Crazy Beautiful Love by J.S. Cooper Read Free Book Online

think
Jared’s back. I just heard a car door slam and then a car backing out.”
    “He got a ride?” I
looked towards the front door, slightly annoyed.
    “I guess.” Vincent
nodded and bit his lip.
    “With Joey?”
    “ Dunno .”
    “Okay.” I knew
there was no point badgering Vincent about Jared. If there was one thing that
was true about the Martelli brothers, it was that we
weren’t snitches.
    “What’s up,
bitches?” Jared sauntered into the house and threw his fingers up in the air. I
could tell that he was drunk right away, and I was pissed.
    “Where have you
been, Jared?”
    “Out.” He walked
into the kitchen with bloodshot eyes.
    “With Joey?”
    “Yeah, and?” He
glared at me, his green eyes daring me to say something. I stared into the eyes
that were an exact replica of mine, and I counted to ten.
    “I told you I
don’t want you hanging out with Joey.”
    “You what?” Jared
laughed. “I’m twenty-one, bitch, and you’re not my mom or dad.”
    “You know he’s bad
news.”
    “We’re all bad
news, that’s the beauty in it.” Jared stumbled to the fridge. “Any food?”
    “He’s real bad
news, Jared.” I walked over to him. “We don’t get involved in that stuff.”
    “I know, I know.”
He sighed and turned around to me. “There’s nothing to eat.”
    “What do you
want?” I looked around the kitchen and realized that there was no space to make
anything, even if I’d wanted to. “Let’s just order a pizza.”
    “You sure?”
Jared’s eyes lit up and I pulled him towards me. He was my little brother but
he was still taller than me, with his six feet and four inches. I patted him on
the back and let him go.
    “Yeah, go and call
them.”
    “You the best,
bro.”
    “Oh, I’m your bro
now and not a bitch?”
    “You’re still a
bitch.” He laughed. “What up, Vincent?”
    “Just trying to
get ready for this exam tomorrow.”
    “Tell Logan to go
and take it for you.” He wiggled his eyebrows and we all laughed as we sat down
at the table. I looked at my brothers and felt at ease; these were the guys I
would give my life for. Even though I was only three years older than Vincent
and four years older than Jared, I felt a huge responsibility for them. In
fact, I often treated them like they were my sons. Ever since our mom died
twelve years ago, we had been essentially alone. Dad had only been good for a
few things: teaching us how to steal, how to drink, and how to not give a fuck
about anyone else.
    “ Shh , Jared, Vincent can do this. And so can you.” I looked
at him pointedly, and he gave me such a glazed look, that I knew he wasn’t
going to remember this conversation in the morning.
    “Vincent’s going
to become a lawyer so he can keep us out of jail.” Jared laughed. “We only need
one college boy in the family, Logan.”
    “Whoa, hold on.
I’m a far way from law school.” Vincent’s voice was gruff, though I could see
the hope in his eyes. Vincent’s dream had always been to go to law school. He
had this idea that if he got into the system, he could change it. I didn’t
really want him to go become a lawyer; I felt it would distance him from me.
But I wanted the best for him. His dreams were important to me, more than my
own worries and concerns.
    “You’ll make it, Vinny . And Jared, you get your ass working on that college
application.”
    “Shit, Logan, I’ve
got two months until the deadline.” Jared rolled his eyes at me, and it took
everything in me not to deck him.
    “That’s what you
said last year and you missed it.”
    “How was the pier
tonight?” Jared changed the subject, and I turned away from him with a shrug.
    “Okay. I got a
Corolla.”
    “I noticed, sweet
ride.” Jared laughed.
    “Stay away,” I
warned him.
    “You taking it to
Marty?” he questioned me.
    I shook my head. “Nah,
not this one.” I kept my voice monotone and jumped up to grab a beer. Marty was
an old friend of my dad’s. He ran a mechanic shop in