10. Charlie
Charlie
Brody’s supposed to chase after me. Right? Tell me it’s not what it looks like while stumbling out of the room to put his pants back on? Defend himself while simultaneously yanking his hair out, telling me he loves me? But he doesn’t do any of that.
Brody smirks as Ryder is hauled off through the crowd, kicking like a five-year-old. He wipes the cherry lipstick off his mouth, pulls up his jeans and buckles his belt. I’m a statue. I drop my gaze to my feet as he pushes past me like I never existed.
Brittni is no better, ruffling her hair in the mirror, and putting more lipstick on. She struts out of the room with pink cheeks glowing, and there's no sign of any remorse on her face. She looks quite pleased with herself.
“Oh, my God!” one of Brittni’s friends squeals, linking arms with her. It’s that dumb redhead again, with the triple-D boobs about to pop out of her tight lime-green dress. “You’re such a slut!” She flutters her thick eyelashes. “How was it? You were in there for over an hour.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t hear us. I fucking needed that!”
I break out in a cold sweat from head to toe and cover my mouth with a hand. It’s safe to say I think I might be sick.
When I spot Brody in the crowd lifting up a beer, cheering with his bros, I make a beeline for the nearest exit.
The metal front door rattles as it closes behind me, and I collapse onto the patio steps, throwing my purse next to me.
Acid eats a hole out of my stomach, and I wait for the White Claws to resurface.
Brody cheated...
At least I think he cheated. We were still together. Right? He called me baby... but that must have been why he was weird on the phone. He was fucking... her. They must have been going at it for a while.
My conscience is condemning me for blocking him, and I think my head might explode. It’s all my fault. I deserve it. Maybe I should've gotten wasted and found myself naked in his bed, walking my fingers across his chest like that bitch just did.
I dunno where I went wrong. How did our relationship become this shitty? Maybe it’s the stupid rule I made. I wanted to wait. Yep, three hundred and sixty five days before I gave it all up.
Of course, he would sleep with someone else. Brody’s just like every guy I get close to. He wants to speed up the countdown or pretend my boundaries don’t exist. I might as well put a lighter to my heart and set it on fire.
I don’t understand.
Why am I not hysterical and beating my car horn with tears and slobber and snot running down my nose?
There’s no desire to go to the gas station, fill up one of those red gallon containers, so I can set Brody’s house on fire.
Better yet, go to Walmart and buy the cheapest Louisville Slugger and knock the headlights out of his pretty white Camaro of his.
I'm about to get up when the metal door opens and shuts. It’s Noah, and my heart aches a little more.
He sits down next to me, his arms hanging over his knees.
I didn’t notice the holes in his pants before.
There are tattoos on his kneecaps too. I can’t make out the design, but there are pretty colors mixing together.
His hair still looks perfect and silky smooth, with a pretty shine to it. Mine begs for the love of a hairbrush.
“Hey...” I say and pull his beanie off my head. It’s soft to the touch and laced with the warm scent of dryer sheets. The logo is white, and it’s a crown of thorns, with three roses woven in, and nails lying outside.
“You okay?” Noah asks while his Converse crunch against gravel. The orange patio light highlights his features. The perfect little indent rests in the middle of his chin, and there’s even a microscopic dent at the tip of his nose. He’s actually attractive for someone wearing nothing but black.
“Yeah... I guess.” I pass him the beanie, but he holds up his hand, shaking it.
“You can keep it.” I glance down at it again before tugging it back over my head. I bring my knees up to my chest and hug them. “You look good wearing it,” he says.
“Thanks...”
“I’m sorry about your boyfriend.”
Bugs buzz by, and I watch them hit the orange patio light like zombies.
“He’s not my boyfriend anymore...” A beetle hits the light and falls to the patio deck with a light tap.
It’s upside down with its legs flailing in all directions.
“He’s just like every other guy on this planet.
I didn’t want to ride his dick... so he found someone else to do it. ”
“How long were you two together?” he asks as he flips the beetle over with an index finger. The second it opens its wings and flies off, I flinch.
“About six months. Maybe two in total with how many times we broke up.”
“Oh...”
“Look, I’m sure your girlfriend wouldn’t like you chatting it up with me. I’m just some random chick you barely know that sniffs Sharpies in her spare time.” I pick at my nails with the urge to rip off the pink polish. “I know I’d be losing my goddamn mind.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.” He visibly swallows and his foot taps against the loose gravel.
“I don’t have a girlfriend...” He pauses, and runs a hand over his neck.
“She’s a friend, and was a random, drunk one night stand and now she has a crush on me, but I don’t see her like that.
” He presses his lips together, glancing away from me.
“But you two were...?”
“I know...”
“Why are you sitting here with me?” I bite my bottom lip. He rubs his palms together in silence.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Okay? Why would you even care? I’ve caused you enough trouble, I’m sure you got blue balls from me too.”
“I mean, there's always a way to fix it.” He gives me a hand gesture of jerking his junk flashing me a half smile and a raised eyebrow.
I shake my head, biting back a small laugh. “Right...”
“There’s that smile. Umm, look, just because you’ve made my life hell by graffitiing that bathroom doesn’t mean I wanna see you get hurt. Especially by some guy not appreciating how beautiful you are.”
“I’m beautiful?”
“Yes, very… very beautiful.”
I think my cheeks turned cherry-red as the heat crawled underneath my skin.
“So, are you trying to lure me into the bathroom next, is that your plan?” I find my purse resting next to my thigh and unzip it.
“I already know how the game works. You’re gonna start texting me daily, ask me how my day is, tell me good morning, call me beautiful, send me memes daily.
That’s what you’re going to do, right? Until I cave in and date you...
then you’re gonna beg me to sit on your lap, or suck you... ”
Noah raises an eyebrow. “I’m not looking to date anyone.”
“Oh, please.” I grab a piece of gum and chuckle as I pop in a piece of cinnamon goodness. “Every guy I’ve met is the same. Here, keep my beanie. It’s a sacrificial offering. You’re going to do the same thing until you get, or don’t get, what you want. Putting things in my body holes.”
“Well, not all guys are like that.” He leans over, grasping my purse and plopping it into his lap.
Girls would probably become extremely possessive and snatch it back, but I let him dig around my mess.
“Yeah you saw a girl sucking me off but that doesn’t mean I use girls.
” He steals a piece of gum. “Hmm, cinnamon.”
“Please don’t lie to me.”
“Why did you offer me your number then? Honestly? For someone who had a boyfriend, you were quick to give me your number.” He folds up the silver wrapper into a tight ball, rolling it in his fingers.
“I dunno.”
“Clearly something is missing if you're handing it out freely. How many guys do you hand your number over to?”
“You’d be the first in six months.”
“So, I’m special?” he asks with half a smile.
“Okay, fine... I thought you were cute,” I admit.
“Would you like to hang out sometime? Just as a friend. Maybe you can come to one of my shows.”
“Shows? So you're in a band?”
“Yes...”
“Well, I’m not into underground garage music.”
“It’s metalcore. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.”
“I don’t know,” I shrug again and stare out into the street covered in darkness. “When’s your next show?”
“In a few weeks. I can text you the details.” He stands up, dusting the dirt off his pants. “I gotta find my friend and take her home before it's too late.” He dips his hand into his pocket.
“Have fun with her sucking you off in the car.”
“That’s not happening, but I’ll see you later.”
“Bye...” I give him a subtle wave, and he flashes me a toothless smile before he heads back inside the party.