“If you were here right now we’d be go-karting. Remember when you were little and would only go on them with me? Dad tried to get you to go on with him but you weren’t having any of it so I only got one fast go on my own the whole time we were there. That didn’t matter to me, though. I know you were a lot younger and got on my nerves but you were the person I loved the most, Isaac. Right from when you were a little baby I was obsessed with looking after you. I think it was because you’d finally saved me from being the only boy with two sisters. I love you, bro, nothing will ever change that. I gotta get going but I’ll come back soon, okay. Enjoy being thirteen from wherever you are now.”
I stood up and left. My heart felt like it was made of lead. Isaac was the only person I’d cried over and I really didn’t want to be weak on his birthday.
I got in my car and that was when my phone rang – Tegan’s ringtone. I knew what it was about. I’d taken a call from Lucas just before getting here but right now I had to see my brother.
Pressing answer, I started the car and put her on speaker. “Hey, princess,” I said.
“Hi,” she replied, deflated.
“What’s wrong?” I asked since I wasn’t supposed to know.
“Lucas broke up with me,” she said. It was clear from her quiet tone and hushed voice that she’d been crying. I knew that. Lucas had called and I was going over after visiting Isaac but I couldn’t tell her that.
“I’m sorry, Tegan. You okay?”
“I’m fine, I guess. You doing anything?”
Cake had been eaten and I’d visited Isaac so I was free. “No, want me to come over?”
“Please.”
“Right, see you in five.”
“You’re the best,” she said and hung up.
I’d wanted to tell her about Isaac’s birthday a few times but I didn’t like the sympathy. This was Tegan, though, she’d understand that, surely? Still, I didn’t want to add to her obvious upset over him.
I pulled into her drive a few minutes later and Tegan met me by the door. Her eyes were red and her hair in tangles. “Hey,” I said, walking up the path.
She tried a smile. “Hey.”
Opening my arms as I approached, I braced myself as she flew at me. Her body collided with mine and I held her petite frame tight. I wanted to rip his head off and buy him a beer at the same damn time.
“Let’s get in, Tegan,” I said, walking her backwards.
“I don’t want to talk in front of Mum and Ava, let’s go to my room.” She pulled away and against every instinct in my body I allowed her to step out of my arms.
I didn’t hear her mum or sister as we walked upstairs but I did hear the TV in the living room. Did they know what’d happened?
“Wanna watch a film?” she asked, throwing herself on her bed after closing the door. I nodded and walked to her bookcase to find one. “Nothing with men in it.” Whoa, she was hating all men right now. What did that say for me?
“Right,” I replied.
What film has no men in it? Every film has a fucking man in it!
“Just put the Texas Chainsaw Massacre on.”
There were men in that one but they got murdered. She was worrying me a little, or maybe I was worried for me.
I put the film on and sat next to her. She immediately snuggled up to my side, wrapping her arm around my waist. I guess she didn’t hate all men then, I wasn’t being yelled at.
“You gonna tell me what happened?” I asked, running my hands though her soft newly brunette hair. All I knew was that he’d ended it, no details.
“He doesn’t want to be with me anymore,” she said and shrugged as if she didn’t care. “He thinks I need to be alone to deal with everything. It’s crap though, he just wants to be single.”
It wasn’t crap. She did need that and thank fuck Lucas finally realised that.
Jesus, I can’t believe I’m about to say this. “I don’t think that’s it. I think he genuinely believes it’s the best thing for you.”
“Yeah, well, he’s wrong.”
I nodded, not really knowing what else to say that wasn’t completely slamming the guy and begging to get back in her pants. She’d just been dumped but here I was thinking about her naked. Plus, I couldn’t lie to her and I’d just end up defending him. He couldn’t have actually wanted to break up with her. No one was that fuckin’ stupid.
Tegan didn’t mention it again so I assumed I was here because she wanted me to be and not just because she wanted someone to cry over. That I could happily live with so we watched the film in silence with her laying over me and me trying not to get hard.
When the film finished I stretched. “You wanna go out?” I asked. She looked back at me horrified and pointed to her face. What was wrong with her face? “What?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll cook something, or maybe we can persuade my mum to because there is no way I’m leaving this house looking like a mess.” I nodded and followed her downstairs, not even bothering to reply to her looking like a mess comment.
“Hi, honey,” Alison said as we walked into the kitchen where she and Ava were now gossiping and drinking wine. “Hello, Kai.”
I smiled. “Hey.”
“We’re really hungry, Mum,” Tegan said, pouting. I rolled my eyes.
“Really?” Alison replied sarcastically, smirking. Tegan nodded. “Good thing I ordered far too much Chinese food ten minutes ago then.”
She beamed and replied, “You’re the best.”