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The fewer who knew about my new—temporary!—nursing job, the better. I was sure half of my siblings wouldn’t approve. They’d question my loyalty to Alec if they found out. The issue was, they didn’t understand what was at stake and what I was getting in return—a deal that would save our company.
Even though Austin had apologized and promised me the PR account anyway, I still felt like I owed him this.
I unzipped my long down jacket, threw it over the couch, and plopped down next to her. “What are you up to? I thought you’d be sleeping by now.”
“I’m waiting for Alec,” Lyria said, her eyes going sad and worried, and I felt her emotion in my heart.
He hadn’t come home last night and it was torture. The good thing was, we knew he was safe. He had at least been in contact with his twin, Addison, so we knew he wasn’t washed up on the river or in a hospital somewhere—thank goodness.
“Is Addy sleeping?” I asked Lyria.
She nodded. “Yep, she went up at ten.”
Well, that helped my bruised heart just a little. If Addy was sleeping, that meant that she was fine with wherever Alec was.
I leaned on my sister, resting my head on her shoulder. “When do you think it will come?” I yawned and covered my mouth.
“What?” Lyria asked.
“Normalcy.” My voice was quiet, the tiredness of the day taking me under.
Lyria chuckled softly. “For us? When has life ever been normal for us? Maybe in grade school, but that was so long ago that I barely remember those days.”
Sadly, she was right.
Suddenly, the banging on the front door had us both jumping to a standing position. After we rushed to the door, I peeped in the peephole and pulled the door open.
A sigh of relief rushed through me. “Alec …”
Justin was holding Alec by the waist as my brother stumbled forward.
“Justin …” Lyria whispered under her breath.
I gave her a quick look. Now was not the time to rehash old wounds.
Justin held a slumped Alec against him. “I could use a little help here.” Immediately, we opened the storm door. “He’s in bad shape. Maybe we can lay him on the couch.”
Lyria leaned into Alec from the other side, and they walked him through the foyer, through the kitchen, and into the living room, guiding him on the couch.
“Thanks, Justin,” I said. “Thanks for bringing him home safely.”
“How much did he have to drink?” Lyria asked.
She dropped to her knees and began unbuttoning Alec’s jacket. I worked on untying his shoes.
Alec reeked of alcohol. It oozed out of his pores, as though he’d been drinking for days, which I was sure he had.
“I’m surprised we don’t have to take him to the hospital,” Justin said. He pinched his fingers together. “I was this close.”
“Was he at The Meetup?” Lyria asked.
Justin looked hurt. “If you’re asking if I was the bartender who got your brother drunk, I wasn’t. He came in with Kevin because they’d been kicked out of the last bar they were at.” Kevin was Alec’s best friend from grade school.
“I never insinuated that, Justin.” Lyria’s chest expanded, and her chin trembled.
Their eyes met briefly before their gazes fell back on Alec, as though it hurt them to look at each other.
“Where did Kevin go?” I sat at the edge of the couch and ran my fingers through Alec’s hair, pushing his bangs away from his eyes. “He didn’t drive home drunk, did he?”
