“Do you want to come over tonight? I miss you.”
“I can’t tonight. I’m meeting up with someone. But tomorrow? And Dad and Estelle are going to Atlanta for a few days, leaving on Saturday, so I’ll have the house to myself.”
“House party!” I laughed at the memory of Austin’s streak of failed house parties throughout high school. Most of the kids our age had been too afraid of the Military Police to go to a party on post, but fewer people actually made the parties more fun.
“Totally.”
“And I was totally joking. You’re not going to have a party at Dad’s house.”
“Uh, yeah. I am.”
He could not be serious. Our dad would lose his mind if Austin had a party at his house. I couldn’t bear to think of the consequences.
“You are not. I mean, throwing a party a few days after you get arrested? What is wrong with you? We aren’t in high school anymore!”
It was stuff like this that made me return to my family theory, which was that Austin had inherited my mother’s ability to live without consequence and charm her way through tricky circumstances. My little brother was always so good with people. He could be thrust into any situation and people would flock to him. What’s that saying,like bees to honey? He had all the honey. Me—I was the opposite. I fluttered around people like Austin, easily charmed, like my father.
“Speak for yourself.”
“How do you even know enough people here to have a party? I mean—”
“Look, I gotta go. See you sometime tomorrow. Stop worrying. You should come over. Love you.”
He hung up before I could get in another word.
Oh, Austin.I love you, but sometimes you make some really shitty life choices.