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“Oh,” Rachael giggled.
What in the heck?
It was then that Austin remembered he’d heard Rachael clearly, meaning she couldn’t have been in the building. Were the women outside?
Austin jogged out, scanning his surroundings with increasing anxiety. Where was Sofi?
“Can you hear me?” Rachael yelled, causing Austin to pull the phone away from his ear. Now that he was outside, he could not only clearly hear Rachael over the phone, but he followed the sound of her voice around the building to a side parking lot. Sitting on the curb was Rachael. Alone.
“Where’s Sofi?” Austin asked urgently, starting to feel a bit dizzy from twisting his head rapidly back and forth.
“Um, at home?” Rachael quipped.
Austin froze, staring at her in disbelief.
“I knew you would come for her. You always come for her. You’re always there for her. How come no one is there for me?” Rachael asked, her voice breaking as she patted the sidewalk beside her.
Now that Austin wasn’t worried Sofi was in immediate danger, he had time to take a breath. And to feel some major annoyance at Rachael. But judging by the way she couldn’t quite sit up straight, she was more plastered than he’d ever seen her. And even though he was frustrated at her deception, he knew she couldn’t be thinking correctly. So he lowered himself to the curb beside her, mostly because she was Sofi’s friend but also because she was a woman in need. He didn’t even want to think about what his mom would say if he left Rachael here, drunk and vulnerable.
“What have you eaten today?” Austin asked, knowing drinking on an empty stomach was a bad idea.
“Um, milkshake? Nope, that was yesterday. I ate. I can take care of myself,” Rachael said with an annoyed glare.
Why was he here again? Austin had never been so tempted to get up and leave a woman but when he’d been desperately looking for Sofi he’d noticed something else. Rachael was all alone. And she was Sofi’s friend. So by extension, Austin should help care for someone Sofi cared about.
Austin pulled a protein bar out of his jacket pocket. He always kept one on him since Sofi tended to go from slightly hungry to full-on hangry in seconds. Over the years he’d learned that in order to enjoy the most pleasant Sofi experience it was better to keep her fed.
He handed the bar to Rachael who quickly opened it, pausing before she bit into it. “Was this for her?”
Austin waited for Rachael to take a bite, hoping the bar would absorb some of that alcohol in her stomach, before asking, “Sofi?”
Rachael nodded but stopped, dropping the bar to hold her head. “Why does the world keep shaking like that?”
“Are you okay, Rachael?” Austin asked, more concerned about why she was drunk than her actual drunken state. He had a feeling there was more to this behavior than met the eye.
Then again, he didn’t know Rachael that well anymore. Since they’d dated they’d both kept their distance. They had Sofi in common but otherwise Austin probably wouldn’t have seen much of the woman. But what he did know was that she was getting married. Soon. Next weekend, in fact. She’d already had her bachelorette party when he’d beat up the guy messing with Sofi, so why was Rachael here, alone and hammered?
“He didn’t come. I tried calling him but he’s out with his boys. I hate his boys.” Rachael mumbled her words so Austin had to lean in to hear what she was saying.
“Who didn’t come?” he asked, wondering if he should be trying to follow along or just get Rachael into a rideshare and be done with it.
“But you came. For her. And you aren’t even getting married to her.” Rachael flung the protein bar she’d only taken one bite of and watched as it bounced against a car tire.
“You called your fiancé?” Austin asked.
Rachael nodded and then held her head again. “Stop spinning!”
Austin felt disgust toward the man Rachael was marrying. What kind of guy left his bride on the curb at some random bar so he could hang out with his friends?
“I know what you’re thinking. I shouldn’t marry him. I shouldn’t. I keep drinking, hoping I’ll feel better, but I don’t. I’m planning my divorce now. It will be a good one.” Rachael slurred the last words as she leaned her head against Austin’s shoulder.
Poor woman. Austin wondered if Sofi knew any of this. Surely she had to. But then again, Sofi wasn’t the type to let her friend make this kind of a mistake.
“You can’t tell Sofi,” Rachael whispered hoarsely, letting Austin know he’d been right. Sofi would have been the one sitting right where he was, had she known.
“Why couldn’t you love me like you love her?” Rachael jumped topics once more.
Austin wasn’t going to answer. It didn’t seem like Rachael was listening to him anyway. But as he thought about her question the answer welled within him. He couldn’t help but say, “I can’t love anyone the way I love her.”
