Live Through This by Mindi Scott

Author:Mindi Scott [Scott, Mindi]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9781442440609
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: 2012-10-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

Back at the town house, Reece helps me drag Bryan out of the truck and into the foyer. “I’ve got him now,” I say. “I’ll come back up in a few minutes.”

Reece nods and heads outside again to grab our takeout boxed dinners and Bryan’s stuff. It was lucky for us that the greeter remembered Bryan had stored his backpack and snowboard at the coat-check station. Otherwise, we would have left it all behind.

Bryan grabs for the handrail and misses. “I can walk on my own,” he says.

“Not very well.” I hold on to his waist as he trips his way down the first couple of steps. “Slow down. Lean against me, okay?”

“I’m not as wasted as you think I am,” he says into my hair.

Yeah, right.

We finally make it to the bottom of the staircase where our stepdad almost collides with us. Even with Tony’s lack of expression, I know that he knows Bryan’s drunk, and he’s not pleased about it.

“Oh, hi!” I say. “What’s going on?”

Tony lifts up Emma’s suitcase. “We’ve moved your sister to the pullout couch next to the boys’ room. That way, your mom and I can check on her easier throughout the night.”

“What about Reece?”

“I’ve put his things in the living room. We’re all turning in early, so he won’t be disturbed. I take it you’re going to bed now too?”

I glance at my brother out of the corner of my eye. The wall and I are all that’s holding him up. I don’t want to admit to Tony that I wasn’t able to eat yet, so I say, “Bryan is, I think. And I will pretty soon.”

“Good.”

With that, Tony steps around us and heads upstairs.

I help Bryan to his room and flip on the light. He crashes forward onto his unmade bed and lies there with his legs dangling over. “I hate it when you’re pissed at me,” he mumbles.

“Shhh.” I grab his hat and toss it toward an open dresser drawer. “It’s okay.”

I untie his boots and yank them off, and then kneel on the mattress beside him. His arms and neck flop around so much as I pull his shirt over his head that I decide he can deal with his own pants later. “Come on. Get under the covers.” I move to stand beside the bed and fluff his pillow. He crawls up. “Are you going to be sick?” I ask, tucking the blankets around him. “Do you need some water or aspirin or something?”

He doesn’t respond, which is perfectly fine with me. With any luck, he’ll be passed out until morning.

• • •

In the living room, the couch has already been converted and the cushions are piled against the wall. Reece is at the table, eating his barbecue chicken sandwich out of the box.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “Your stepdad told me you’d gone to bed so I put yours in the fridge.”

“What? It isn’t even nine o’clock!” I grab my food from the kitchen and then take a seat next to him at the head of the table.

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