The Falling (Brightest Stars, #1)(97)

“Martin?” I was going to make him say his name.

“Kael.”

“Since when are you two friends like that? You’re wearing his clothes and now moving in with him?” I couldn’t even hide the hurt in my voice.

“I don’t know, a week or so.” He laughed. I couldn’t breathe. “He’s been at Mendoza’s a lot. Plus, Elodie is already sleeping on your couch, there’s no room for me here.”

“Elodie can sleep in my bed.”

“Martin has an extra bedroom and I sort of already took my stuff there.”

“Seriously?”

I couldn’t believe him.

“Look, I know something happened between you two and I know how it blew up with Dad. And that’s all I know. You know Dad is a fucking bald-faced liar, so don’t let him get in your head. Once he’s in, he won’t get out.” He looked me straight in the eyes. Daring me to be honest.

That was a dare I wouldn’t take.

“So unless there’s more to it, or Martin did something to you that I don’t know about, I don’t see the problem with me crashing with him. He’s the only one outside of Mendoza who just chills at home and doesn’t bring girls around every night. He doesn’t get in trouble. He’s being really good to me, Kare.”

I wanted to throw up. I was relieved and devastated. It was a wretched combination.

“I’m not saying not to be friends with him.” I let out a breath of frustration. “I just . . .” I couldn’t think of a valid reason to tell Austin not to stay with Kael unless I wanted to tell him how Kael made me feel.

“If you don’t want me to, say it. Just know that I can’t stay at Dad’s anymore, Kare. I can’t do it.”

I nodded. I understood needing to get away from our dad. Austin should stay at Kael’s house, Martin’s house.

“Dad’s calling me again.” Austin sighed, changing the subject, looking at his phone. “He’s so suffocating.”

“Are you going to answer?”

“No.”

A car drove by and a little boy in the backseat waved at us. Austin waved back, even smiling for the child.

“I got a job, too,” Austin told me a minute or so later. The sun was going down and the sky was changing colors around us.

“Really?” I pepped up for him. “That’s great news,” I meant it. He hadn’t had a job since he got fired from Kmart for calling out too much. I wasn’t sure what job could possibly hold my brother, but I was happy he had one.

“Where is it?”

He hesitated. “It’s with Martin. He’s flipping that duplex he lives in, you know? He’s really fucking smart, man. He’s paying me and Lawson to help him. I’m going to get more hours in than everyone else, since they all have to work during the week. It’s just like tearing up carpet, shit like that. And, Kare—I got myself honest work without having to join the Army, no breaking our treaty,” he said with a teasing smile.

“Not funny.” I playfully pinched his arm. I really didn’t know what to say, but I felt the ice inside my chest melt a little as I thought of Kael and how much he had helped my brother. I had to remind myself why I needed to keep Kael distant: he was moving to Atlanta, bought a house and hadn’t mentioned it, not even once. I wondered if Austin knew about that.

“Has he told you about Atlanta?”

“Yeah, and I was the one who told Dad about it. Which is what caused this whole thing with you and Dad, I guess. Even though Martin took the blame for me with that shit with Katie, Dad still has some grudge against him. It’s fucked up.”

“What do you mean he took the blame?”

Austin sighed and ran his fingers over his hair. His blue eyes were bright, even though they were bloodshot. “He took all the blame, didn’t even mention my name to anyone, and probably jeopardized his discharge.”

As the words sank in, I couldn’t help but shift my perspective on Kael. Why was he being kind to Austin? Was it for me? I shook my head, answering my own question. This was Kael. The kind of person he was . . . or is. He’s a good person, despite his lies. And I had to recognize that everything wasn’t about me. I knew deep down that he was truly a good person. He just wasn’t my person, and I’d have to come to terms with that.

“Kael and Dad have more of a history than we know,” I told Austin, reminding myself why I couldn’t see Kael anymore.

My brother looked at me with a confused but sarcastic expression. “Well, they all deployed together, you know that. They’re in the same company.” Austin shrugged as though he were telling me the score of a football game, like I gave a shit.

“You knew that?” I asked.

He nodded, sticking his neck out and hunching his shoulders as if to say Duh! “How else would I know these guys?” Austin studied my face, and after a second his eyes widened. “You didn’t know that?”

I shook my head. “No, but I guess it makes sense.”

It was all starting to make sense, but once again I was the last to know. Why hadn’t anyone told me?

“My fight with Dad was about me working with Martin. You know Dad hates anyone who challenges him, and that’s what Martin does. It’s almost like Dad’s intimidated by him.”