Nodding my thanks, I crumbled onto the table and let the knowledge of what I’d spent the last three hours delving through wash through me. It was. . .overwhelming.

Minutes passed before I worked up the courage to lift my head, shoving the bottoms of my palms into my eye sockets to wipe them clean. I looked over and found Sadie sitting in a chair, quietly sipping on her beer.

“I brought you two. Figured you may need it.”

Grabbing the still ice-cold bottle, I downed the first in four hearty gulps, then shoved my hand over my mouth as I  belched loudly. “Sorry. Er, thanks for this.”

“You’re welcome. So, if you want to stay the night, I have a spare room and a fridge full of beer.”

“I’m not going to ask how you were able to get the beer.”

“Wow, turning into a big brother already?” she joked. “I have a fake ID, but I rarely get carded because of my height. People just assume I’m older.”

“Well, I won’t give you too hard of a time since I’m benefiting from it. And thanks for the room offer. I’ll take you up on it.”

“If you want to put something on the television, I can order us a pizza and make the bed up for you.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can sleep wherever.”

“No, let me do this. Please,” she pleaded as she stood from the table. Before a second passed, she wrapped her arms around my neck and I found myself returning her embrace.

“I always wanted a sibling.”

Patting the back of her arm, I added, “Me too, kid. Me too.”

I watched as she skipped away to a room down the hall and then I made my way to the living room with a flatscreen hoisted above the fireplace.

By default, I landed on a hockey game. It was the local pro hockey team out of Tennessee and at that moment, an idea popped into my head of taking both Autumn and Sadie to a game sounded like a great way to spend a night.

“Hockey?” Sadie asked ten minutes later as she plopped her body onto the recliner across from me.

“Well, it is my favorite thing to watch.”

Groaning, she dramatically tossed her head back. “Ugh, I guess I’m going to need to learn all about it, aren’t I?”

“It couldn’t hurt.”

The pizza arrived shortly after and it surprised me that Sadie and I both loved a fully loaded pie, but it didn’t come close to the delicious concoction I had eaten with Autumn on our first date. It was a good substitute, though.

While eating the pizza, we lounged back and I explained the game on the screen. Sadie tried to grasp what was going on, but hockey and her didn’t seem to mix. But it was clear she was trying to understand.

I felt a buzzing in my back pocket and I knew it was Autumn messaging me. Timidly, I pulled the phone out and read the message on the screen.

Autumn: Inspector came by today. He noted a few things and told your contractor. Will be back on Monday for final.

There was no warm greeting. No “Hey, I miss you.” Nothing like our earlier messages. Instead, it felt more cold, impersonal. And I knew it was my fault. I’d been the one that was distant. In the last few days, I’d taken longer and longer to reply to her messages. I was an hour away from the woman that had thrown me for a loop and I was too chickenshit to do anything about it.

“That your girlfriend?”

Shaking my head, I shoved the phone back into my pocket. “Just finding out the inspector wants a few changes to my house in Ashfield.”

“Kind of late for an inspector to reach out.”

“It was my contractor.”

Sadie pulled her gaze away from the television and bore it down on me. She may have been my little sister, but right now she made me feel like I was two feet tall.

“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a shit liar?”

Settling back onto the couch, I crossed my arms against my chest and turned away from her, focusing back on the game on the television.

“You really are, just so you know.”

“Am not,” I sulked.

“Call her. I have no idea what’s going on in this game anyway and to be honest, I’m whipped after this exciting day,” she said sarcastically. “We can hang again tomorrow. Or do you need to head back?”

“I can stay, Sadie.”

“Good. Now, let me show you your room and then you can call your sweetheart.”

Following her to a room down the hall, I mumbled, “I’m going to regret this.”

“Good night, big brother.”

“Night, Sadie.”

In the small room, I took note of the dresser and the full-sized bed that reminded me of Autumn’s room and I immediately felt guilty for ignoring her message earlier. The bed screeched as I sat on the edge and pulled my phone from my back pocket.

I contemplated whether to call or message her, but I took the chance and pressed the dial button on her contact. It rang three times and I worried I was waking her up. With a quick glance at the clock on the nightstand, it read 10:00 p.m. so there was a chance this call could go either way.

“Colton?” Autumn yelled from the other line as if she was covering her opposite ear with her hand to hear better.

“Hey. I just wanted to call you back,” I said. The telltale sign of music in the background became clear.

“What? Hey, hold on a second.” Her breathing increased as the music settled down and then suddenly, there was complete silence.

“Autumn?”

“Shit. Sorry I dropped my phone. Hey. Hi. How are you?”

“Have you been drinking?” It was a stupid question to ask because after the few times Autumn and I had gone out, I knew she rarely drank more than one or two drinks. And it was very clear she was on the other side of tipsy.

“Maybe…Well, I was at the bar helping Alex and when I messaged you this afternoon, I was not drinking. And now I am because it’s karaoke night.”

“This afternoon? I just got your message like fifteen minutes ago.”

“Really? Well, damn. I swear I sent it when the inspector left your house.”