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His phone rings, and after digging it out of his pocket, a wide grin stretches across his face. Austin throws himself to his feet, pressing accept on the call and holding out the screen as though it were a video call. “What’s up, asshole?”
“Not much, Douchecanoe,” I hear Aspen’s tone fill the restaurant, and the very sound of it makes my back stiffen as my pulse races. There’s no telling how this is going to go down. What if she’s calling to tell Austin everything I’ve done? There’s no stopping his fists when he’s defending his little sister, and with me being right here in front of him, there isn’t even a moment for him to try and calm down. “Are you at the restaurant? Mom said you were starting on the build this week. Can you show me?”
Oh, thank fuck.
I let out a shaky breath, narrowly escaping an early grave as Austin strides through his demolition site, stepping over old fallen bricks and trying to speak over the sound of the workmen tearing the place apart.
I listen to their whole conversation, and despite the smile she forces across her face, I can hear the devastation in her tone, and judging by the growing suspicion on Austin’s face, he senses it too.
Once Austin’s completed the full tour, he starts making his way back toward me when he suddenly turns the camera to show that I’m here, and her face instantly drops. “Look, Izaac’s here,” Austin says, clearly as a way to try and cheer her up—a tactic that’s worked a million times before, only today, it’s different. That tactic is never going to work again. “You wanna say hi?”
Aspen’s face falls and something twists in my gut. “Nah, I’m good,” she says, her dismissal making Austin blanch.
“You sure?” Austin asks. “Everything okay? You don’t seem like yourself.”
Austin sits down, and from this angle, I can see his screen and the lifeless face that stares back at him, but she can’t see mine, though there’s no denying the change in her tone since finding out I was here. “I’m good, just exhausted. I stayed up cramming for an exam all night.”
“Nah,” Austin says, shaking his head. “That’s not it. Something’s going on with you. You’ve been off for weeks now, and don’t even pretend that I haven’t realized you’ve been rejecting all my calls. Are you still pissed about the whole date thing? ’Cause that was two weeks ago, and you technically told him to fuck off before I even called. He hasn’t . . . tried something with you, has he?”
Aspen rolls her eyes. “Do you even hear yourself? I’m fine. I’m just . . . tired.”
I scoff. Despite not wanting the truth to come out, especially before I’ve had a chance to figure out what I’m supposed to say to him, that lie was more than obvious. A toddler could have picked up on it.
Austin’s gaze flicks to me, his brows furrowed with concern, and I see the question in his stare, asking me if I have any ideas, and all I can do is shamefully shrug my shoulders. “You’re notfine, Aspen,” Austin says, turning his stare back to his little sister. “You know you can always talk to me, but I can see that whatever it is, you’re not ready. Just know that I’m here when you are.”
Aspen doesn’t respond, just lets her gaze fall away, and it’s clear to see the heartbreak across her face, the devastation in the way she holds her shoulders. She’s falling to pieces and it has everything to do with me.
“I love you,” he tells her.
“Yeah, love you, too,” she mutters, her heart not in it.
“Listen, I have to stay here with the construction crew, but if you need company, just let me know. I can send Izaac around there for a movie night, or you can bombard him with awkward questions like you did when you were a kid. You used to love that shit.”
Aspen scoffs. “Yeah,used to. Not anymore,” she says. “But quit worrying about me. It’s not necessary, and all you’re doing is reminding me how much of a meddling asshat you can be. You’re like Mom reborn. Mind ya business. I’m fine. Besides, I just wanna crash tonight.”
“It’s barely five in the afternoon.”
“Yeah, and like I said, I was up all night cramming.”
“Aspen—”
“I’m hanging up,” she warns him.
“Don’t you dare hang up on—”
The line goes dead and Austin lets out a heavy sigh, leaning back against his seat and tossing his phone onto the middle of the old table that’s yet to be torn out. “Fucking hell. She’s impossible.”
I keep my mouth shut, really not knowing what the hell I’m supposed to say without making matters any worse.
“It’s gotta be a guy,” Austin suggests. “It’s always a fucking guy. I mean, did you see the way she ignored you? She couldn’t even give you a smile for fuck’s sake. She always fucking smiles when she sees you.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, man. Maybe she’s finally moved on.”
Austin scoffs, shaking his head. “The fucking zombie apocalypse would come before we see the day that my sister finally moves on. And despite how much I fucking hate it, that crush of hers isn’t going anywhere, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been some other asshole fucking with her.”
Fuck.
I groan, knowing exactly what’s about to come out of his mouth.
