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Upstairs, I fumble at the lock and stumble inside. It’s quiet, too quiet. Too damn empty.
Without her.
I pull out my wallet and phone, and toss them on the counter. I’ve got a voicemail waiting, and I set it to play while I go pour myself that glass of water.
“Hi, it’s me.”
I stop. Jenn.
“Look, I know you probably still want some space, but… I need to talk to you. To explain. Please, Austin…” she swallows, her voice breaking a little. “Call me.”
Fuck.
I sag back against the counter. I want to stick my whole head under that faucet and not come up for air.
I miss her. Deep in my fucking bones, I miss her.
But did I ever really know her at all?
I clench my jaw, and lunge for the phone. Delete. Delete. If only I could delete her from my mind. Maybe then this wouldn’t hurt so fucking much.
I can’t do that, but I can forget her for tonight.
Now where’s that bottle of whiskey?
* * *
“Austin?Austin, get your ass out of bed and open the door!”
Owwwww.
I wake to the distant sound of knocking, too-bright sunshine streaming through the open drapes, and what might just be the worst hangover of my life.
“I’m serious, Austin. Stop moping, get yourself up, and get it together.”
My sister’s voice.
Dammit.
I sit up. Too fast. Ouch. What time is it?
Stumbling out of bed, I make it to the hall, just as Monica gives up on knocking and uses her spare key to let herself in.
“There are impressionable minds coming in,” she calls, holding one hand over Nico’s eyes. “So any overnight guests might want to make themselves decent!”
“No guests,” I sigh, wincing. I stumble to the kitchen and grab an aspirin. Make that three.
“Jesus, look at you.” Monica tuts, taking me in.
I look down. Somehow, in my drunken haze, I wound up in Mickey Mouse boxers—and nothing else.
“Do you have the flu?” Nico asks. “When I had the flu, I had diarrhea four times, and I looked like that.”
“I don’t have the flu,” I mumble, gulping water. “I have bad decisions.”
And a broken heart.
“Your Uncle Austin brought this on himself,” Monica tells Nico. “This is an important lesson. What happened here? Mavericks revelry?”
