44. HUNTER
44
“ Y ou think Barrington will make him first driver?” I nudge my chin toward the Formula One race on the TV, then take a sip of my beer. It tastes bitter, a good combination with the nagging feeling that has permanently settled inside of me, like a leech on my back in a spot I can’t quite reach.
I’ve been drinking more. It seems to be the only way to get through the endless parties Laurie’s dragging me to, the only cure to get out of my own head for a few hours.
“Oh, yeah, for sure,” Jason replies. “He’s ending in front of his teammate for three races now. Mark my words, he’s the newest champion. He’ll break records.”
I nod in agreement, then twist my head at the sound of the front door getting slammed shut with enough force to knock it out.
“Look, baby, I get that you’re doing your job and all, but trust me when I tell you that you’ve got nothing to worry about,” Jensen grunts, rolling his eyes as he strolls into the living room. “So, what?” he continues. “You’re just here to make my life miserable? No calling you baby . Got it. Anything else you want to bitch about, Miss Stafford ? Great. Bye.” His sports bag falls to the floor with a loud thud as he rounds the couch, then lets his phone clatter to the glass coffee table and drops his body beside me .
“Your little PR girl is still giving you the cold shoulder?” I smirk.
“More like determined to set my ass on fire.” He pulls my beer from my hands, pouring the last of it down his throat.
“That was mine,” I deadpan.
“ Was is the right description.”
“Why does she hate you so much?” Jason’s amusement is audible, though he stays fixed on the race.
“She must be a fucking alien.”
I snort with humor. “What, because she can resist the almighty Jared James Jensen? Son of a politician? Hockey rebel?”
My sarcasm earns me a death glare that only makes me chuckle. “Don’t you have somewhere to be? You don’t even fucking live here anymore.”
That results in a similar glare from me. “Shut up.”
“Oh, trouble in paradise?”
“More like he’s living in hell and coming to paradise every chance he gets. AKA, our house,” Jason chimes in as his phone starts to vibrate from where I put it down beside my thigh.
Julie.
“Fuck you, J.” I throw a pillow at his head as he gets up, then glance at his phone clutched in his hand. “You still talk to Julie?” A pang of jealousy snaps through me, knowing that the line to Charlotte is shorter for Jason than it is for me, now that she’s cut me out of her life completely. I don’t blame her. But I sure as fuck miss her. I wish we could at least talk every now and then, just so I can hear her voice and make sure she’s okay. But her unanswered phone calls made her wishes clear.
Blonde eyebrows form a frown. “Of course, I still talk to Julie. She’s my friend.”
“She’s your brother’s girlfriend,” Jensen informs flatly, as if we’re not aware, and I snicker at his wit.
“So?” Jason cocks an eyebrow .
“So? Why is she calling you?”
“Probably because my brother is being a dick to her.” With that, he strolls away to take the call.
“God, you two are so whipped by the girls from your past,” Jensen mutters, kicking off his sneakers before propping them on the table.
“I have a girlfriend,” I argue.
“One you’re avoiding half of the time.”
“I’m not!”
“Then why are you on our couch four nights a week?” He blinks with a fake smile and a challenging look.
“Because…” I lift my snapback to run a hand through my hair. “I like her. She’s sweet. Fun. Hot . But she’s fucking high-maintenance, man. She changes outfits three times a day, spends half the day making selfies, and she’s always squealing about some superficial shit with her girlfriends. I moved in with her , but most of the time, it feels like I’m living with a fucking sorority. It doesn’t help matters that she doesn’t know what real life is like, and has never had to struggle for anything.”
“Sounds like a fucking dream! Can I come?”
My elbow lands on his side. “I’m serious!”
“So am I?” Confusion washes his face. “Look, man. This is what you wanted. Just accept it. If I learned anything from growing up with my parents, sometimes it’s better to just accept it.”
I study his expression, trying to read between the lines of the sudden gloom in his voice. “Got experience with that?”
“Too much to tell.” He shakes his head, then conjures his cheeks into a wide grin. “But if you need me to escort some of Laurie’s friends out of your apartment, just let me know?”
I laugh, rolling my eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind.”