The Summer Affair

Chapter Five *Edited*

                Alec was shocked, his mouth agape.  He slowly started to shake his head.

                "Anna, no, I wouldn't have...I mean, I couldn't have.  Drunk or not you're my little sister.  I could never do that to you."  I scoffed at him, disgusted by his behavior and refusal to admit he could be at fault.  

                "Apparently you didn't seem to think that mattered last night.  You promised me, Alec.   You.  Promised.  Me!" I shouted at him and the whirled around, stalking to the stairs.  I could hear him walking behind me, so I made my pace faster.  

                "Anna, I didn't do it!  Are you sure the guy didn't slip you anything and you fell and Mitch planted the story in your head?  That guy is dangerous, Anna, he's dangerous!  Stay away from him!  I could never hurt my own sister.  You're my best friend, the one I can always rely on to be there for me.  Please, Anna, I didn't do it!"  I froze on the bottom step, turning towards him in rage.  His face was confused, and I knew that he couldn't-no, wouldn't accept that he had actually harmed me.  

                "You did, Alec.  This is all your fault.  You did this to me." My voice was quiet, but the amount of anger that was seeping into my tone   "I can't rely on you at all, Alec!  You used to be sweet and kind and always helped me, but this time, I don't care what you do.  You are the only one to blame for this.  So do me a favor, and don't talk to me, don't try to apologize, to say that things will get better and that you'll stop drinking.  I've heard it all before, and we both know that it won't end like you say it will, because it never does.  You have zero self-control, and now can't even accept that this," I gestured to my face, "is completely your fault."  I raced up the steps, leaving behind the image of his stricken face.  I slammed my bedroom door shut with such force that the mirror hanging on my wall crashed down.  

                How had it come to this?  I missed my caring, sweet, amazing brother.  The guy he had turned into was a monster, controlled by nothing other than the urge to drink.  It made me sick to my stomach to think of what all he had thrown away for that one habit.  I obviously didn't mean more to him than a bottle of alcohol.  He'd made that abundantly clear to me.  

                I stood in front of my window and paced back and forth, mulling over my thoughts and anger.  It must have been at least a half hour later when I heard a timid knock on my door.  

                "Can I come in, Anna?" Alec pleaded quietly.  I grabbed the closest item to me, a book, and chucked it as hard as I could at the door.  I heard Alec curse and smiled.  

                "Go to hell, Alec!" I yelled at the door and resumed my pacing.  I didn't want to deal with him, I didn't want to see him.  

                "Please, Anna, I'm so sorry!  I'll do anything to make it up to you!  Name your terms, and I'll figure it out.  I won't take a chance on destroying my relationship with the only real family I have.  You're the only one that's ever been there for me, and I can't lose you, too.  If you want me to swear off of drinking forever, right here and now, I will."  I rolled my eyes at his antics.  This wouldn't last, that was for damned sure, but a few weeks without him drinking would be a welcome relief.  I wasn't about to go pick his stupid ass up at a party again for a while, and I didn't trust his dumb friends to make sure he got home safely.  

                "All right," I said after some more contemplation.  "Fine.  Starting now, you will never drink again.  Now get out of here."  The silence on the other side of the door was very telling, and I wanted to roll my eyes at him.