And despite Eric miraculously coming to his senses, his attempt to seek help from him turned out to be utterly hopeless.

“Oops, Sabi, what a surprise meeting! I suppose Eric went a bit overboard today.

But as they say, anything can happen, right?” the guy said softly, glancing intently at the hostile figure before him and smiling innocently. The anger reflected in the pre-dawn blue eyes, and apparently, this anger was about to pour down on him, poor hapless Jack.

“Oh, come on!,” he conciliated. “Smile!”

“I’ll smile only when I knock you out, Jack! I’ll grab that bat and fix your nose!”

Sabrina growled angrily, crossing her arms over her chest, awaiting explanations for the unwanted arrival. “What did you do to Eric? You got him drunk!” Sabrina interrogated without giving him a chance to recover.

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead, blame me for all mortal sins! But it’s not my fault your brother can’t handle his liquor,” Jack teased and looked towards the kitchen, where during their short altercation, the slightly subdued Eric was now avidly rummaging under the kitchen table.

Jack took a deep breath and turned his gaze back to the girl.

“Hey, I’m as sober as a judge. And don’t look at me like you’re holding a golf club and are about to use it. And not for its intended purpose. He called me and

started mumbling something about Sara not understanding him and… and all that jazz…” Sabrina continued to look at Jack with theatrical indifference, listening attentively to yet another story of her brother’s misfortunate adventures.

“Could you switch anger for mercy? By the way, I’ve scoured almost every bar in town looking for your dear brother,” Jack said nervously and with obvious exaggeration , pushing car keys into Sabrina’s hand. “Here, hold onto these while I drag your brother to a more convenient place for him to come to his senses.”

“Yeah, I have to give Jack credit, If it weren’t for him, Eric would be spending the night who knows where and who knows how this would have ended,” that’s all Sabrina could think, and slowly she headed to the kitchen where Jack was trying to at least slightly sober up the drunken youth who was already snoring loudly on the floor.

“Well, what can I say? Your little brother broke all records for drinking in some insanely extreme competition with himself. The desperate psycho,” Jack said with a laugh and, lifting Eric by the arms, attempted to put him on his feet. “ You know, it’s a good thing you moved down from the second floor to here. At least I won’t have to drag this drunken monster upstairs.”

“It’s up to you,” Sabrina muttered quietly to herself, watching as Jack effortlessly lifted Eric onto his shoulders, slung him over, and dragged his lifeless, alcohol-saturated body into the room.

Sabrina stood silently in the kitchen, watching the light, semi-transparent rays of the rising sun play outside the window. In her dark blue eyes, you could read nothing but a sense of mad exhaustion and complete emptiness. The last two months at work had been a nightmare, as the massive influx of tourists had required her to work double shifts. Summer in New Orleans had been hot and filled with various festivals and celebrations, attracting a considerable number of onlookers and adventure enthusiasts to the city. By the end of August, the stream of tourists flooding New Orleans throughout the summer had finally begun to dissipate, indicating the imminent arrival of autumn and the beginning of classes at the university. This meant that she would again face sleepless nights over books, notes, and other joys of student life. And, of course, work, her irresponsible brother, and other delights associated with his penchant for a wild lifestyle and various escapades. She felt completely drained and shattered.

Sabrina closed her eyes and shuddered at the thought of the upcoming autumn .

Everything around her dimmed and sank into hopeless sorrow… Immersed in her sad thoughts, Sabrina didn’t even notice Jack approach the kitchen and stand by the door frame, trying not to disturb her brooding. Reluctantly, he glanced at the lonely clock, on the table – five in the morning.

“Not that it’s late, but still too early for visits,” Jack decided and cleared his throat, trying to get Sabrina’s attention.

“I’m not opposed to taking a walk, but it would be silly not to use the car waiting for me with open doors,” he said softly, glancing at the clock again.

The girl flinched as if caught off guard, sharply turned around, and her beautifully arched eyebrows furrowed in anger once again.

“Sorry, I didn’t notice you come in,” Sabrina whispered and glanced shyly at the attractive young man still standing in the doorway.

“Maybe you want some coffee or breakfast?” she murmured after a short pause, then averted her gaze, noticing genuine surprise on Jack’s face and a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Wow, I’m shocked,” he whispered, raising his beautifully arched eyebrows in surprise.

Sabrina snorted impatiently, turned away, and started rearranging the kitchen towels, previously neatly stacked on the table.

“No, seriously, where’s the lecture on the harm I’ve caused to your brother as a result of our interaction?” Jack asked with interest, unable to hide the mischievous smile that reappeared on his lips.

“Let’s save it for next time,” Sabrina retorted sarcastically, casting Jack a stern look. “Knowing Eric and you, I can confidently say that the next time will happen in less than twenty hours.”