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“Me too…” I trailed off, suddenly afraid that Sheila might judge me for dating my brother’s ex-girlfriend.
“Oh,” Sheila said. “So, you two were together?”
“Yes,” I said. “I know it sounds bad, but—”
“Hey,” Sheila said with a laugh. “Joshua broke up with her. She’s fair game as far as I’m concerned.”
I laughed with relief. We’d only just met, and I didn’t want to get on Sheila’s bad side already. I felt better knowing that she didn’t care if I dated Julie, but my stomach was still tied in knots.
My brother was lying unconscious in a hospital bed after being in surgery all night. He was broken and injured. He would be okay, but his recovery was going to be hard. I wanted to be there for him but, after everything, I knew he hated me.
It was amazing how immediately my anger disappeared the night before. The second I found out about Josh’s accident, it was like everything else just vanished. I didn’t care that he tried to sabotage my relationship with Julie. I didn’t care about all the horrible things he said to her about me. All I could think about was whether he would survive. I hated myself for fighting with him, for not making things right before his accident.
“He’ll forgive you,” Sheila said wisely. “You’re brothers. That’s what brothers do. You fight.”
“We’ve never fought like this,” I said.
“Because you didn’t grow up together,” Sheila said sadly. “And that’s my fault. You and Josh missed out on so many years together. I’m sorry for that.”
“It’s okay,” I said quickly. “I wasn’t saying that—”
“I know,” Sheila said. “But it’s the truth. You and Josh are just catching up. You’re building a relationship and it’s hard. You’re bound to fight, but you’ll make it better. You’ll both forgive each other, and everything will be fine.”
“You really think so?” I asked.
“I do,” Sheila said. “But for now, you need to go home and get some rest. You’re exhausted.”
I nodded but still didn’t move. My eyes returned to Josh’s sleeping face. What if he woke up and I was gone?
“I’ll call you if anything changes,” Sheila said. “I promise.”
I nodded again and, this time, I left. I walked slowly down the hallway. It wasn’t until I reached my car that I realized my phone was dead. I hadn’t brought a charger with me to the hospital and, until that morning, I didn’t bother to look at my phone.
My thoughts turned to Julie as I drove toward home. I knew she was confused and probably hurt, but I didn’t have a choice last night. My brother was in critical condition. I had to get to the hospital. I wanted to call her, but then Sheila appeared. I came face to face with my biological mother for the first time in my life. I didn’t know how to act or what to think.
Still, I felt guilty as I sped down the highway. I wanted to go straight to Julie’s house, but I was too tired to think. I let my body go on autopilot. It wasn’t until I pulled into my driveway that I realized where I was.
“Home sweet home,” I said under my breath.
With a groan, I pushed open my car door and stumbled inside. I plugged my phone in on my bedside table and laid down while it charged. My entire body was begging for sleep, but my brain had other ideas. I couldn’t stop thinking long enough to let my eyes fall shut.
Five minutes later, my phone clicked on. Immediately, it began to buzz with all my missed notifications. I rolled over to see six missed calls from Julie and two voicemails. My stomach tightened as I pressed my phone to my ear to listen.
“Michael,” Julie said. Her voice was full of emotion, but I could tell she was trying to control herself. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you’re a world-class asshole for pulling this! I’ve been waiting for you for three hours! You haven’t even called or texted. At first, I was worried that something happened to you, but now I know you’re just a horrible person.”
My heart sank when I heard those words, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected. She would be fine once I explained everything. She would understand.
I kept my phone pressed to my ear while Julie’s second message began to play. From the first word she spoke, my hopes were dashed.
“Michael!” she practically screamed my name into the phone. I could feel her anger as if she were standing right beside me. “You still haven’t called me. What the fuck? After everything you’ve already put me through, you’re just going to stand me up? Is this a joke or something? Are you and Joshua sitting together at some bar, laughing at my expense? ‘Oh, that stupid Julie! She actually thought I would show up tonight! What an idiot!’”
She paused to hiccup, and I realized she’d been drinking.
“Well, I am an idiot,” she said. “I’m an idiot to believe that you ever cared about me. I thought you lied because you liked me, but you didn’t. You lied because you’re a liar and nothing more. You’re just a lying liar asshole, just like your brother, and I never want to see you again. Ever! Don’t call me. Don’t come by. Don’t even try to see me. You lost your chance. I gave you a second chance, and you fucked it up, so just stay away from me. For good.”
By the time I was done listening to her messages, I was sitting bolt upright in bed. I called her back with shaking hands. She didn’t answer. The second time I tried, she sent me to voicemail. Finally, on the third try, she picked up.
“Stop calling me,” she said. “I don’t want to talk to you.”
