Holding herself back from humming, she got breakfast ready. The coffee was already brewing by the time the electric stove was heated up. The heavy pan felt satisfying in her hand, and the immediate sizzle of the bacon against the cast iron set her mouth watering.
Slicing some leftover baked potato into some heated butter, she had the distinct impression their grandmother would be pleased, if not impressed. Every task was done with precision, nested into other tasks and timed perfectly.
In nine minutes flat, she set a steaming plate of fluffy scrambled eggs, home fries and bacon in front of Bryce and smiled at him proudly. Bryce rubbed his forehead hard.
“Callie,” he mumbled, “you gotta go.”
She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips out. “Haha, very funny. You wanted over easy eggs?”
“No,” Bryce shook his head. He looked up at her with a desolate expression that made her wince. “I’m sorry,” he finally whispered.
She took a step back, her mouth open. “Bryce, what are you talking about?”
“It’s just… We gotta get outta here. I can’t… This was just gonna be temporary, right?”
“Bryce, you are not making any sense. We don’t have to go anywhere. We have to keep just moving forward. Right? Like we said?”
She watched Bryce take a sniff of the food, then push the plate away. He kept his eyes cast down. Auger stirred on the couch, sitting up and meeting her eyes from across the room. Silently she pleaded with him.
Fix this! Help me!
“Callie, it’s just… I don’t know,” Bryce continued after a few more long seconds. He looked like he was talking to the countertop, and his shoulders were caved in as though an invisible block of granite weighed him down. “I figured we’d be on our feet a long time ago… But nothing seems to be going like I thought...”
“No...” She heard herself say as she struggled to keep her confusion to a dull roar. Something was very wrong here. Auger heard her tone rise and stood up in his boxer briefs, walking slowly toward the kitchen. “Bryce, what’s changed? Why are you talking like this?”
“Man, why don’t you just get some sleep…” Auger suggested softly, his hand covering Bryce’s shoulder. Despite herself, Callie wanted to reach out and lace her fingers in his, to thank him for being here so she didn’t have to do this alone anymore. “We can talk about this later.”
Bryce shook his head. “Naw, it’s done.”
Auger glanced at Callie, the alarm plain on his face.
“What is done?” he said, keeping his voice carefully even. “What the hell is different from last night? I got paid, you got paid… Everything is better right?”
Bryce looked away.
“Wait… Everything is better, right? Bryce?” Callie said quietly as a sick feeling rose in her chest. She was starting to get a pretty clear idea what had happened. She knew the feeling of a morning with collapsing options only too well.
Sometimes being in too is just... too damn deep. I should know.
“Bryce, what did you do?” she asked softly.
Bryce laughed disgustedly, shaking his head. “Well first I beat Trent’s ass,” he snorted.
“That was great,” she agreed, remembering. He was solid, going all three rounds doggedly like it was his job to stretch the clock to the limit, finally winning by points.
“Heh, yeah. So Orion’s guys came to me with three thousand and asked for the other seven. Which of course I don’t have.”
“Oh—”
“Yeah.”
“Come on. Orion’s got you in the bag,” Auger offered helpfully. “He knows you’ll work it off.”
Bryce shook his head. “So I asked for a day to get it, and took the three Kand went out to Rivers.”
“But you suck at blackjack,” Auger reminded him.
Bryce chuckled cruelly. “Yes. Yes I do,” he moaned.
Callie stared hard at Bryce, trying not to judge him, trying not to feel betrayed. His shoulders were hunched over and his hands opened and closed repeatedly. She felt like she could see the weight that was crushing him.
Don’t scream at him. Don’t lecture. This is hurting him too, I know it.
“I wish I could help you, bro,” Auger said softly. Callie thought of all the times Auger had helped him before. Growing up, Bryce had always needed a push here, a leg up there. Auger got him better grades, better dates, and out of more than a few scrapes with the county police.
“Your stuff will be easy to pack, at least,” Bryce offered weakly, glancing at the sofa. He looked like a dog that had been caught stealing dinner off the counter and was now resolved for the inevitable beating he would get. Callie’s heart ached. She could clearly see the little-boy Bryce she had been taking care of practically all her life now.