I shifted to the comments. My eyes widened when I landed on an exchange between my sister and Nate.
@nategriffin_oz: I’ll remind you of this next time I refuse to buy you Maccas at 2 in the morning.
@amberkicksarse: Gasp. You wouldn’t.
@nategriffin_oz: Snort. Try me.
@amberkicksarse: Don’t tempt me. I have my ways of dragging your butt out of bed. Plus this baby needs Maccas. You’ll break both our hearts.
@nategriffin_oz: *rolling eyes* I wouldn’t want that.
Squeezing my eyes tightly, I exhaled deeply.
Nate and my sister?
Fucking pregnant?
I just couldn’t.
Nothing about any of this made sense. For a start, my kid sister was knocked up. That was enough of a mindfuck to last me a lifetime. But Nate? I shook my head and all but charged to the kitchen, where I pulled out a bottle of vodka.
This called for a complete bending of the rules.
I swigged directly from the bottle, wincing and welcoming the burn. Reopening my phone, I stared once more at the image of the two of them that I was sure I wouldn’t ever be able to erase from my memory. Another swig, and I went into my contacts, finding Nate’s name. With no idea if the number was still active, I touched his name.
After a couple of rings, a hesitant “Hello” carried down the line. The sound of his voice, one I’d foolishly believed I’d forgotten, wrapped around me in an instant, the single word a balm to my hurting heart. “Ryan?”
The sound of my name dragged me back to reality. “What the fuck have you been doing with my kid sister, you fucking prick? I swear to God, I’m going to kick your ass so damn hard you won’t know which way is up.”
Silence filled the line.
“Seriously, she’s eighteen.Eighteen.What the hell were you thinking! I just… can’t—” I broke off, running out of steam while my gut twisted and turned with betrayal.
Betrayal that my friend would take advantage of my kid sister.
Betrayal that the one person who’d first made me question everything about my own sexuality was going to be a dad.
Emotion clung to my words as my voice dipped and wobbled. “How could you? I trusted you.”
The silence remained, the sound of whatever was going on in the background drifting away. It was already Saturday in Australia, but I had no clue what time.
A heavy sigh finally split the empty air between us. “You finished?”
The tone was one I remembered well, even after all these years. Nate was pissed, exasperated, but I wasn’t quite sure if he was rolling his eyes, clenching his teeth, or vibrating with some emotion. Maybe it was a combination of all three.
When I didn’t respond, the previous white heat charging through me fizzling out with renewed exhaustion, Nate snorted.
“Figured.” This time I was convinced he shook his head. “It’s been, what, six, seven years since you picked up a phone, you dickhead, and it’s to what? Slam me for shit you know nothing about? Unbelievable.” Another heavy sigh followed, but his next words didn’t carry the same frustration. “Amber didn’t tell you she was pregnant?”
“No.”
His humorless laugh flowed down the line. “Figures. Honestly, I’m not even surprised at this point.”
“Why didn’t she?” As soon as the words escaped, I clamped my mouth shut, already knowing the answer.
“You wanna retract that?”
Shit, how he still knew me so well was beyond me and more than I deserved. “I suppose, yeah. I’m not exactly up for the brother of the year award.” My treatment of Amber a few years back was something she’d never moved on from.
