After having a wild time at the bar, dancing and singing like idiots, we piled into the limo and headed back to our hotel on Broadway.

I tossed Easton a bottle of water before opening one for West. Luis was holding his liquor better than either of my real brothers.

At least there'd be another guy in the family to help me babysit the lightweights.

West leaned drunkenly against my arm. "What's in this? Vodka?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's water. You know, that other clear liquid. The one that is good for you. Now shut up and drink it."

West opened his mouth to say something smart, and I gave him a look that dared an argument. Luckily he took the hint, and I slumped back in my seat.

Despite seeing that picture of Camilla, I limited myself to three drinks. Monitoring West and Easton all night had been more than enough to keep me occupied. They seemed intent on drinking themselves stupid, and I'd be damned before I let either of my brothers puke on my second favorite suit.

The limo bounced over uneven streets, and I watched a blur of bright lights flick past the window.

It's crazy how fast you can go from armored vests and canteens in the desert to suits and drinks in the Big Apple.

I touched the chunky scar on my chest, and for a flash, I was right back in that fight. Blood on my fingers and a searing pain that told me something was very wrong.

I pushed it aside. Pain was weakness, and it had to go. I had to keep pushing.

West had his head in his hands, elbows propped up on his knees. Looking like a wet noodle.

"We should stop at the hotel bar and get you clowns something to eat."

"Did someone say the party continues at the hotel bar?" Easton chimed in.

Seriously?

"You do know you have a wedding rehearsal in the morning, right? And then you're up in front of a thousand fucking people later in the day. Maybe we take it easy on the vodka."

Easton mumbled something that sounded like, It's my bachelor party, but I didn't care. He'd thank me tomorrow.

The limo came to an abrupt stop before the doors popped open and the entire wedding party spilled out. Flocking to the massive bar inside our ritzy hotel. I shoved my hands in my pockets and scanned the room as everyone got settled.

West approached a grand piano positioned right in the center. And I noticed he was smiling for the first time since singing on stage. Then he took a seat on the bench and rolled back the cover.

Good. Whatever worked. Whatever helped take his mind off the girl who ditched him for Fredericksen.

A gentle melody rolled off the keys, and one of the managers hurried past me wearing an annoyed look and a cheap ass suit.

I grabbed the guy by the back of his polyester jacket. "What's the matter?"

The man gave me the same look most did after taking in my size and the way I carried myself.

Worked like a charm.

"I'm sorry, sir," the manager stuttered. "But I need to stop that young man. The piano is not for guests."

I let a dangerous smile spread across my face. "How about we bend the rules just this once? Eh?"

The manager swallowed. "Sir, that piano—"

"Sounds much better played by my little brother than left all alone. You're absolutely right. I couldn't agree more."

His mouth moved, but nothing came out. I let go of his jacket, and he stumbled back a step.

"I suppose I could let him play for thirty minutes or so."

I let him shuffle away, savoring the moment, just before West's voice floated through the bar. He was singing, and it was beautiful.

I found my way over to Easton and Luis, who were dancing together. Guests from the bar began congregating around the piano, and the atmosphere shifted.

Couples paired off and swayed while West sang Elton John. I lingered on the edge of the dance floor, realizing I didn't know where I fit into this picture.

I didn't have a girl to dance with, even though a few girls were currently eye-fucking the shit outta me, I wasn't interested.

Which was... weird.

I shoved my hands back in my pockets and wandered towards the bar, thinking I'd put in an order for food, when I saw my dad and his flag aid sitting at a table in the corner.

Damn. We were here for his son's wedding, and the man couldn't take a day off? I'm sure his aid wouldn't mind a night off.

Courtney Raske was a cute blonde I remembered from the Naval Academy. She had a sharp tongue and played lax. Did anything to get ahead.

I shrugged off the weird feeling I had watching the two eat and ordered every late-night appetizer on the menu.

While I was waiting for our food, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through Instagram.

It was stupid, I know. But I couldn't help myself. Camilla looked so familiar. I swore I'd met this girl before.

I kept scrolling through my feed until I saw her again. Camilla. Leaning against me.

Had that really happened? And why was I still thinking about kissing her?

A plate of cheese fries and tuna bites were set down in front of me before potstickers and fried Mac and cheese arrived. I snagged a piece of tuna, lost in a dark swirl of thoughts when I realized the piano music had stopped.

And people were shouting.

My training immediately kicked in, and I was out of my seat. Pushing past gawkers to get to the source of trouble—itching for a reason to knock someone out—when I froze.

"Stop embarrassing me!" My dad shouted. Shaking with anger. West looked ready to throw a punch himself.

Instead, West slapped down hard on the piano keys. The ugly sound rolling through the bar.

There was a tense moment of silence before West screamed, "Fuck off!"

What the hell was going on?

"You've been a little shit you're whole life," my dad spat. "But you've never done anything this crazy until I caught you dancing with that girl."

Dad knew about this, too? I shouldn't be surprised.

"No," West screamed. His hair mussed and collar askew. "You just never wanted to see the real me. But here I am, dad! This is it. This is who I am. I play the piano, and I sing, and I even dance."

West stormed towards the exit.

"Come on, East. We gotta stop him."

Easton looked between Luis and our dad. By the glassy look in his eyes, I knew he was pretty drunk.

"West always does this shit. Throwing fits. Why did he have to pick today to start a fight with dad?" He pressed a kiss to Luis' forehead. "I'm so sorry, babe. We're getting married tomorrow, and you shouldn't have to put up with any of this."

I opened my mouth to tell Easton to grow the fuck up when Luis jumped in.

"Don't leave him all alone. Go get our brother. He needs you."

I watched the two of them for half a second longer than intended. There was so much tenderness between them. So much compassion.

What made East and Luis fall in love and trust each other enough to get married? What made two people so sure of themselves?

Luis stood up on his toes to kiss Easton, and I looked away. An uncomfortable feeling rising in my throat as I recalled kissing Camilla in the shower.

I'm never going to forget this moment.

The words sank a little deeper under my skin. Taking root.

I surveyed the bar for our sister, and I noticed Nora having a tense conversation with dad. He looked as angry as a hornet before buzzing off towards the elevator.

I just shook my head. My dad had a special talent for insults. He could be cold and callous under the guise of toughening you up. But, our old man had seemed off all day. I'd chalked it up to the wedding and his nomination to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but he was out for blood.

He was trying to hurt West. And, his words crawled under my skin and refused to leave.

A confused looking door hop quickly moved out of our way as me, and my other siblings chased down West.

"West!" I shouted when I caught sight of him. The New York City traffic and pedestrians drowning me out.

West shot a look over his shoulder but kept walking.

I caught up to him in a few easy strides, Easton at my heel.

Then Easton had to go and open his drunk ass mouth. "It's my wedding! Why'd you have to poke the bear, West?"

I should've done a better job watching them.

"Poking the bear? Are you kidding?"
West shoved Easton as hard as he could. "I was playing the piano and singing. You guys were dancing. He was the one poking me!"

Then West pointed at all three of us. "None of you care enough about me to stand up to him!"

That wasn't true at all... but I still couldn't stop the guilt rising in my throat. West went to shove Easton again, but I got my hand around his wrist and pressed down hard on a pressure point. West hit his knees, looking dejected.

"No need to get handsy, bro," I said, slackening my grip. "We're all just talking."

"Handsy? Dad's the one getting handsy!" West shouted as he struggled to his feet. "He's sleeping with his flag aid!"

What? Dad... cheating on ma? No way.

"That can't be true," Easton muttered.

"It is! I caught them having sex in the downstairs office."

I heard Nora's irritated breath over my shoulder, and I knew something was up.

"I didn't want to say anything since South just came back from deployment, and Easton's been so busy with the wedding, but I've known about dad's affair for two months."

I didn't want to believe it. But Nora was a JAG attorney and as serious as they came. She wouldn't lie about something like this.

But still. Every idea I had about my father being this perfect, upstanding admiral cracked in half.

He was cheating on ma—my ma?

This news seemed to surprise West because his face twisted in shock. "Two months! You've known he was cheating on ma for two whole months?"

"Yes, I've known," Nora said sharply. "And let me make something clear. All of you need to keep your mouth shut. If this gets out, our family name turns to trash. They'll be a huge investigation—"

"So what? He deserves to burn!"

"But do we?" Nora crossed her arms. "Why should we ruin our reputations because of his mistakes? Our last name is all we have. Tell someone you're a Tenney, and doors open."

Now it was my turn to glare at Nora. Dad didn't pass BUDS for me. He didn't shoot a gun for me. He didn't take a fucking bullet for me. Those things I did on my own.

"I don't know about you, but I make my own reputation."

My big sister glared right back at me. Damn, when she narrowed her eyes like that, she looked just like ma.

"You don't believe that, do you? None of us would be where we are today without dad's help. If we don't fall in line and keep our mouths shut, life will get a whole lot harder. "

"News flash, my life is already hard," West was shouting again. "Dad hates me."

West's pain took on a life of its own. Snaking around the loose circle we'd formed on the busy sidewalk. As kids, we weathered dad's storms together, but with Nora and East and me, all out of Newport, West had been taking the brunt alone.

I didn't realize how out of the loop I had been over the past few years. I turned to Easton, and I saw realization hit him at the same time.

Easton looked so much like West, just taller and slimmer. Almond eyes like ma and Nora. I was the odd duck of the bunch. Most people had no idea I was half-Korean.

For the first time in a long time, I saw East hugging West. "You're a really good performer, West. I'm proud of you."

I couldn't help it. I wrapped my arms around the two of them and squeezed. In that moment, I wanted to hold all of us together until we figured out how to be a family again. Nora's hand rested gently on West's shoulder.

"East is right," I told my baby brother. "We might all go our own ways, but we're still family. That's what ma always says, right? Family is the anchor of life."

Words have power. And I wanted to believe that I could reattach this anchor and find a way to be a good brother again.

A/N

This scene was so hard to write! Ugh! There is so much sadness in this family.

For all my Sailing West readers, I hope this puts a new perspective on that evening and made you hate West's brothers a little less for being so out of the loop.

xx
AJ