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“Well, it started with Zoe locking herself out of her car with the kids in it,” I explain. “She asked me to go to her house and pick up the spare key fob, and I’m there right now. But I accidentally knocked over these containers and I found her stash in one of them.”

“Fuuucck,” he breathes out. “I thought she stopped doing that shit.”

To be honest, I didn’t think she did. I hoped she did, but I truly believe when she does get clean, she’ll probably clean up her life too. And that hasn’t happened yet.

“I don’t know what to do with it,” I tell him with the bag of drugs still in my hand. “I want to dump it, but she’ll probably just go buy more. But if I don’t get rid of it, it’s going to eat away at me.”

He grows quiet for a moment. “I love Zoe. I really do, but I hate that she’s always making her issues yours. You’ve had to deal with too much in your life already, most of which result from poor choices she made.”

“Not everything was her fault.” If I hadn’t gotten mad at her that night, maybe nothing would’ve happened other than both of us waking up with hangovers.

Or perhaps everything would have happened exactly the same as it did. Who the hell knows.

“Maybe, but she’s still responsible for a lot of it.” He’s blaming himself now.

While I want nothing more than to convince him he’s wrong; I’ve spent three unsuccessful years trying. And right now, I don’t have time to make another attempt.

“Look, I need to get this taken care of so I can get the keys to her and she can get to her kids.” I rise to my feet. “It’s cold outside and they shouldn’t be locked in the car without heat.”

“I know. But we should talk about this later.”

“Agreed.” I look down at the bag in my hand. “What do you think I should do with the drugs?”

He silently considers my question. “If you don’t dump it, you’ll feel guilty.”

“I know…” I sigh. “Okay, I’ll flush them.” I head toward the bathroom.

“And get out of that house as soon as you can,” he tells me. “I hate the idea of you being in there alone when that piece of shit could show up at any moment. In fact, stay on the phone with me until you leave.”

I do as he says while I flush the drugs. Then I leave the house. About a minute later, I’m safely in my car and I tell my brother so.

“She really needs to stop calling you every time she has a problem,” he says as I’m starting up the engine. “And if she does, you just need to tell her no.”

“I couldn’t this time.” I shift the car into drive and pull out onto the street. “Not with her kids being locked in the car.”

“She should’ve called Liam and made him bring her the keys.”

“She said he was at the neighbors, watching the game and she didn’t want to interrupt him.”

“I doubt that’s the only reason. She probably doesn’t want him to get pissed at her.”

“I know.”

“I hate this, Harper. I hate that we just have to pretend like he’s not this fucking mentally abusive asshole that was part of all that shit that happened to you guys in high school. That—” His voice cracks.

“Hey, don’t go down that road, okay?” I slow the car at a stop sign. “What happened wasn’t your fault and you need to let it go.” I drive forward. “And as for Zoe, all we can do is support her in a healthy, non-enabling way, try to talk her into changing her life when she’s open for that discussion, and let her know we’re here for her when she’s ready to leave him.”

He sighs. “I know… You know, you’re really wise, little sis.”

“Oh, I know.” I lighten my tone. “But I think it’s because I watched my older siblings be such dumbasses for so long that I learned how not to be one pretty earlier on.”

“Ha ha,” he replies dryly. “Always a smartass.”

“I learned from the best.”

“Touche,” he says. Someone says something to him. “Shit, I have to go. Coach wants to talk to me, but call me later and let me know how things go with Zoe.”

“I will.”