Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
I close the app and try to get the image out of my head. I can’t. What Thea and I shared the other night was nothing more than a college hook-up after a night of drinking. Thank-fucking-God I didn’t fuck her and had enough sense to put a stop to her roving hands. It’s clear to me now she’s trying to make him jealous. Sadly, she’s not going to succeed. I was fine before she arrived, and I’ll be fine long after she’s gone.
Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I head upstairs and change into a clean pair of jeans and a crisp button-down. I use some of Jude’s hair gel and run it through my hair. It’s what he calls his “make-the-girls-go-crazy” stuff. Personally, I’ve never cared what my hair looks like because it has a mind of its own most days or is covered by either a hat or helmet. Women either like me or they don’t.
Tonight, I want them to.
Tonight, I want to be noticed.
The only problem is most of the bars are closed today, except for The Crease. The owner doesn’t have any family and makes sure his staff gets the night off. He’s about to earn back the paycheck he gave me last week because I’m going to need a shit-ton of booze to forget those images.
God, how could I be so stupid? There is no way in hell someone like Thea would want to be with someone like me when she has Mr. Moneybags. Apparently, she doesn’t care he’s cheating on her and he probably convinced her I made the whole story up.
When I get to the bar, I’m happy to find I’m not the only loser out by himself on a holiday. I take a seat and tell my boss what I want. He frowns but pours me a Jack and Coke regardless. He knows my life story and gets why I’m so sullen all the time.
I’m halfway through my sixth or seventh drink—honestly could be more because I’ve lost count—when a pretty babe sits next to me. She orders a white wine spritzer. She takes one sip and then starts crying.
“It can’t be that bad,” I say to her as I hold my glass up toward hers.
“Believe me. It is.”
“Nah. Do you know what’s bad?” I don’t wait for her to answer. “It’s being in love with your roommate’s little sister. Only for her to be in love with someone else. Now that’s bad.”
“My husband is having an affair with my sister. I caught them fucking in the bathroom after dinner.”
Her words stun me. “Yep, that’s way worse than me wanting to fuck my roommate.”
“You mean his sister.”
I shake my head. “Nope, she lives with us too. Her brother is also my closest friend. He doesn’t want her anywhere near me because I’m a fuck up.” I lift my drink and miss my mouth. “Fuck.”
“Kyler, I think you’ve had enough.” My boss takes my drink from me. “I’ll call you a cab.”
“I’ll walk,” I tell him.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he says.
“I’ll take him home,” the babe next to me says, and I think, fuck yes, I’m going to get laid tonight. She touches my arm and everything turns into a blur.
seventeen
Thea
Jude and I leave Silver Lake early in the morning. After breaking up with Adam, I spent the rest of the evening with my mom and dad, and while they knew something bothered me, I held back from telling them what had happened. It was Thanksgiving, after all, and I didn’t want to ruin the mood. They’ve known Adam for a long time, welcoming him into their home when we started dating, and are very fond of him. I’m sure our break-up will affect them too. I just hope our parents will remain friends. I don’t want mine and Adam’s break-up to break up our parents as well. But I need to process everything before telling them, as I know they will likely have questions.
Thankfully, my parents didn’t question the need for me to return to Northport earlier than expected. I’ve long grown out of the tradition of hitting the Black Friday sales, and I told them I wanted to get an early start on my food science paper which needs to be turned in after the holidays. Truthfully, I’m hoping the empty house will help me focus amid all the thoughts flying around in my mind. I’m still trying to make sense of what Adam told me and the fact he had no remorse for having a hand in evicting people from their homes. I guess it’s true what they say—the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Adam’s more like his father than I thought.
Jude parks the car in the driveway and turns off the engine. I’m sure he has his suspicions something’s wrong. The bags under my eyes are undoubtedly a tell-tale sign, but he doesn’t ask any questions. He never pushes for answers, and it’s not because he doesn’t care. He knows to wait until I’m ready to talk, and then he’ll give me his undivided attention and support.