Look After Me Read Online Free

with a confused look on her face. “You okay?” she asks.
    I blink. “Grace.” I finally come to my senses and pull her into a hug, twirling her around in a circle and causing her to squeal. I smile for the first time in months as I finally place her back on her feet and pull away. “God, I’ve missed you.”
    “You too, big bro. You okay? You seemed a little out of it.”
    “I’m fine.” I’m not fine, I’m far fucking from it, but I say the words to appease my sister. “I’m just ready to go home.”
    The moment I say the words out loud, I realize I don’t have a home. I’m, in fact, homeless. The majority of my stuff is currently at Caleb’s while all of my bulkier items are in storage. After I went AWOL, I got kicked out of my rented apartment—the apartment I was forced to move into because I couldn’t face going back to the home I once shared with the love of my life.
    Grace smiles sadly, understanding the magnitude of what I just said, and links her arm through mine. “Come on then, let’s go.”
    She leads me to a car I presume she’s rented for the next two weeks. She lives in Charlotte, with my dad, but she wanted to come and stay with me while I got back on my feet. Knowing I can rely on my sister for the next fourteen days gives me peace of mind. I’m not alone. I still have my family, people who love me, unlike Ava. Plus, she’s excited to see her niece on her birthday.
    The drive to Seattle is quiet until we get caught in the Saturday traffic, and Grace finally turns to me. “How are you really doing? And don’t you dare give me some crap excuse because if you do, I’m gonna know it’s bullshit. I know you, Sebastian Gilbert.”
    I pivot my body to face her, giving her a sad grimace, the one look I’ve become accustomed to wearing, especially since I’ve had seven months of practice. For the first time in a long time, I speak my feelings out loud to somebody other than a trained professional. “I’m not doing good. Physically, I’m fine. The rehab did its job, but emotionally . . . I, um . . . I’m still a fucking mess.”
    My sister grasps my hand, giving it a supportive squeeze. “I just wish there was something I could do to take your pain away, but for what it’s worth, I hate her guts. Like, I wouldn’t spit on her if she were on fire, kind of hate.” I know she’s only saying it for my benefit because my sister isn’t that hateful, but I love her for having my back.
    “Well, as much as I would love to hate her . . . I-I just can’t.” That is all I can manage before my throat closes, putting a stop to my words. I blink back the tears that threaten to spill and lean my head against the passenger window, looking out onto the street. Will the ache in my heart ever disappear? The dark depression begins to settle over me, but before it can pull me under, Grace’s voice calls me back to the surface.
    “Well, considering you’ve been in rehab for the past three months, I assume that you haven’t bought your daughter a gift? How about we head to Toys R Us and spoil her rotten?” she says with an excited glint in her eyes.
    The mention of my daughter puts a slight smile on my face.

    We pull up in front of Ava’s house, and if it weren’t for the mere fact that it’s my daughter’s birthday today, I’d be telling Grace to speed the hell out of here. But I can’t. So instead, I grow a pair and act like the adult that I am.
    We get out of the car, and I grab the huge bag full of gifts from the trunk. Closing the trunk, I begin my pursuit up the pathway, my heart picking up speed with every step I take forward. I approach the door covered in pink balloons with caution, but before I can psych myself up to knock on the door, it suddenly swings open. Thankfully, I’m greeted by Caleb, and I sigh in relief. It stalls the pending heartbreak of seeing Ava for just a few more moments.
    “Hey, Sebastian!” I barely manage a smile as he pulls me in for a brotherly hug. He