Guys Our Age (Wattys2017) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

Chapter 24: Raise Your Glass (Hannah)

Justin, Dad, and I had just finished Guardians of The Galaxy when Hailey stormed in, her eyes wide and frantic.

My fingers paused, buried deep in Justin's dark locks as he shifted his head on my lap and sat up a little.

"Hi, sweetie." Dad offered Hailey a welcoming smile, "How was your day?" Hailey's entire face was engulfed in blush as she shrugged.

"It was fine. I think I'm going to turn in early tonight. I'll see you in the morning." She hurried down the hall before any of us could question her. I gently nudged Justin's head off my lap and stood up, kissing him quickly, then Dad's cheek before slipping down the dark hall after her. I found her sitting in the middle of her bed, looking like she was laughing and shuddering all at once.

"Care to explain what that was about?" I asked, gently shutting her door behind me.

"What do you mean?" she feigned innocence.

"You know exactly what I mean. FIrst you come in all frantic, then blush when Dad asked how your day was." I shifted on the bed beside her, "Oh My God, did you and Mason-"

"Why is that always the first thing your mind goes to?" she almost sounded pissed off now.

"Maybe because I know you both want to admit your feelings for each other, no need to get so defensive." She sighed, scratching the back of her head.

"Don't you and Justin have the weird charity thing tonight?" I knew she was trying to divert the subject, but I didn't press on the issue.

"Yeah." I smiled, "But we have like an hour before we have to go."

"He loves you, Hannah. You know that right?" There was a sadness in my sister's voice that had my heart clench slightly.

"Justin?" I raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, I know."

"No, I don't think you do." She shook her head, "Most guys would be long gone by now if you didn't have sex with them, not laying on your lap and holding your hand." I could see nervousness flickering in her eyes.

"I know. He's great." I whispered, trying to find a reason for her sudden interest in Justin's love for me. It didn't take me very long to come to the realization of what she was saying.

"You're thinking about going to NYU, aren't you?" The words came out choked, a lump forming in my throat. She looked away with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"I mean, as long as Dad has one of us near by, he should be fine, right? And he loves you more than-"

"Bullshit, Hail. He loves us equally." I snapped.

"That's bullshit, Hannah! Do you see the way he looks at me sometimes, the way he'll flinch slightly?"

"We look the same." My voice was barely audible now.

I knew what she meant. I had seen it multiple times. It wasn't Hailey's physical appearance that Dad would wince in response too, it was how much she was like Mom in every other way.

It was in the way Hailey would isolate herself in her room when she got too emotional, or the way sudden bursts of inspiration would cause her to start drawing.

"You promised we'd get an apartment together." I looked away from her, "When she left, Hail. We promised we'd stick together no matter what."

"That was before you had Justin, Han. You have a perfect life laid out in front of you, I can't say the same about me." A tear escaped my sister's eye and rolled down her cheek and she lifted her head to finally meet my eyes. "And sometimes promises are meant to be broken."