Page 39 of From Now On

I know what Harlow means. I’m sure I’ve heard more shady shit than she has, and it’s true that most of it has been about guys on sports teams. But we’re not all like that.I’mnot like that, which she should know.

Rylan and Eve come over, interrupting my conversation with Harlow. They offer to help carry luggage, but there’s really notmuch. I leave my backpack in the car. Eve grabs hers, and we all head for the house.

My phone buzzes in my pocket as I walk. I hurriedly pull it out. My pulse quickens when I see the name on the screen. An update from my dad—the first one since he texted me at four a.m. to let me know he found Sean at the abandoned mini golf course.

DAD: He left twenty minutes ago.

I’m not surprised.

It’s another part of the pattern. Sean relapses, he calls, he sobers up, and he disappears. A vicious,predictablecycle. He always relapses. I always answer. Dad always drives around until he finds him. And Sean always takes off as soon as he’s sobered up.

So maybe we’re all to blame, in different ways.

Mom is probably organizing the pantry or vacuuming. She cleans when she’s stressed or upset about anything. And I’d bet the degree I’m about to receive that my dad sent this message on his way out the door to Pathfinder Reservoir with his tackle box and a pole.

My coping mechanism was skating circles on the ice until my cheeks were numb and my thighs burned. Did wonders for my stamina. I was known as the guy who always had more gas in the tank at the end of a game.

I would’ve much rather watched Sean win the state championship he talked about.

I snap a photo of the house I’m standing in front of—gray ocean and blue sky visible in the background—and send it to my dad so he knows I made it to California. Then I slip my phone in my pocket and continue walking.

The front door is slightly ajar. I push it open wide enough for me to walk through, finding Aidan standing in the living room with a remote in one hand, raised and aimed at the flatscreen television mounted above the fireplace. There’s no sign of the girls, but I can hear the chatter of voices echoing upstairs.

I glance around the first floor, letting out a low whistle. We all kicked in three hundred for this trip, which was pooled to cover groceries and the rental fee. But I have a feeling Aidan shelled out more than his fair share, based on how nice this place is.

“Check out this flatscreen,” Aidan says as he flips through channels. “Perfect for watching the Kings tonight. They’re playing Washington, so it should be a good game.”

“Great.” Sitting—and being able to stretch my legs—sounds ideal after the cramped car.

The front door opens again and Conor enters the living room. His hair and T-shirt are both soaked with sweat.

He grins when he spots me. “Hey, you’re here! We weren’t sure when you’d make it. Did you decide to stop in Vegas, or something?”

“Hart,” Aidan says very seriously. “I already made that joke.”

“What, about Vegas? It’s funny, since Morgan isn’t much of a gambler.”

I want to grimace, but I don’t. It’s true; I don’t have Aidan’s recklessness or Conor’s swagger. I don’t take risks—even calculated ones. There’s a reason I play defense. I like to protect what I already have, not chance losing a little while chasing more.

Most of the time, I’m fine with that. But Sean’s pattern has me feeling restless. I don’t love that the only unpredictable part of my life is my brother.

“Found it!” Aidan announces, Conor’s infringement of his comedic material forgotten as he focuses on the commentators discussing tonight’s game. “We’re all set for later.”

“Harlow wants to check out that bar in town,” Conor says. “We probably won’t catch more than the first period.”

“That’s cool,” Aidan responds. “Rylan wants to go to Sand Bar too. That asshole at the grocery store was going on about it.”

I snort, and they both look at me.

“What?” Aidan asks.

“Nothing. It just sounds like I should askHarlow and Rylanwhat the itinerary for the week is.”

Conor flips me off.

“Aww, don’t worry,” Aidan coos. “We’ll find a girlfriend for you too, Morgan.”

“Yeah.” I glance out the window next to the fireplace. The yard is so huge the next house is only a speck in the distance. “This town seems like a real singles hotspot.”

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