Chapter Seventeen
Rich
Friday night, I raise the beer to my lips and down half the bottle. Knock. Knock. I sink lower into the cushions and stare into the dark. Jenna isn’t supposed to be here until tomorrow, so whoever it is can move on. It’s probably one of my neighbors wanting a cup of sugar.
Sugar? I growl. Sugar reminds me of Chloe. I’m never eating anything sweet again.
“Rich, open up.” Tony’s irritated voice pierces through the quiet of my living room.
I close my eyes, chug the remainder of my beer, and slam the bottle down on the coffee table with a thud. Great. Just what I need. More lectures.
“Open up, Jackass.”
“Shit,” I mutter as I hoist myself out of the recliner and meander to the door. When I reach the entryway, my knee hits the end table. “Fuck.” I bend down and clutch my kneecap. A puffed welt is already swelling on my leg.
“Are you okay?”
“Nope.” I yank open the door and walk back to the recliner. If Tony wants a grand invitation, he needs to come back another day. I’m well on my way to a night of blissful oblivion. Or at least, an excess of alcohol, vomiting, and passing out. I don’t want to feel anything.
Tony’s eyes narrow as he shuts the door behind him and tries to adjust to the darkness. The only light is from the kitchen. “Damn, man. You’re a pig.”
“Thanks.” I fall back into the chair and grab another beer.
“This is disgusting.” Tony grabs the trashcan and tosses empty bottles into the bin. The clinking of the glasses fills the room as Tony cleans the mess. “I can’t believe you live like this.”
“Living?” I snort and close my eyes again. The room spins. Holy fuck. I pop open my eyes to stop the swirling .
Tony sits across from me. “What’s going on? I’ve tried to get ahold of you for almost a week.”
“Nothing.”
“That’s bullshit. You’re sitting in the dark, in nasty clothes, drinking three different kinds of beer, and reeking of body odor.”
I raise my arm and sniff. Gross. Meh. I shrug and lower my arm. “Who cares.”
“I care. Your family cares. And, if I’m not mistaken, Chloe cares.”
“The whole thing with Chloe was a mistake.”
“How?”
“Let me count the ways.” I laugh, but it sounds more like a demon’s attempt at humor rather than a happy chuckle. “Count the ways? Wasn’t that some movie?”
“Rich!”
“Sorry.” I sober. “Chloe was a virgin.”
“Was?”
Heat fills my face as the night in her kitchen flashes before my eyes. I would give anything for a do-over, but I’ll never earn a second chance.
“Yeah, I treated her like shit.”
His jaw tightens. “How?”
“Damn, man. I hurt Chloe.” I wipe my hands over my face.
“What did you do? Punch her?”
“No. I didn’t punch her.”
“Slap her?”
“No.”
“Did she willingly have sex with you?”
I shudder. The vision of her sweet face as she surrounded me is never far from my mind. “Yes.”
“Then, what’s the problem?”
“She never told me she was a virgin, and I was too rough with her. Chloe is soft and sweet. And, I’m neither of those things.”
“Thank God.” Tony leans back against the sofa. “You’re a dumbass.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. ”
“And, the bet never existed.” Let him think about that shit. Just another reason my life is screwed up.
“I don’t understand.”
“Tabitha had Kameron’s old phone and made a bet with Jim and then accepted my bet.”
“You’re shitting me. Does Chloe know?”
“Yep.” I pick up the check off my coffee table and shove it at Tony. This is the icing on the cake. I’ve never felt more disgusting in my life. There will be a throne – in hell – made especially for me. “She paid me five hundred dollars to fuck her.”
“Holy shit. You can’t take money to have sex with Chloe. You aren’t a prostitute.”
I bend over and put my head between my knees. “Then, why do I feel like one?”
“Dude, let me talk to her.”
“No. Don’t.” I jump up and pace the living room. “I’m chalking this up to a terrible week. Let’s pretend it never happened.”
“You don’t seem to be doing a bang-up job of that.” He studies the living room .
“Yeah.” I shove my hands into my pockets. “By the way, Jenna’s in town this weekend.”
“I see.” His jaw muscles tighten. “Bringing her boyfriend?”
“I have no idea. Jenna was too busy busting my balls over Chloe for me to ask.”
Tony stands, picks up another bottle, and throws it in the trash. “You need to get your head out of your ass. This place could use a cleaning service. Do you want me to send mine over?”
“Whatever.” I shrug. “It wouldn’t hurt.” Jenna is a stickler about cleanliness. As a nurse, it’s to be expected. It’ll give her one less reason to flip out. Not to mention, it’ll give Tony something to do besides mooning over my sister.