Page 43 of Resurrection
Adri’s been silent for a bit, and I wonder if he's asleep. Then he stirs, clutching at some invisible regret, and the words tumble out again, "I ruined it," he slurs, his voice thick and distant. "Didn't I?"
"I can’t tell what you’re saying, Adri," Naomi replies. "Let’s talk when you’re not wasted, yeah?"
"Wasted? Me?" He leans forward and his forehead slams into the back of my headrest. Gravity and too much whiskey. "Fuck." He paws at the spot that just collided with my seat.
"Will you settle down?" Naomi grits out.
"Don’t think I d-don’t know, Shrimp…" His index finger wags unsteadily in the space between our shoulders. "You ssssneaked a thoussssand worth of food to him back in our high school days, didn’t ya?"
"Is that so important now?" she asks impatiently.
"‘Course." He snorts out a laugh. "You made us go bankrupt."
"We never went bankrupt. We sold the truck because Dad was sick."
This information seems to give Adri pause. He frowns like he’s trying to remember what dimension he’s in.
"Just chill, bro," I tell him. "We’re almost home."
"Don’t wanna go home," he counters.
"You have no choice in the matter," Naomi says insistently. "It’s either that or we drop you off back at your station. You can sleep it off there in holding or something."
"Ouch," I whisper. "That’s harsh, Shrimp."
She slaps my arm. "Don’t you ever call me that, Strings."
"Seems like you made it even." I grin at her.
"You two are still…ridiculous," Adri supplies.
"And you’re still a pain in the ass," I come back.
"Ah, shit happens, Brady… Shit happens."
Finally, we pull up to his house, a small place with chipping paint and weeds taking over the yard. Naomi digs in her bag for keys while I drag him from the car. He leans on me, heavy and limp, a mess of old sweat and new misery.
We reach the front door, and she quickly unlocks it like she’s done this a million times.
"I take it you have your system," I whisper, trying my damnedest not to drop her brother.
"I come by sometimes. I gotta have a spare set," she explains, pushing the door open.
I haul Adri inside while Naomi turns on the light.
The house is chaos, clearly a bachelor pad. The smell of old takeout hangs in the air. Dishes are piled up in the sink, and a trail of clothes and unopened mail litters the floor. Naomi looks around, and I see the embarrassment flash in her eyes. She shouldn't be embarrassed. He should. But I know how it goes with families.
"No wonder he needs a babysitter," I say, shaking my head.
She doesn't laugh. Just pushes a case of water off to the side so I can get Adri through.
We make it to his room and ease him down onto the bed.
"Is that you, Brady?" His eyes are on me, unfocused, but the look is there. Guilt and something else, something harder. "Are you fuckin’ back in town?"
Meanwhile, Naomi adjusts his pillow.
"Yes." I nod. "Get some sleep now, man."
