We spend the hour teasing each other.
I drive home. Park in the underground lot. Get lost in the familiarity of moving along the walkway, unlocking the door, tossing my keys on the table.
"Hey." A woman's voice grabs my attention.
Not a woman.
My sister.
She's on the couch in all black. Her palms are pressed into her thighs. Her expression is soft. Apologetic. "Is this okay?"
"What the fuck, Bree?"
She looks at me with tired eyes. "I need a place to crash tonight."
"I took your key."
Her expression gets sheepish. "I had an extra." She turns toward me. "Please, Walker."
"Beverly Hills too far for your Uber driver?" Our parents keep threatening to cut her off and failing to pull the trigger. But, hey, they'll use those purse strings to convince her to check into rehab stint six. And she'll guilt them into paying her rent when she bails on that one too.
"Just for one night. I promise."
"Why aren't you staying with Mom and Dad?"
"You know how they are."
They're a lot more understanding than I am.
"Walker." She folds and unfolds her legs. "It's been a while, huh?"
No. I dragged her to rehab two fucking weeks ago.
"I know you're pissed I checked out early. But I couldn't take any more group therapy. Those people have problems. I just…"
"Show me your arms."
She pushes her sleeve up her left arm. Then the right.
She has bad scars on her left arm, right in her elbow crook. From injecting at the same place over and over again.
But her arms are clean.
No track marks.
"I stopped shooting up a long time ago." She says it like it's an accomplishment.
Is it?
I don't have a fucking compass when it comes to my sister. Sabrina. Bree. I never know what to call her. Bree was my nickname for her as a kid. It feels too much like she's someone I can trust. But calling her Sabrina… that's too much the other way.
She's been putting me through the ringer forever. She started using in high school. It was bad for a few years. Then our parents threatened to kick her out and cut her off.
She went through her first rehab stint. She tried to stay clean for a while.
She slipped.
I get that. Life is hard. Temptation is everywhere.