Chapter 19 #2
“I can’t believe people live like this,” he chuckled as we entered the house, and I flipped on lights as we headed towards the den. It had better booze options than the kitchen, which was all I gave a fuck about.
We sat in the recliners and shared another bottle, my brow creasing as I thought about Rory. She’d messaged to check in with me, which felt nice, but then I wondered if it was more out of pity than anything.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Slash offered, and I gave him the side-eye as I considered it.
“You don’t want to hear my whining,” I decided after a second, making him laugh.
“Sure I do. I want to know why someone who has everything looks so damn miserable.”
“Money doesn’t buy happiness, man.”
“Spoken like a true rich person.”
“I mean it,” I scoffed, shaking my head a little. “I grew up with detached parents who only had me as an accessory. They don’t remember my birthday, or stop by to check in, and Mom even introduced me as Tyson one year at one of her parties. I’d trade my money for a decent family in a heartbeat.”
“Why don’t you make appearances with them? They’re big movie stars, right?” he asked curiously, and I wanted to gag at the thought of walking down another red carpet, smiling and pretending I had it all.
Fame and fortune was all one big lie, no one was fucking happy. Kids were neglected, parents were on drugs, and those who looked happy were having affairs and doing drugs for breakfast.
“I hate that shit. They only wanted me to make themselves look good. When I put my foot down about not doing commercials or movies as a kid, they just stopped coming home. I’m not useful if I’m not a star too,” I said bitterly, snatching my cigarettes from my pocket to light one.
“Tell me about your miserable life so we can be miserable together.”
He was quiet for a second, sipping his drink deep in thought before he answered.
“I lost my temper and assaulted a girl. I can’t take it back, she could never forgive me, and now I don’t know what kind of man that makes me. You know I hate that shit, so I have no idea how it even happened. One minute I’m wanting to strangle her, the next I’m forcing her to strip for me.”
That wasn’t at all what I was expecting, my skin crawling at the thought.
“You fucking raped someone?” I demanded, and he actually flinched as if I’d punched him.
The stress on his face was real, and he blew out a breath and nodded.
“I didn’t realize what I’d done until it was over.
She fought me, begged me to stop, but then she was kissing me back and I just let myself get lost in her.
She obviously freaked out and cried when it was over, while I got pissed at myself and stormed off like an asshole. ”
“She kissed you back? It was someone you know?”
“Yeah. Apparently I like her but couldn’t handle it, so I got angry instead and hurt her. The fuck is wrong with me?” he spat, making me wince as he smacked his hand into the side of his head.
“That won’t help, dude. Have you reached out to her? Why didn’t she call the cops?” I asked, not understanding the situation. Did she think the cops wouldn’t believe her? They’d love to lock up Slash, so they wouldn’t have even asked for major details before cuffing him.
“I tried to talk to her, but she obviously doesn’t want to speak to me. I don’t know why she hasn’t told anyone,” he said softly, reaching for the bottle for a long drink.
“Does this mean you have to kill her to silence her?”
“No,” he bit out, glaring at me. “I’m trying to get her to forgive me.”
“I don’t think it’s possible, man. What does Skeet think you should do?”
“Skeet doesn’t fucking know. You’re the first person I’ve told,” he huffed, lighting a cigarette for himself. “I think I like this girl.”
That made me snort.
“We don’t rape girls we like, you uncivilized prick.”
“I didn’t fucking mean to. I just snapped and kind of blacked out,” he hissed, angrily taking a drag of his cigarette.
“No one slips and falls into a pussy unintentionally,” I pointed out, and I was pretty sure he was going to shoot me, so I added, “But maybe there’s a first time for everything.”
“If I could take it back, I would.”
“But you can’t,” I said sharply, giving him a dirty look.
“I know!”
“Then why are we having this conversation?”
“I don’t fucking know, forget I said anything,” he snapped, stalking from the room and slamming the door behind him.
Slash
I should’ve kept my fucking mouth shut. Who knew who Tyler would tell my sins to?
Why the fuck couldn’t I leave this damn house either? I wanted to, but my feet carried me out into the backyard to the garden instead.
Where was I going to go anyway? Back to my empty house? To the Shed where half my crew hated me?
I paced on the lawn for a few minutes as I tried to get my head on straight, the guilt suffocating me and drowning me alongside my feelings.
I hated Aurora Donovan, but a stupid piece of me wanted her too.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so messed up over a girl before,” Tyler observed, making me glance up to see him on the balcony that overlooked the yard, his face tilted up to the sky to watch the stars.
“You know I can’t have her anyway,” I scoffed, and he looked down at me with a shrug.
“Why not?”
“You know why. It’s too dangerous for women in our world. They’re supposed to have hot, filthy sex with guys like me, then settle down and marry guys like you.”
“I’d like the hot, filthy sex too,” he chuckled, shaking his head a little. “She must be hot if you want her that bad.”
I couldn’t exactly tell him it was the same girl he was in love with, so I just forced a smile. “Yeah, something like that.”
“Have you tried flowers?” he joked, making me groan.
“This isn’t funny, asshole.” I paused, considering it. “Do you think it would help?”
“No, I don’t think flowers would help in an apology for molesting someone,” he deadpanned.
“I need another drink,” I muttered, and he held up a finger to tell me to wait as he vanished inside, bringing a fresh bottle out and walking down to where I was, offering it to me.
“Look, we’re besties now, right? I’ll help you,” he stated, and I scowled as I took the bottle.
“I’m not one of your little high school boys. We’re not besties.”
“I know sensitive information about you. We’re besties now,” he said brightly, and I cursed.
“You’re blackmailing me?”
“I need a bestie, you need your secret kept. It’s a fair trade.”
“It’s blackmail.”
“Friendship,” he corrected, encouraging me to take a swig. “Buy her some flowers, let her beat you up or something, and apologize a lot.”
“I’ve never bought flowers before,” I admitted, and he laughed.
“So? Just go find bright ones in a big bunch. It’s not hard, dude.”
“Don’t dude me,” I gritted out, and he flipped me off.
“Besties forever, dude. Drink, and we’ll make a plan together. Did this girl like you before you traumatized her?”
I downed some of the whiskey, the burn warming my chest. It was way better than the stuff we sold at the Shed. Hell, a bottle of this probably cost more than my house for all I knew.
“Honestly? I don’t know. We fight a lot, but I think she likes it because she always starts it.”
“You have a habit of fighting with girls.”
I shut my mouth, realizing he could easily figure it out if he thought about it hard enough, but I was pretty sure he’d drank too much to think more deeply.
He pulled his phone out, searching local flower shops. “Maybe don’t get her roses, but something simple. You’re trying to apologize, not get her in bed.”
“Why are you helping me? Are you that fucking lonely?” I demanded.
He didn’t look up, his answer blunt. “Yes.”
“Jesus, you sad little fucker,” I scoffed, but I moved closer to look down at his phone.
He pointed out some random flowers that looked the same as the shit you’d find in anyone’s yard, and by the end of the bottle, we were both stumbling around like idiots.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d just kicked back like this. It was freeing.
“Pick any room you want,” Tyler said with a yawn just after two in the morning, waving a hand at the stairs as he stumbled towards them. “Help yourself to the kitchen in the morning too if I’m not awake.”
“Thanks,” I answered, watching as he managed to get upstairs without falling back down, his door closing a little hard as he must have fallen against it.
I took the opportunity to wander around the house, not used to being here without a party raging. It was huge, and I wondered if this was how Rory felt when she was forced into Caden’s house.
It felt empty, the extra space just making you feel lonely, and I hated the thought of her feeling like that. Was Caden still with her, or was she lying awake on her own?
I didn’t want her to be alone. What if my actions had caused her to have nightmares?
Decision made, I headed in the direction of the door, managing to get outside and into my car without falling on my ass. It took me three attempts to get my seat belt on, then I crept out of the driveway, squinting to see better.
Why was the fucking road moving so much?
Should I rob a flower shop? I was supposed to take her flowers, right?
I made it to Caden’s house and kept the engine running as I climbed out of the car, tripping over my feet on the way to the door. I’d barely lifted my knuckles to knock when the door swung open and Rory came into view in sweats and a hoodie, fury in her eyes.
She looked so fucking hot when she was mad.
“What are you doing here?” she whisper-yelled, taking a step back when I dropped to my knees in front of her, grabbing her feet.
“I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”
“Get the fuck up and leave before you wake Caden and Josie,” she bit out, but I just shook my head.
“No! I didn’t mean to touch you like that. I—”
“Shut up. It’s the middle of the night, asshole. Are you fucking drunk?”
“I swear I won’t touch you again. Please, I—”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” she growled, nudging me back and stepping outside, closing the door behind her and bending down to grab my arm as if to haul me to my feet. I was a million times bigger than her, there was no way she could. “Get up. I’ll take you home.”
“No! I want to talk to you, it’s important,” I insisted, not being able to help but lean on her as she somehow helped me to my feet.
“Dammit, Slash. You’re in no state for this conversation. Get in the car. No, the passenger seat. You can’t drive.”
“Drove here, didn’t I?”
“By some miracle,” she muttered, helping me into the seat and slamming my door.
She surprisingly got behind the wheel and didn’t leave me sitting out here in the dark for the rest of the night, giving me a dirty look as she started driving towards the road.
“Where do you live?”
“In a house,” I mumbled, curling into the seat with a yawn.
“Don’t fucking fall asleep on me, asshole. I need your address,” she scolded as sleep pulled me under, my eyes closing and my body relaxing.