Chapter Twenty-Four
Austin
"What are you doing?" I ask when Dylan answers the phone. It's just after five and I'm heading over to his house.
"Watching TV with Van and drinking a beer. Why? You want to join us?"
"Yeah. I'm heading over there."
"With Kira?"
"No. Just me. I need to talk to you."
"About what?"
"Shit you need to know."
"What does that mean?"
"I'll tell you when I get there. Don't drink too much. I don't want you passing out while I'm trying to tell you this."
"You're scaring me, bro. You sound way too serious. What the hell's going on?"
I hear Van's voice. "Did he break up with Kira?"
"He wouldn't break up with Kira, you idiot," Dylan says. "He's freaking in love with her."
"Actually, I did break up with her." I feel sick just saying that, but I'm hoping saying it will eventually help me accept it.
"You broke up with Kira?" Dylan asks. "You seriously broke up with her?"
"Yeah. Like an hour ago."
"Holy shit. What happened?"
"I'll tell you when I get there."
Ten minutes later, I'm at their house. I walk in the front door and see them on the couch with beers in their hands, watching sports news.
"You look like shit," Van says.
"Thanks," I say, taking a seat on the fake leather recliner that's next to the couch.
Dylan turns the TV off.
"Hey, I was watching that," Van says.
Dylan points to me. "The dude just broke up with his girl. Show some respect."
Van sighs and puts his feet up on the coffee table. "Women. They're always fucking shit up."
"So are men," Dylan says. "Your dad, for example?"
"True." He shoves Dylan's shoulder. "But I'm trying to be supportive, dumbass. If Austin dumped her, she obviously did something to piss him off." He looks at me. "Did she cheat on you?"
"No. At least not that I know of. But who the hell knows? She hasn't been honest with me so anything's possible. But I don't think she'd cheat. She doesn't have time to."
"What do you mean?" Dylan asks.