"What is this?"

It'd been a few days since the ball dropped about Brandon being framed and Lee and I had finally decided it was time to let Brandon in on everything. Since I wasn't sure how Brandon would take it, I decided we should meet up in a public place. It wasn't that I didn't trust Brandon— he really wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose. But he did spend time in jail and he hadn't been lying when he said he'd gotten jacked. I didn't want to chance anything.

Multiple scenarios ran through my head. Brandon getting pissed, Brandon getting upset, Brandon disowning me for associating with the Calloway brothers even after knowing everything, Brandon punching Lee in the face, Brandon punching me in the face...

I just never expected, and in retrospect maybe I should have expected, Lee to start off the talk with a bribe.

A bribe in the form of a brand new 2015 Maserati.

My hands twitched as Lee pulled into the Starbucks parking lot, parking the beautiful black car in front of us. He climbed out and handed the key over to Brandon. "Please accept my gift."

"What?" Brandon and I said simultaneously.

"This is mine?" Brandon continued, looking at the key in his hand.

"Yes," Lee answered and I swear I had a heart attack.

"No way," Brandon said, winging open the driver's side door and inspecting the interior.

"I know you don't have a car right now and this is really the least I could do," Lee said, a satisfied smile on his face. "I've also contacted the insurance company and paid for your insurance for the next three years. This way the car will depreciate and become affordable for you at that point. Just make sure to fill out the rest of the information with the company. The card is in the glove compartment."

"Lee, you don't have to do this," I told him, trying to ignore how hard was beating at the sight of my dream car.

"I know I don't have to. I want to."

"What happened wasn't your fault though."

Lee didn't answer that and put his hands in his pockets. "This is really nothing. Brandon doesn't seem too burdened either."

It wasn't right— I knew it wasn't right. You couldn't just bribe someone like this. And yet... for the first time in my life I wished I was Brandon. My dream car was in front of me... as a gift to my annoying brother. As Brandon climbed into the driver's seat I gasped and clutched my heart, wondering if my jealousy was actually going to kill me.

"Is something wrong?" Lee asked, noticing.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm dying, but I'm fine," I muttered.

"Sorry?"

"I'm fine," I said louder, stretching my lips into what I hoped was a smile. "I just think this might be a bit too much."

"I feel so horrible about what happened. Especially knowing he had to sell his car to pay for the repairs for the car I damaged. I wanted to get him something nice. I figured that since you like Maseratis so much your brother would as well. I got a good deal since I'm friends with the manager at the dealership."

Why wasn't it me behind that wheel? Why couldn't Brandon have signed the contract with Bennett? I chose the wrong brother. Why had I settled for a measly sixty grand when I could have had a Maserati? Was it too late to change the contract? Wait, crap, there was no more contract.

No, Henley, I scolded myself. I couldn't be tempted like this. It was just a car. It was just a car...

"What are you doing?" I cried as Brandon put his dirty feet on the seats to try and climb into the back seat. "Brandon! Get out of that beautiful car right now!"

Brandon looked back at me, unfazed by my yelling. "Why? It's my car."

I reached out my hand toward the Maserati, saying a last goodbye to the clean, new, precious car I had the luck of knowing for approximately five minutes. It belonged to someone else now. Someone truly disgusting.

"Henley? Are you sure you're alright?" Lee asked, putting a hand on my back and supporting me as if he thought I was about to pass out any second.

"Will you marry me?"

"Huh?"

"No, no. I love Bennett," I scolded myself. More than Maseratis? Debatable. We hadn't known each other that long.

Lee leaned down so that his mouth was ear level with my ear. "Do you think he'll still beat me up?"

I stepped back, surprised by his sudden proximity. "Brandon? He won't beat you up. Who told you he would?"

"Henry told me he got pretty beefy."

"Henry did?"

"Well, I'm sure most people look pretty beefy to Henry, now that I'm thinking about it," Lee mused. "That boy is all skin and bones."

Boy? "Isn't he older than you?"

"Yes, why?"

"No reason. Brandon, come on, we don't have all day!" I called, making him stick his head out of the car's sunroof.

He grinned like a doofus. "This car is awesome."

My eye twitched as he proceeded to climb out of the sunroof and onto the hood of the car. I turned to Lee to see him watching Brandon with a content look. How much money did you have to have to feel content while watching someone climb all over a new seventy-thousand-dollar car? How was this my life?

Inside the Starbucks, I chose a table where I could watch the Maserati through the window. While we were in a safe area of Arlington, I had the overwhelming urge to protect this car. Which would probably be a difficult feat considering its new owner.

Lee came to the table, placing down three iced drinks. A macchiato for himself, a black and white latte for me, and a regular coffee for Brandon. Brandon dragged his coffee toward him and took a long sip as Lee sat down across from him. "So, this kind of feels like an intervention but just so you guys know I'm not addicted to anything. I did work out a lot but it's just because I was bored—"

"It's not an intervention Brandon. We found out more news about your accident."

His facial expression didn't change. "Ah, I figured it might be that."

"How did you know?"

"Henley, you have literally been avoiding me for like five days. You didn't think I'd notice something was going on?"

I grimaced. "It was that noticeable?"

"Very. And I know that Lee is involved somehow because a, he's here and b, he bought me a car that's worth more than my life. So don't hold back and lay it out for me."

Lee's hands clenched into fists and he took a deep breath. "It's all my fault that you went to jail—"

"No, Lee. Okay, this is why I didn't want to let the two of you meet alone," I interjected, rubbing a hand over my forehead. "That makes it sound bad."

Brandon eyed Lee suspiciously. "How is it your fault? You didn't force me to drink and steal a car."

"That's the thing. You didn't crash the car. You didn't even steal it. I did."

Brandon glanced at me briefly before turning back to Lee. "What do you mean?"

"Your whole accident was a set up by my mother."

A bark of laughter left Brandon's lips, startling Lee and myself. "What? Is that even possible? You left the pub way before me. I get that your brother is dating my sister, but this is going a bit too far. You don't need to take the blame for my mistakes. I've already did my time so to say."

"Brandon," I said, waiting until he gave me eye contact. My stomach flip-flopped and I took a small breath. "It's not like that. Bennett and Lee's mother really did set you up. There's proof."

Brandon stared at me for a second. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Brandon, I'm really sorry," Lee said quickly. "I had no idea that my mother did this. Everything is my fault."

"Wait, that doesn't even make sense—"

"It does. You don't know my mother. She's fully capable of this. What you suffered through... I can't apologize enough. It was my mistake, and yet you paid the price."

Brandon pursed his lips to the side, eyebrows furrowing. "How do you know? What proof do you have?"

"Your old lawyer," I told him. "He's Sebastian's dad and he was working with their mom. That's why he was so useless. Sebastian found all the old records and there were payoffs. You were never in that car. That's why you didn't have any injuries."

"I can show you everything," Lee added.

"This sounds completely insane. I don't even want to admit it makes sense. I knew there was no way I stole that car. I had my own car in the parking lot. I was completely uninjured even though the car was totaled. Nothing added up. But how could I defend myself when I couldn't remember anything?"

"I don't remember much about the night either," Lee admitted. "I didn't know anyone took the blame for my actions, because I don't even remember much of what I did. But I know I took that car and I know I crashed it. You didn't do anything wrong, Brandon."

Shaking his head, Brandon laughed again without humor. "Wow. This is completely insane and complete bullshit."

His voice rose on the last word and Lee shrunk in his seat. A few of the other customers turned their head toward us and I swallowed. Maybe a public place was a bad choice after all. "Brandon—"

"So basically, I was in jail for almost a year because you didn't want to own up to your mistakes?" Brandon accused, clenching his fist around his coffee cup.

I shook my head. "No, Brandon, that's not what happened—"

"I'm sorry," Lee spoke over me. "I know I can't make up for the time you spent in jail, but I'm willing to do whatever I can to make it up to you."

"Make it up to me?" Brandon repeated.

"Brandon, Lee didn't know," I protested. "His mom shipped him across the country and kept him basically locked up in a mental institution. Lee, stop trying to take all the blame. You need to explain things clearly."

"It all comes back to me," Lee countered. "No matter what my mother did, it still is my fault. It's up to me to fix it."

Brandon ran a hand through his hair. "What happened? Why did I get caught up in this?"

"You must've been the closest person. And it's not an excuse for my mother's actions, but you were also drunk. My mother probably thought you wouldn't be coherent enough to protest what was happening. I was also out of it. I truly didn't know what was happening at the time."

"I can't believe this crap happens in real life."

"Tell me how you want me to fix this," Lee urged. "You went through so much because of me. It's only fair of me to do the same."

"Even if ends up with you in jail?"

"Yes."

"So, you'll go to the cops and tell them you're the one who stole the car and crashed it and then placed all the blame on me?" Brandon asked.

Lee nodded. "I will."

My heart sunk in my chest. Was Brandon really going to ask this of Lee? In reality, he had every right to. I couldn't ask him not to. I couldn't stop Lee either. I was just here to mediate. It wasn't my place to try to stop either of them.

"Right, so you'll go to the cops, clear my name, and then spend some time in jail yourself," Brandon continued, folding his arms over his chest. "That's what you want to do?"

Lee held his gaze. "Yes."

"You're an idiot."

"I am," Lee agreed.

Brandon rolled his eyes. "No, I mean, you really are an idiot. If your mother did all this to frame me in the first place, I really can't see her letting you go to the police and taking the blame now."

"She won't know."

"Somehow I doubt that. What good would come out of that? I'm already out. You think I'd feel better seeing you locked up there instead?" Brandon let his head drop back and he sighed. "I'm not doing that."

Lee's eyes widened in surprise and I closed my eyes for a second, relief running through my system. "Why not?"

"I already said. I did my time. It's over. I'm just trying to move on. Why would I want to put you through that? We're buddies, Lee. This really sucks and yeah, I'm mad, but if you really didn't have anything to do with it, why would I do that to you?"

"Because my mother—"

"Your mother sucks. I can relate. Our mother left us and never looked back. Is that mine and Henley's fault? No. So, it's not your fault your mother made stupid choices too. You don't have to take the blame."

Lee's face scrunched up. "But..."

"Seeing you feel so guilty is enough evidence for me. The idea of clearing my name sounds great, but not at that price. Isn't there anything else we can do?"

"We're trying to find a way," I told him, feeling an overwhelming urge to hug him. Maybe he was more mature than I gave him credit for. Maybe he deserved that Maserati.

"I want in," he said.

"Of course," Lee responded.

"This explains the look she gave me that one time at Bennett's house," Brandon commented, a small smirk raising his lips. "Maybe you guys can use me to your advantage. She sure did look terrified."

I gasped. "You're right! That does explain that. She remembered you."

"Is that why she's so anal about you and Bennett not being together?" Brandon asked me. "What a bitch."

I thought about it for a moment. Even before that Mrs. Calloway wasn't that fond of me, but now that Brandon mentioned it, Bennett broke up with me soon after that. It wasn't just a coincidence. She remembered Brandon and was worried this would come up. "We should probably tell Bennett and Sebastian about this. I'm worried now that she might've put two and two together and started trying to hide any evidence."

Lee pulled out his phone. "I was just thinking the same thing."

"I'm going to keep the Maserati," Brandon said. "As compensation."

"Of course," Lee agreed.

"I also have another condition."

"What's that?"

"I want a job. In your company."

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Brandon's smile sent chills up my arm. "If I really make her so nervous, why not make her life just a little more difficult? Let me work at the hotel."

"She'll just fire you though."

Lee tapped his fingers along the table. "Not necessarily. Brandon could sue the company under the right means and typically we try to avoid that. It might work. However, she spends most of her time in the offices in the city. That seems a bit far for a commute."

"I don't need to start there," Brandon said. "What about the hotel here in Arlington?"

"I can do that. It might be good to stay off her radar at first. Then if we want to make her really sweat we could move you to Manhattan temporarily."

Brandon snapped his fingers. "I like the way you think."

"If there's anything else you want, let me know."

"Well—"

"He's good for now," I said, giving Brandon a stern look.

Brandon pouted and took another sip of his coffee. "Yeah, you've done enough Lee. Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. It's the least I can do."

"Wait I do have one more favor to ask actually," Brandon said. "Stop being so apologetic to me. Things will work out. I know it. Let's go back to how we used to be, okay?"

Lee stared at Brandon, then me, and back to Brandon. "You two are quite alike."

"Ew," Brandon and I said simultaneously causing Lee to laugh.

"If it makes you more comfortable, I'll try to be less apologetic. But just know that I still am."

Brandon rolled his eyes. "I really will punch you."

Lee unconsciously leaned away from Brandon. "Alright, I'll stop."

"Good. Buy me another coffee."

"Brandon," I scolded.

Lee stood up immediately and headed to the counter. Brandon grinned to himself and quickly schooled his features when I gave him a judgmental look. "Okay, I get it," he said. "I won't use him like that."

"Good."

"You know, I really am kind of mad about all this."

"You have every right to be.... Thank you for not throwing Lee under the bus."

Brandon shrugged. "It really isn't his fault. Lee's a good guy. And also, we'll probably be family one day. Even if that's what I wanted, I couldn't do that to you. Don't you have a good big brother?"

I smiled at him. "Yeah, I do. Thanks Brandon."

"No problem, Henley. But you do owe me one."

I threw him a flat look. Typical.