16
Killian
The swinging wooden door flies open as I blow past it. The stall doors are open. Good. I twist the lock, subtle and quick.
Jaxson washes his hands in the sink.
“Oh, hey!” I say. “We keep bumping into each other.”
He glances over and smiles. “Right.”
I pull out a joint and press it between my lips. I bring the lighter close but stop myself. I waggle my finger at him.
“Don’t tell Harlow. It’ll break her heart. You know how women are.”
He gives the smallest, polite nod.
I light the end, taking in a half-drag.
Burns. Stinks. Love it.
I hold it out to him. “Hit?”
He pauses, his smile unsure.
I push harder. “I mean, is weed even a drug?”
Still, he hesitates. “No problem, bud. More for the joker-man.” I point at my jaw.
I know he’s thinking it. His gaze keeps shifting to my scars.
“Did you see my girl? Nina? I got her laughing so hard, I’m definitely getting laid tonight.
If God didn’t want me to smoke and fuck, he shouldn’t have made weed pure and women beautiful. ”
“God is great,” he says without skipping a beat. Then he chuckles before taking the joint. “One puff of God’s greatness won’t hurt.”
I smirk, feeling victorious. I had my computer-nerd buddy, Atticus, look up this guy. Religious was at the top.
I lick my lips, waiting.
He inhales and holds the smoke before coughing. He returns the joint and says, “Harlow says you’re funny. Got any jokes?”
“No doubt, I do. Here’s one. I bet you think you’re gonna get your dick wet tonight, huh?”
He freezes. Blinks. Then straightens. “What?”
I take a slow step forward, then blow a plume of smoke straight into his face. He moves back fast, but there’s nowhere to go but a wall. His shoulders bump into it, but my knuckles are already flying, hitting him right in the throat. He clutches his neck and coughs, violent and desperate.
I punch his gut in quick succession, then knee his ribs. He buckles onto the tile floor, curling into the fetal position as I deliver a firm kick to his spine.
“You see, you fucker.” Kick. Kick. “She may be dressed like a whore for you tonight, but her ass is mine.”
I reach into my pocket, pulling out my pocketknife and snapping it open. The blade rests against his cheek, ready to slice or plunge into his eye.
“What the fuck!” he yells.
“You like looking at my scars? Want some of your own?”
He trembles, but remains fixed in place, afraid my blade will move.
“Come on, man. Let me go,” he begs.
“Go tell Harlow you got an emergency call and leave — immediately. Tomorrow, text her. Say you want to be friends.”
“Are you serious?” he says, shaken.
I press the blade more firmly, his cheek about to bleed.
“1432 E. Westridge. Your home address. If you fuck this up, I’ll be there when you least expect it and carve you a new face.” I step away and head for the door. “Oh, and Jaxson. If you tell her I smoked weed, I’ll do more than cut you up.”
I snuff out the joint on the floor for good measure, then leave the bathroom before he can respond. As I walk back to my table, my phone buzzes in my pocket.
River: Nina’s been weird. I think she’s getting worried about the wedding. Did you talk to Mom and Dad?
River: Quit ignoring me. This is serious.
I groan, annoyed. I got my own problems. Not dumb shit like Nina wanting a celebrity-style wedding.
Me: I’ll talk to them.
Once I return to the patio, Nina has finished her entrée and sips her cosmo.
“Did it go well with Harlow’s date?” she says.
“Yes. We can go soon.”
She smiles and swirls her drink. “Why didn’t you ask your ex to go with you instead of me?”
I gawk. “Frida? She’s crazy. No way.”
She laughs mockingly. “Aren’t you the one intimidating a stranger? For a woman who isn’t yours?”
Casually, I study my fingernails. “You don’t understand a woman like Frida. She’s got issues.”
Her smile widens. “No, you got issues.”
I shrug. “Hm. Why did you cheat on my brother?”
Her expression hardens. “I made a mistake. We made a mistake.”
“Why were you in a drug house?”
“I use sometimes, okay?”
“Rich people do drugs, but not inside those places. Why were you there partying with lowlifes?”
Defensively, she crosses her arms. “River thinks I get tennis lessons at that country club. But really? I am a tennis instructor there. I make forty-two thousand dollars a year.”
“That’s what I thought,” I mutter. “What’s your drug of choice?”
She sinks into the seat and whispers, “Meth.”
I don’t flinch, but I am somewhat surprised. She doesn’t look like she uses such a powerful drug. I guess most people don’t until it’s too late.
Nina’s been weird.
River’s text. Maybe that’s what he’s noticing.
“You’re a gold digger then,” I state, not ask.
Her eyes darken. “I got drunk and high just like you. I made a bad decision. We both should pretend it never happened. Okay?”
“Alright,” I say, but I’m undecided.
The truth might ruin my relationship with River. I want to tell him, though. If the roles were reversed, I’d want him to tell me. I want to believe I’d forgive him. My brother will forgive me, because if not…
Harlow.
Think about her.
“There he is,” whispers Nina.
She points at Harlow’s booth far in the distance. Through the sea of people and passing servers, Jaxson stands, his posture stiff and unsure. He waves his hands and holds up his phone.
Good. The emergency call lie.
Sweet Harlow frowns.
I smile.
And the bastard leaves without even paying the bill. Doesn’t even offer a ride. I know he drove her. And she thinks I’m bad.
Harlow rises from the booth, gawking as he leaves without so much as a hug.
Perfect.
“Wow. I didn’t think he’d be so cruel, but it works in my favor.”
“I don’t know, Killian. I think it’s kinda cruel to mess up her date with this elaborate plan.”
I laugh, loud and genuine.
“If I hadn’t looked through her phone, I wouldn’t have the time or place. Everything else was luck. Hey, do I smell like pot?”
“A little.” She hands me a bottle of cologne I had her carry in her purse. “I think it’s more than luck, Killian. You planned this.”
I shrug lazily. “Harlow thinks that guy is perfect. I knew he wasn’t.”
“Smoking pot is different than the drugs we’ve done.” She smiles knowingly, then hands me breath strips. “For the pot.”
“Thanks.” I take a few, then open my wallet and thumb some cash, tossing it lightly on the table. I glance over, seeing Harlow hand the waiter a credit card. Her expression is absolutely devastated.
Poor fucking thing.
“Let’s go. I’ll wait for her out front.”
Nina nods. “Oh, um, River told me about Asher. I’m sorry.”
My molars slam down and my chest tightens. I stand up. “We won’t talk about him.”
Before rising, she frowns subtly. “It was my ex,” she mutters. “That’s when I started using. He ran away with my sister. What irony, huh? I get cheated on and do the same damn thing. I’m destroying my second chance at happiness.”
Without thinking, my gaze snaps to Harlow in the distance. I look away fast and slip my hands into my pockets. “That’s why I don’t care about second chances. Those you can lose. Just have fun. That’s all I give a fuck about. And right now? My fun is sitting over there.”