“I never really loved anyone else,” I said.

“Your roommate told me that,” Shay said.

“Jenny?” I said sitting back and looking at him in surprise.

“When you were asleep I would come out to the living room and she would be writing on the table,” Shay said, “at first she was annoyed by me, but then she started letting me sit at the table and talk to her for a bit.”

“She told you that I love Carmen?” I said in shock. Why would Jenny say that? Didn’t she love me at that point?

“Yeah,” Shay said, “she said it was the happiest she had ever seen you and that she missed that Shane.”

“God, Jen,” I whispered wiping a tear that slipped from my eyes.

“What happened to her Shane? Did she move away?” Shay said.

I could have said yes, but it was better if he knew the truth. “She died, Shay,” I said sadly.

Shay’s eyes saddened and he looked down, “sorry.”

“Don’t be, that’s part of life,” I said rubbing my brother’s shoulders affectionately.

“Go get that girl, Shane,” Shay said.

“Okay,” I said standing up confidently, “let me leave you at Bette and Tina’s since Max isn’t home.”

Shay nodded and followed me out of the house. We walked across the yard to Bette and Tina’s place and knocked on the door. It was very late and they would probably be sleeping but I couldn’t let Carmen wander around at this hour.

I rang the doorbell a few times and a very wary Tina opened the door. Oh dang, I knew what she had just had done tonight. Whoops!

“Sorry,” I said.

She knew what I was apologizing for and she gave me that sweet Tina smile, “it’s alright Shane. Shay?” she said noticing my brother hiding behind me.

“Hi, Ms. Tina,” he said shyly.

“What are you doing here?” Tina said looking up to me for an answer.

“I’m having an issue, do you think you can watch Shay for a while?” I said. I knew that Tina had an idea of what I was referring to, or rather who I was referring to, and she nodded.

“Come on in,” she said touching Shay’s arm gently, “Bette’s asleep so be very quiet okay?”