Page 69 of When Sky Breaks

Johnny and our impending conversation comes to mind, and wipes the grin clean off my face. Even though Johnny and I are casual, he doesn’t see it that way, and I just kissed another man. What does that make me?

“Hey, what are you doing?” Trek stalks into the kitchen, and I pause putting the foil over a dish. “Is that Mexican food?”

I slide the plate over. “Enchiladas. Plenty left. I thought you were going to be out all night with your teacher lady friend?”

Trek slams the microwave door closed, punches in the time, and presses start as if he wants to shove the thing through the wall.

“Whoa. I take it wasn’t a good night?”

He slumps over in a chair and props his face up in between his palms. “You could say that.”

“Did she break it off with you?” I hazard a guess.

He squeezes the bridge of his nose with his fingers. “Not exactly, no. I don’t really want to talk about it right now, if that’s okay. I just—I just want to eat and go to bed. How was dinner with Dad?”

Trek’s sideswiping of the conversation doesn’t surprise me. He’s infamous for brushing things under the rug until it’s too late. But I won’t push him. Hell, I avoided things for five years. I owe him a little space if he wants it.

“Well, whenever you want to talk, I’m here. And dinner was good. He’s still feeling crummy from the first treatment, but he’s adamant about keeping the routine as much as possible.”

A smile crests Trek’s face before he shoves a huge forkful of food into his mouth, eyes rolling back. “Damn, this is good.”

“Thank you. I can cook every once in a while.”

He’s barely swallowed his bite before adding another to his fork, a bean falling out over the plate to which he spears with the end of the overloaded utensil. “So. How did that thing go with August? The surprise thing.”

My neck and cheeks heat, and I pray Trek is too engrossed in his food to notice. “Fine. He’s working on something at Benny’s mom’s house. An apartment on her second floor for victims of domestic violence who are looking for somewhere safe to go.”

Trek’s eyebrow raises. “Really? That’s impressive.”

I nod. “He named it Chase’s Place.”

Trek’s fork pauses at his mouth. “That’s deep. Wow.” Setting it down on the edge of his plate, he says, “He always wanted to do the right thing by you. This just proves it even more. I hope you can see that now.”

As I finish putting away the rest of the food into the fridge, I refuse to mention the kiss. I’d never live it down. “I guess we’ll see then, won’t we? I’m still waiting for you to talk to him, too.”

Trek groans and leans his head back before glaring at me with those sharp blue eyes. We aren’t true biological siblings, but sometimes I think we really are. “I haven’t forgotten. I have to leave for another stupid week-long work retreat training thing, and when I get back, I’ll reach out to him. Is that acceptable?”

“Very much so, thank you. Dad’s sleeping, so be quiet going down the hall.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Trek teases, losing his fight with whatever’s eating at him, and ditches his plate in the trash. “Glad you’re home, sis. We’ve all really missed you.”

He tweaks my ponytail as he skates by to go to his room, and I turn off the kitchen light to head to mine.

A bubble of unfiltered joy rises in my chest. For once, I’m happy to be home, too.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

august

“Mom, it’s me,” I say as I let myself into her apartment.

Two seconds away from scolding her for leaving her door unlocked, I about trip over an empty beer box. Crushed soda cans litter the coffee table, along with greasy takeout containers and two half-empty bottles of wine.

Jesus, she’s more of a mess than I thought.

The notion makes my chest ache in ways I’m too familiar with.

She’s fast asleep on the couch, her arm hanging over the edge. The peeling bandage on her forehead hides underneath a hunk of unkempt hair. I’ll have to check that before I leave to make sure there isn’t a festering wound among the stitches.

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