You usually just sleep with them, and I know sleeping is all you do. “I know, I know, but she's your first girlfriend!” “Honestly, Mom, I'm dating her, not marrying her.” “Oh, what's she like, Braden? I must meet her. I hear his baritone voice declaring, “That's lovely, darling, I'm so happy for him, but could you possibly turn down the strangled cat a notch or two?” I cringe at how high she's squealing to my father. “Oh, Braden! Thomas, Thomas! Gloria was right! Braden has a girlfriend!”

She has an answer for everything, and I guess that's where I get it from. My mom has never been speechless before now. She was adamant though, Braden, that you were dating this Maddie girl.” “Well Megan told Gloria you were dating, and when Gloria told me this morning over breakfast, I told her that was silly, that my boy isn't a dating kind of boy. She's not a 'weekend buddy', as you put it,” I groan into the phone. She wraps her arms around me, and I cry silently into her shoulder for five minutes.įor the first time since my Mom died, I don't feel alone. Tears spring to my eyes unannounced, and I smile gratefully at her. If he's the crumble in your life, then I'll be the damn wall!” Friendship means never having to be alone, it means there's a constant wall of solidarity even when everything else is crumbling around you.

The bottom line is I'm not letting you see your brother alone, and if that means you're not left alone for the next f**king month, then you won't be alone, do you get that? You're one of my best friends, and I care about you, and that means you don't have to do anything alone. I sigh, focusing on a spot on the wall behind her. If you don't wanna give him your money, then you damn well don't, and if he lays one finger on you, Braden will break his legs.” I don't know why that is either, but I'm not letting you walk in there alone. “No buts! I love you, Maddie, and I can see you're absolutely petrified of him. “No goddamn buts!” She shakes her head vehemently. I don't wanna know what you mean when you say 'he'll do whatever it takes to get the money he needs' so I ain't gonna find out! When you meet your brother, you ain't gonna be alone.” “Hell f**king no!” She explodes, standing up. When I meet him, I'll have to hand it over. “Then he can get his own damn money!” She squeezes my hand. He'll do whatever it takes to get the money he needs to feed his habit.” “You don't tell my brother anything, Megs. I look at her, almost sadly, because compared to me, she's led a sheltered life. “So tell him that when he gets here, and he'll leave.” He wants money, and I won't give it to him. He's made sure of that.” I look out the window. I accept the glass and sip it, looking down. “You wanna tell me what that was about?” she says softly, handing me a glass of water she must have gotten sometime while I was calming down.

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