Page 110 of Jesse

None of it matters.

“We’re that couple,” he whispers. “We’re that couple who sticks together because we know who’s side we’re on.”

“Ours,” I say.

“Ours,” he agrees. “I would go anywhere with you. I would do anything you ask. You know why?”

“Why?” I whisper, looking up in his blue-blue eyes.

“Because you’re the best boss ever.”

EPILOGUE - JESSE

A miniature Barbie and Ken cinnamon roll hits me in the head and I turn to find Emma staring at me from across the top deck of our new yacht. She looks radiant and sexy in her teal-green bikini that really sets off her pigtails. The sun is just setting to the west. A long tail of orangey-pink stretches out across the ocean and lights her up like some kind of celestial angel.

“What was that for?” I laugh, plucking the mini-roll out of my lap and popping it into my mouth.

“Stop it right now, mister. I can practically read your mind. We made a pact when we came down here.”

“We did.” I sigh. We handled shit. We all went on Hot Tonight Show the day after Zach and I moved in with Emma and did an interview.

Me, Emma, Joey, Mila, Hannah, Natalie, and Zach. Everyone but Johnny. And we told them the story we made up.

It was a murder mystery date. I played the victim, the girls were the kidnappers and then we made up this whole plot about Joey being the detective and Zach was his sidekick.

It’s a stupid excuse but we can’t tell the truth.

Not because there was actual drugging and kidnapping happening that weekend, but because the whole reason Johnny was tipping off the tabloids about me all these years and encouraging Joey to party around the globe was so that no one would take us seriously.

No one would see us as a threat.

I called him from the jet on the way down here. I wasn’t expecting him to pick up. He never picks up. But it was eating away at me. Joey went back to… wherever the fuck he’s staying. But he didn’t go home. I guess Tokyo is home. Just learned that about him, actually. He stayed and it feels good to have him here. Because this is home. I know he’s moved on, but I’m not quite there yet.

I know I should walk away from Johnny. Hell, he wants me to walk away. He’s done everything he could think of to save me from the life he’s stuck in.

Joey and I are the laughable, the ridiculous, the foolish Boston Brothers. We waste money. We do drugs and drink. We will never amount to anything but this.

Harmless fuck-ups. No threat to this secret society called The Way. Which I do not understand at all.

But fine. I’ll play that role. I’ll be that guy in public if that’s what it takes to keep everyone safe.

But I’m not ready to give up on Johnny. He’s still my big brother. And I get Emma’s point about how he fucked up my life with the tabloid stories.

But sometimes things should be forgiven without question.

I know this better than anyone.

Johnny didn’t make me a drug addict. He didn’t make me do all those things when I was younger.

I did that all on my own.

So I called him up and we talked a little. For the first time in decades, we talked like brothers. He even apologized. I, of course, used to being the one who always needs to apologize, forgave him. I even invited him down to Saturday dinners. I don’t think he’ll come. Ever. But the invitation is there. Maybe one day we’ll figure this all out and it’ll make sense. Maybe one day Johnny can stop whatever it is he’s doing and find a nice girl like Emma to be with.

I have that same hope for Joey as well. There’s something going on in his life right now. I’m not sure what it is, because he’s not talking much. But I’m here for him too.

When the day comes that Joey Boston needs me, I’ll be there.

Emma and I came back down to Key West to forget. One week, we said. One week to forget and then we’ll deal. We’ll start looking into The Way thing. It’s a cult, maybe. Or a secret society. Or hell, it could be a sanctioned government entity for all I know.