Page 52 of Forged in Deception

Who would be calling her this early in the morning? It had to be Bajwa.

For the first time ever, she found herself annoyed to have phone service.

She could have sworn that Axel actually let out an audible sigh as she extracted herself from his arms and pulled the phone from her back pocket.

But as soon as she read the name on the caller ID, she froze.

It wasn’t Bajwa.

It was John.

“Hello? What’s going on, are you okay?” she said as she picked up, not waiting for her brother to greet her.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.

“Hey, Karl. Don’t freak out, but I’m in the hospital.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-THREE

ASHER

Asher got to his feet and pulled Karlin up after him, gesturing in the direction of the Jeep. Karlin followed mutely, gripping the phone with white knuckles as her brother talked. As they settled back into the warmth of the vehicle, Karlin finally spoke, her voice more angry than Asher had ever heard it.

“An overdose, John? Really?” she spat. “How can we be doing this all over again?”

He tried to catch her eye.

She ignored him, but he could see the tears gathering on her cheeks. He hated seeing her cry, and it had been happening way too often.

“I know,” she said after a pause. “But I’m still going to come. I want to make sure you’re–”

Karlin’s fingers tightened more firmly around her iPhone. “Fine. I know I have a lot going on here, too, but as soon as I deal with all of it, I’m heading to Lubbock, and that’s final. Okay. I love you, too. I’ll call again soon.”

She hung up the phone, a fresh volley of tears falling from her eyes as she curled up against the window of the passenger seat.

He let her get herself together for a moment, not wanting to make things worse, but finally, the longing to try and comfort her became too strong to resist.

“What happened?” Asher asked, taking her hand within his own. She allowed this much, but he didn’t think it would be wise to try and get any closer, despite the moment they’d just shared. Trying to get Karlin to open up to him was like sneaking up on a doe. One too-quick movement, and she’d bolt for the hills.

“John had the brilliant idea to go to a party,” she said, chuckling without a hint of humor. “But not just any party, of course. A party filled with drugs and alcohol, thanks to some alleged war friends that I’ve never heard of. He said that no one else gets him like other vets do.”

Asher said nothing, though he could tell by the look on her face that she didn’t buy her brother’s excuse any more than he did.

“I wanted to tell him it was total crap,” she continued, “and that other veterans who do drugs aren’t helping him. But he knows that. Of course he knows that! It’s the addiction talking, not reason. And it’s just–it’s maddening. It feels like all of this time sober was pointless in the end. And it’s not the first time he’s fallen off. It’s just so unbelievably frustrating. I believe his pain is real. I wouldn’t be in this field if I didn’t. But I just…”

Karlin trailed off, putting her face in her hands and letting out a long groan.

“Pain can be an explanation, but it can’t be an excuse,” Asher said. “It’s okay for you to be angry. He’s put you through a lot.”

“He’s been through so much worse,” Karlin said. Her voice was softer now, like all of the anger had been ripped clean out of it, leaving only a husk of sadness behind. “But yeah. His painhas hurt me, too. I’m not invincible. I’ve–I’ve had to learn that lesson, and it was a painful one.”

Her eyes landed on his for a few seconds longer than necessary.

Somewhere within their depths, he could sense words she was leaving unsaid, but he wouldn’t press her. He knew she'd unburden herself from her darkness only when she was ready, and nothing he said would make that happen a moment sooner. If anything, he’d only succeed in making her more afraid to be vulnerable with him.

“I hope you know that, whatever it’s worth, I think you’re an amazing little sister,” he said, squeezing her hand. “He is so blessed to have you. He knows that, I think.”

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