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Austin didn’t even look at her as he tried to walk past her, but she blocked his path to the door.
If she was cold, I couldn’t tell because she spread her arms wide, preventing him from passing. Her face was red and blotchy. Apparently, betrayal didn’t look good on her.
I should hate her. But as I watched them, Austin’s eyes cold and flinty, all I felt was this utter sadness. Because of Alec. Because of Brandy and Austin’s relationship. Because of something that would never be.
“Get away from me. I don’t want to see your face.”
“Just listen to me. Please.” Her voice was a strangled sob as she hung on to his jacket. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Austin closed his eyes briefly. “Get out of my way, Brandy. I’m not in a stable frame of mind right now.”
Her arms went around her older brother, holding him tightly against her. Again, she was hurting him without realizing it.
“Let me go, Brandy.” His tone was hard, cold, unmoving.
But she didn’t. Austin started moving, and Brandy went limp. Gotta give it to her—she was theatrical.
“I’m not moving until you hear me out!” she yelled, tears streaming down her face. “All of this is my fault. You getting hurt…. Alec…”
Austin about-faced, and stomped back to the car.
I pushed open the door and he slid in the passenger seat as Brandy ran toward us, her hands planted flat against his window.
“Sydney, just go.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “Please,” he uttered, his voice low and defeated.
I drove off, watching a crying Brandy in the rearview mirror. The air was thick with unsaid emotion. It was in Austin’s heavy breathing, and his chin dropped to his chest, his eyes closed. I could feel his desolation coming off of him in waves.
When I was about to get onto the main road, I broke the quiet. “Where am I dropping you off?”
“My place,” he said, opening his eyes and sighing.
“Um … I was just at your place, and you told me to leave.”
“I’ve got a place in the city. Just drop me off there.”
His words registered, and I realized there was still so much I didn’t know about Austin. “You’ve got another place?”
But of course he had another place. All the rich and famous did.
“Yeah. It’s where I hang out with the guys. It’s where Brandy hangs out with her girls when I’m not in town.” He groaned. “I can’t believe I was so damn stupid.” He banged his head against the headrest a few times. “If there was one person I trusted with Brandy, it was James.” He exhaled a frustrated sigh. “Whenever I think of them … together …” He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes so tightly that I wondered if he saw stars.
My stomach churned with equal disgust. “Let’s not think of them right now, okay?”
“Yeah, we’re better off.”
My stomach grumbled, and I checked the clock. It was almost nine in the evening, and we hadn’t eaten lunch or dinner.
Our eyes met briefly.
“Need food?” he said.
I nodded.
“Crazy, what’s happened in the matter of a day, right?”
“Yeah.” This day felt like the longest of my life, next to losing my mom.
One side of his mouth quirked up. “And to imagine, you hated me in the beginning. Now, we’re best friends.”
