The noise of Justin unpacking causes me to stir from my peaceful sleep. I groan, stretching my arms up over my head, “You have to do that right now?”

He looks up from the suitcase, “Good morning to you too princess.”

I fall back on the pillow and sigh as he climbs on top of me, “You know you slept through the garbage trucks and road work this morning.”

“I’m a heavy sleeper,” I reply, throwing my hand over my eyes as I realize we are back in New York. Back to the hustle and bustle of the city.

“No shit,” he replies as he kisses my chest lightly.

His eyes look me over as I sit up yawning, pushing him away so I can get up. My head feels like someone took a bat to it as the throbbing sets in. A little too much drinking on the plane that led to more sex which ended with a severe hangover has been fun while it lasted but it’s time to hang up the towel. I grope for the glass of water next to the bed and whine slightly, “Do you have any aspirin?”

He opens the door to the side table and produces a small bottle, “This will take care of that hangover,” he says, placing several pills in the palm of my hand.

“How come you don’t have one?” I ask as I pop the pills in my mouth.

“I was busy drinking you,” he replies saucily.

Justin’s hand trails down my body but I’m really too sick to have sex and pull away, which should tell him my headache has got to be splitting. I lick my lips and suck on his finger gently, “I have to go.”

His head hits mine and I groan from the searing pain, “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” I mumble.

“Do you have to go? I mean we could just hang out here today.”

I unzip my suitcase and pull out some jeans and a tank top, “I have to let my family know I’m alive.”

“You didn’t tell them when you were getting back?”

I laugh to myself, “I didn’t tell them I was going at all.”

“Why?” he asks, sitting up in the bed as though the idea is beyond his comprehension.

“Because I didn’t want to. In case you didn’t notice they haven’t called.”

“Really?”

“We’re not that close,” I respond.

I succeed in finding my shoes and slip them on my feet, “I’ll see you later. Say hi to Trace for me.”

“I’ll call you,” he shouts thought I’m not even at the door knob.

I turn around and look at him, “I’ll be waiting.”

________________________________________________________________________

“How could you?”

I sigh in frustration at the line of questioning. It’s not real helpful and my body misses her, “Haven’t we been over this before? Besides, you just don’t understand.”

Trace laughs bitterly, “No I understand perfectly. You’re in love with her. You fucking need your head examined.”

“I’m not in love with her,” I insist, rolling my eyes.

“Dude you need to look in the fucking mirror. You can’t even talk about her without getting a hard on.”

“You just don’t know her like I do.”

Trace starts to crack up and holds his stomach as tears build up in his eyes, “You don’t fucking know her mind, you know what makes her hot. No one knows how she thinks. Not even her.”

My nostrils flare, “Trace if you don’t have anything fucking positive to say don’t open your fucking mouth.”

He rolls his eyes, “Pussy.”

“What did I just say?”

“Please I’m begging you dude, let’s go find some real girls who just want to please us sexually and hang on our arms.”

“Give it up Trace.”

He slams the fridge closed and opens a bottle of beer, “Fine, do what you want with her but next week when she’s sucking someone else’s dick, don’t come crying to me.”

I put my tongue in my cheek and Trace gets the message, relenting and going for a slice of pizza, “You going to call her?”

I nod, “Tomorrow, I figure that gives her enough time to relax.”

“Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

________________________________________________________________________

After checking my messages I got ready and made my way over to my parents. I retrieve the keys from my pocketbook and go inside, looking at the familiar features. The banister I slid down, the rug I tripped on and caused me to hit my head on the table. The scuff mark on the floor from rollerblading on the hard wood and the panel that lead to the closet I used to hide in when Aiden and I used to play hide and seek.

“Hey gorgeous.”

I spin around in shock as to the figure in the doorway, “How’s my long lost brother?”

Aiden smiles, “Hey I called you three times last week and you weren’t home.”

“And before that you called me how many times?” I ask sarcastically.

He grins, “The phone works both ways. I guess we are both guilty.”

I go over to him and wrap my arms around his neck, “I really missed you. I thought you weren’t going to be home for another month.”

He takes a step back, “I have some important news for everyone.”

I cock my head to the side, “News? Does it have to do with grad school?”

Aiden just purses his lips, “You’ll know soon enough.”

I groan, “Come on, I’m your only sister. Aren’t I supposed to know things about your life before anyone else?”

“I always tell you things before everyone else but this is something I want to tell the whole family at once.”

“Fine.”

He pulls me closer, “Haven’t we always told each other everything?”

“Yes,” I lie.

“Then trust me and wait.”

I let the subject go as I realize a new twist to the situation, “Does that mean we have to have dinner with mom and dad?” I ask, dreading the answer.

He rolls his eyes, “I’ll give you one guess.”

I slump my shoulders in annoyance, “Great.”

“Come on, they are not that bad.”

I laugh, “Yes, yes they are.”

“You have to behave tonight alright? It’s really important to me.”

I hug him from the side, “Whatever you want.”

“Good. Feel like telling me where you were the last week?”

I flip my hair over my shoulder, “I was in Germany.”

He frowns, “You left the country? For real? I thought you didn’t know that other countries existed.”

I rub the back of my neck gently, “I know. Never would have thought I would have in a million years.”

“Did you go for some art thing?” he asks, putting his arm around my shoulder and walking me into the kitchen.

I pull up a chair and sit down playing with a cloth napkin on the table as he makes himself a sandwich, “No, it wasn’t an art thing.”

Aiden gestures with his arm for me to go on, “Any details you feel like adding would be helpful. I’m not a mind reader in case you didn’t know.”

Ugh, “I was in Germany…. with Justin Timberlake,” I add quickly to make it seem like a distant memory.

Aiden starts to laugh, “Justin Timberlake? You have got to be kidding. You are certainly moving up with the guys you sleep with,” he says smirking.

“It’s nothing serious. You know you’re my number one guy. No one has ever put me first the way you have.”

He stops making his sandwich and puts the knife down, “I hope you know that you’ll always be my number one no matter what.”

“I know, we have always promised that to one another.”

He goes back to making the sandwich, “I just wanted to make sure.”

________________________________________________________________________

I sit stiffly next to Aiden as my parents sit across from us talking about Aiden’s career. I drag my fork through my mashed potatoes and finally put it to the side, taking a sip of my wine. Aiden wipes his mouth, “So there is a reason why I’m here.”

Mom folds her hands in her lap, “Well I assume you were here for a reason.”

Aiden nods, “It’s pretty big.”

Dad puts his silverware down, “What is it Aiden?”

Aiden squeezes my hand, “Well as you all know I’ve been in California and while I was there I kind of met someone….”

I stop staring at my parents and turn to Aiden as he continues, “And I’ve decided to get married.”

I feel my anger rising as my mother starts to cry, “Oh Aiden.”

“What’s her name?” dad asks, lighting a cigarette and puffing on it.

“Tiffany Bradley.”

“That’s a good family. Her father’s an investor isn’t he?”

Does anyone understand how this is going to affect everything? What world am I living in? I throw my napkin down and stand up abruptly, “You’re getting married?”

Aiden winces at my voice and stands up as well, “Megan please calm down.”

“You’re fucking getting married!” I scream as though this might be a dream and I’m just waiting to wake up.

“Watch you language young lady,” my dad snaps but doesn’t even acknowledge that I’m upset or even standing.

I just turn around and grab my jacket storming out of the house. What the fuck? I can’t even think strait. I hear the door open behind my as I jog to my car as little faster to get away from the person who lied to me, “Meg wait.”

I spin around as Aiden runs after me, “What the fuck do you want Aiden?”

“Meg come on, please talk to me.”

I just shake my head, “How could you! You promised since we were kids that it would always be you and me.”

“It is you and me Meg, but I fell in love and you cannot stop yourself from doing..”

I snort, “Love. Love is the biggest bunch of bullshit I have ever heard. I thought you were the one who understood better than anyone else.”

“Look Meg, I will always love you but when I met Tiffany, I just knew I wanted to marry her. When you fall in love you’ll feel the same way.”

I struggle to get my keys out of my purse, “We weren’t ever supposed to care about anyone else except each other. You lied to me and I’ll never believe anything you say ever again,” I cry.

He grabs my shoulders and holds me strait, “You were the one who made that rule and I went along with you because you needed me to at the time but you can’t live like that forever. Do you really like sleeping with random guys who only want one thing from you? Do you really want a guy who just wants you for your body? Because that’s not what I want for you Meg.”

“Just let me go,” I say, pushing his arms off me. I put the key in the car door and get in but Aiden holds the door open.

“Meg whatever you have to deal with maybe it’s time we brought in a therapist you could talk to,” he suggests gently, trying to take my keys from the ignition.

I feel very out of control right now and I never allow myself to get into this position, “Do me a favor and don’t talk to me Aiden,” I reply, getting the door from his grasp and putting in into reverse, driving away.

I feel tears seep down my cheeks and I urgently dial my cell phone and light a cigarette as I desperately try to light it as he answers, “Hello?”

I let out a shaky breath of smoke, “Adam you busy?”

“No, come on over baby,” he replies as I hear him stop moving.

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” I say, closing the phone and tossing it to the passenger seat. I flip the radio on and turn it up so I cannot hear myself think.