged to my closed bedroom door.
I passed the ajar bathroom door and paused near Keegan's bedroom.
A crack of light showed through the gap between his door and the carpet.
Something else went thud from the inside of Keegan's room.
Why was he so active at this hour of the night?
I raise my fist, preparing to knock on the closed door.
"Keegan?"
I questioned.
The shuffling around stopped.
"Keegan?"
I tried again, knocking quickly on the door.
Something else thudded, then I heard what sounded like footsteps, muffled as he crossed the carpet.
Suddenly the door swung open.
My next older brother looked frazzled.
His blonde hair was a mess, like he'd been running his hands through it.
His expression was pinched and his eyes were slightly red rimmed, but also a little glassy.
I frowned at him, confused about his state.
"What's going on Kee?"
"Go back to bed Bails."
He muttered and moved to close the door again.
I stepped into his room, stopping him from shutting me out so easily.
He wouldn't (and doesn't) leave me looking like this.
Stubbornly, I folded my arms under my chest.
"I've just... got a bit on my mind."
Keegan sighed heavily and turned on his heel to cross back to his bed.
I looked around his room, searching for what had him thudding around at after midnight.
On his bedside table was his surf board shaped lamp and his phone, keys and wallet.
And a bottle of two thirds full Wild Turkey.
And a bong.
I'm not experienced, but I'm also not a complete idiot.
I know what a bong looks like.
My blood seemed to chill.
"Keegan?"
I looked wide eyed towards my brother who was now sitting on the edge of his unmade bed.
My brother propped his elbows on his thighs and placed his head in his hands.
My heart pounded inside my chest.
"Were you arguing with somebody?"
I whispered, walking over to his bed.
Keegan remained sitting with his head held in his hands.
I eyed the contents of his bedside table again.
Was he smoking weed in here recently?
Cautiously I sniffed at the air.
All I could smell was a mixture of air freshener and male cologne.
Maybe he's not been smoking.
Or maybe he's just good at covering his tracks.
Swallowing, I eyed the bottle of bourbon.
Was he drinking that tonight?
"Kee?"
I twisted to face him.
"I was talking with Lexie."
He finally whispered.
"Sorry if I woke you up."
I frowned in confusion.
Lexie?
He sounded a bit angry to be talking with Lexie.
Not that I'd been able to hear the words.
"Is... everything okay with you two?"
I asked cautiously, my veins thrumming with nerves.
Finally Keegan lifted his head.
He pressed his lips firmly together and glared across the room at his open wardrobe doors.
"No."
He muttered darkly.
"Nothing's okay. I'm still not good enough for her."
My heart just about stopped in my chest.
Keegan thinks he's not good enough for Lexie?
Where did he get that idea from?
I sighed.
"Kee, I'm sure that's not true."
Keegan laughed bitterly.
"It is."
I frowned.
"Keegan I've seen the way Lexie looks at you. I've seen you guys kiss. I've seen you guys come out of the same bedroom. Zander told me you guys have been... intimate."
I couldn't bring my self to say 'sex' in front of my brother.
That was just awkward.
Keegan shoved himself off his bed.
"I don't wanna talk about it."
He gritted.
I eyed the alcohol and the bong on his bedside table.
So what was his plan?
Just get wasted?
"How much have you had to drink?"
I asked wearily.
Keegan eyed the bottle of liquor.
"Only a few mouthfuls, before you knocked on the door."
He muttered.
Good.
"How about you get some sleep Kee and tomorrow you can focus on what to do about this."
I suggested, stifling a yawn.
Keegan shot me a glance.
"Go to bed Bails. I'm fine."
He wasn't.
"How 'bout you explain to me what's going on."
I suggested, tapping the mattress for him to come sit.
I wanted badly to crawl into my bed.
But I could hardly leave my brother like this.
With a sigh, Keegan crossed back to his bed and sat, his weight making me bounce a little.
"You are more than good enough for Lexie, Keegan. Any girl."
I insisted.
"No I'm not."
He shook his head.
I frowned.
"What makes you believe this?"
"Because anything and everything we do is on her terms. Which, I'm okay with. Except she won't call us anything. I'm just Zander's friend as I always have been."
Keegan scowled.
"Zander's best friend."
I whispered.
Keegan shot me an almost smile.
I sighed.
My poor brother was hurting.
"Maybe... Lexie's just not ready for a relationship at the moment."
I suggested.
Keegan scowled.
"No her problem is just that she's nineteen and a Uni student."
He glared at the carpet floor.
I swallowed nervously.
Was that seriously what Lexie was leading Keegan to believe?
She seemed to really like him...
Keegan sighed audibly and visibly and he reached to grab his phone off the bedside table.
I glimpsed a couple of Facebook notifications on his phone and a text message, though I couldn't see who it was from or what it read.
It wasn't my business to know.
Keegan laughed bitterly as he read the screen.
"See!"
He exclaimed and thrust the phone so that the screen was staring at me.
LEXIE: 1:46AM: I'm sorry 😳😔😥😘💚
I felt tired just noticing the time.
But my heart clenched when I read the words that Keegan apparently wanted me to.
"What's she apologising for?"
I whispered, shifting my gaze to Keegan's face.
He tossed his phone into his bed.
"She won't call us anything. Yet some girls were licking alcohol off my chest at the beach party last night and it went around social media and she's fucking pusses at me!"
Keegan seethed, clenching his hands into fists.
Ewe.
He let girls lick booze off his body?
I cringed.
No wonder Lexie was pissed.
But if she's being unclear to him, how's he meant to know he's wrong?
The reasonable voice in my head returned.
Hmmm...
I smiled at Keegan a little.
"Well, I guess I gotta say I'm glad I haven't seen it."
Keegan laughed quietly.
"But if she's mad, she's most likely jealous."
I whispered.
Keegan scowled.
"Then she should grow up and stop fucking pretending like numbers mean anything!"
He was referring to their ages.
"Age matters to some people sometimes, Kee."
I quietly told him.
I certainly hadn't cared at all that Zander was a year older than me.
A year was nothing.
It was more or family alliance that made that one tricky.
Amara, however, was worried she was falling for Heath, because he was close to five years her elder.
"Age is fucking stupid."
Keegan scowled.
I adopted over to wrap my brother into a hug.
"Get some sleep Kee."
I urged.
He sighed heavily.
"Like I can sleep. She got to town and we were hookin' up and I did everything right. I barely got drunk at parties and I definitely didn't hook up with girls."
"Good."
I smiled softly.
"Because if you were doing those things and showing her you're immature, then of course she wouldn't want to jump in."
"I did everything I was supposed to."
My brother insisted.
"Yet it's still not good enough!"
I sighed.
"I'm sure she's got her reasons Kee. However much they might suck."
I reasoned.
"You're right."
Keegan nodded sharply.
"I just gotta get the fuck over her."
I flinched.
No that wasn't quite what I meant...
"She's had me wrapped around her finger long enough."
He glared at the carpet.
"You guys all said I always had Zander wrapped around my finger."
I whispered.
Shouldn't that show him that caring is worth it?
Keegan shook his head sadly.
"You two are different. He thought of you as his angel since you were almost four years old and rocked up at my fifth birthday party in a new dress."
I remembered Zander informing me similarly.
Keegan put an arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.
"Go to bed Bails. I'm sorry I've disturbed your sleep."
He sighed heavily.
"You're my brother Kee. You'll always come first."
I promised.
"But I want you to get some sleep too."
"I'll try."
He agreed.
"I'd also like to take that bottle."
I explained, eyeing the Wild Turkey wearily.
Keegan looked at the bottle too, for several long seconds.
"Okay."
He finally whispered.
I was relived, yet at the same time concerned.
His agreeable meant he'd contemplated drinking more.
I got up off the bed and grabbed the two thirds full bottle of alcohol.
"Night Kee."
I bade.
"Night Bails."
He returned.