While You Were Gone: A Thought I Knew You Novella

While You Were Gone: A Thought I Knew You Novella Read Online Free PDF Page A

Book: While You Were Gone: A Thought I Knew You Novella Read Online Free PDF
Author: Kate Moretti
have no idea what that kind of friendship feels like, and the realization sits in my gut, doing a dangerous little tango with the liquor.
    “Hey now, Shortcake.” Pete slides into the booth across from me and gives me a grin. The childhood nickname feels good. I’ve missed my brother. “What’s the matter?”
    “Nothing. I can’t just want to see you?” I pull a Sweet ’N Low pack from the cut-glass holder and flip it around my fingers.
    “You can, but you never have. So I thought this was about Mom?” He pushes his glasses up on his nose. My big brother, almost five years older than me, looks all of about twelve years old. He has sunny blue eyes, sandy hair, freckles across his nose, and a dimpled smile. Mindy generally leads the pack, Coach diaper bag in tow, and Pete trails behind like one of the kids. I’ve rarely seen them apart.
    “Sort of. She was bad the other night. Her apartment… we have to talk. What do you want to do? Have you seen it?”
    He shakes his head. “I know I need to go over there. She said the dead bolt needs to be replaced, but I thought maybe she lost the key again.”
    “I can’t be the only one doing this, Pete.”
    “I know. But I have the kids. I work. I don’t know when I’m supposed to be Mom’s keeper too.” He tugs on his ear and looks around for the waitress. It should feel more wrong to talk about Mom’s alcoholism while sipping on my third martini.
    “I don’t know, Pete. But it can’t be all me. She hasn’t done laundry in weeks. Her pantry is empty except for tuna fish, and I swear she doesn’t take the trash out. There’re mouse droppings.”
    He sighs. “Yeah, that’s bad. I get it, Kar. I do. I just… there’s only twenty-four hours in a day. Mindy is going nuts with the kids by the time I get home, and the twins just started ballet. Apparently, they’re virtuosos. Is that the right word?” He digs around in his pocket for his wallet, flips it open, beams a smile at me. “Look.” Two chubby four-year-old ballerinas stand in second position, side by side. Identical blond pigtails. Serious blue eyes gaze into the camera. They look like Pete, minus all the pink. I push the wallet out of the way.
    “Yeah, they’re cute. I agree.” I throw back the rest of my drink as Pete rolls his eyes. “I need to come over and visit my nieces. But we really need to figure this out, okay?”
    “The blind leading the blind,” he mutters. The waitress appears, and we order drinks, Pete a beer, me another martini, and sandwiches. She brings back the drinks, sets Pete’s pint in front of him, and he checks his watch when he thinks I’m not looking.
    He takes a long swig of his beer. “Here’s an idea. I usually get off early on Mondays. Why don’t I go to Mom’s and fix her dead bolt. I’ll look around the house and get back to you. Then we’ll plan some kind of intervention, okay?”
    “This Monday.” I twirl the olived toothpick around my glass.
    He tips his head and gulps his drink. His phone buzzes, he reads it, frowns, and taps a quick reply. Then he looks back at me blankly. “What?”
    “This Monday. You’ll go this Monday?”
    “Yes. This Monday. I’ll call, and we’ll talk, okay?” He stands up. “I’ll get mine to go. We have a plan. Mindy just texted. One of the twins spiked a fever.”
    “Wait, Pete. I…” I look around helplessly. “I’ve had a shitty day. Can’t you stay?”
    “The kids are sick, Karen. I’m sorry, I would. But…” He gives me a half smile. “You’ll see one day. I don’t have time to think about my shitty days anymore. They’re all just… days.” He tosses a twenty down on the table and gives me a perfunctory kiss on the cheek. “I’ll call you Monday, okay?”
    He pushes out the front door through a thick, gray-suited or khaki-clad crowd. I survey the bar: two groups of men on either side and a lone bartender drying glasses with a dishtowel. I migrate to the center of the bar and offer a weak
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