Free One True Thing by Piper Vaughn Page A

managed to lose one
    stubborn, flighty person who had the knack of
    screwing things up for both of us. After the call, I
    flopped back into my bed, ready to pull my covers
    over my head and disappear. I hated that I felt so
    responsible for Archer. He’d always been the fun
    to my serious, the social to my quiet. It’s what
    made people still love him even when he was
    being pissy and difficult. I just wished he could
    temper that fun with a little growing up.
    I did manage to sleep for another hour or two.
    I wasn’t worried about Arch per se. He’d taken off
    for fun times with a friend enough that I wasn’t
    going to freak out if he didn’t show up. I wasn’t
    happy about the bills, though, or the fact that he
    was probably going to get fired from yet another
    job. But it wasn’t enough to keep me from sleep.
    Not when I’d been up all night editing photo shoot
    proofs that I needed to get to the client as soon as
    possible.
    Must’ve been fate that, when I did wake, it
    was to my phone ringing incessantly. And it was
    Mom calling. I hadn’t been so happy to see her
    name on my caller ID since we’d first moved away
    and I’d been feeling homesick.
    “Hey, Ma.” My voice was gravelly from
    sleep.
    “Hi, sweetie. I didn’t wake you, did I?” She
    still knew me so well. I’d spent a lot of time with
    my parents, growing up. Other kids had always
    seemed like the wrong fit.
    “It’s okay. I need to get up anyway. I didn’t
    mean to sleep this long, but I was up late working
    on a photo set.”
    “Oh, what for?”
    I’d never admitted to my mom what I did. The
    woman taught kindergarten, for Christ’s sake. I
    was pretty sure her son shooting pictures of
    women’s naked tits didn’t fit into the world view
    of someone who wore puffy-paint sweatshirts and
    baked pies on the weekends.
    “Just a magazine, Ma. Nothing big.”
    “I wish you’d send me some of the pictures
    you take, honey. I never have anything to show my
    friends, and you’re so talented.”
    “I will, Mom.” When I have something I can
    show. “Hey, listen, I have to talk to you about
    something.” I felt like I was cheating somehow,
    asking Mom for help with Archer. I just didn’t
    know how to get through to him.
    “What’s up, hon?”
    “It’s Arch. I found a bunch of bills
    accidentally today. He’s maxed out a bunch of
    credit cards.”
    My mom huffed into the phone. I knew that
    sound. She loved Archer just as much as the rest of
    us, but he’d been difficult at times when we were
    kids. My mom had her frustrations with him.
    “Have you said anything to your brother?”
    “No.” I didn’t want to. “I can’t really say
    anything without him knowing I was looking in his
    room. I mean, I was just in there because his boss
    called, looking for him.”
    “He’s skipping work again?”
    “Yeah.” I hated the idea of being a tattletale. I
    just knew Archer needed help. “I want to help him,
    Ma. I always feel like such a nag, though. We’re
    supposed to be brothers. I’m not his warden.”
    “Then don’t be, baby. You need to live your
    own life. You can’t be in charge of your brother
    anymore.”
    “I wish he’d move home.” Then I could move
    on and not worry about him constantly.
    “We both know that will never happen.”
    “Yeah. It won’t.” I sighed into the phone,
    feeling every one of my twenty-six years weighing
    down on me like they were a hundred.
    “No more Archer. What’s happening with
    you? Have you seen anyone since you and Charles
    broke up?”
    “I ran into this guy—” I realized it would
    sound crazy. I’ve seen him twice, but both times I
    froze, and I’ve still not managed to talk to him.
    Because I’m an idiot.
    “And?”
    “And nothing yet. I didn’t get his number. But
    I think he lives around here. I’ve seen him twice.”
    “And do you think he’s… you know?
    Interested?”
    I laughed. That was mom’s way of checking
    my gaydar. “Yeah, Mom. Pretty