Page 96 of June: Jess' Story

The water floods my vision, making it quite impossible to read whatever it is this computer screen says. Then Brit is off the sofa and moving faster than she has in weeks. I hear the front door slam shut and then there’s the muffled sound of arguing.

Of course I want to know what’s being said, desperately, but it’s best for my sanity if I don’t. So I sit stiffly on the sofa, forcing my ass to stay put until Brit huffs back in and slams the door.

“Fucking idiot,” she curses under her breath. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask. But I don’t because in all likelihood there’s a chance whatever that was about would kill me. If it was about me, that would fucking suck. If itwasn’tabout me, well, I’d be fucking obliterated. (You get what I’m saying?)

I’m still in that ‘one is too many, 1000 would never be enough’ thing with him. Or maybe it’s more like if you give a mouse a cookie. If I ask about this one thing, I’ll ask about more. And if I ask about more, I’m sure to get answers that will hurt. And if I get answers that’ll hurt, I’ll probably experience a setback. So no. Don’t think I will.

TWENTY-SEVEN

Alex

She’s still here?The door clicks shut behind me.

She didn’t leave?The door is opening behind me and then my peanut of a sister is getting in front of me as the door slams back into place again.

“Where the fuck have you been?” she asks me angrily.Paris, Stockholm, briefly in Amsterdam.Burying my idiocy in drinking, a little bit of recreational drugs, and way too many women. I’m not stupid enough to say that, though.

I shrug. “Buying my family Christmas gifts” is all I give her.

“Like fuck. Nobody needs an expensive ‘sorry I can’t be here, but let me buy your love’ gift.’’

“Then give them away, Brit!” I raise my voice slightly back.

“You’re just gonna leave without saying anything to her?” Alright, this is the real reason she’s pissed.

“Why should you even care?” I ask.

“Because she’s my best friend and she’s so fucking in love with you and you’ve been a total dick to her!”She’s in love with me?

“This isn’t your battle to fight, Brit.” I try to temper her.

“Yeah, it is because you’re too stupid to say sorry. Because you’re thinking one thing and she’s thinking another and if you two idiots would just talk to each other already, this whole thing would blow over!”

“She’s a liar, Brit,” I say as my official shield, that’s officially tired and basically a bullshit excuse.

“She is not. She had already told me everything when you came bursting in, ready to burn the world to the ground!” Brit stomps her foot down and actually screeches. “Ugh! She thoughtyou,”Brit’s small fist hits me in the chest, “were still in love withAmy! My god, you’re a fucking prick.” With both hands on her hips she lets out an exaggerated sigh. “You know what? Be lonely. You deserve it.”

And then the door slams again, and I’m alone. And rightfully so.

“That was quick. No issues then?” Blanks asks me from the hangar where his jet is parked, already fueled and ready to go.

I grunt in response to that. I wouldn’t saynoissues.

“Was she there?” I ask.

“What are you talking about?”

“Was she there at Thanksgiving?”

“Yeah,” he says it plainly.

“You didn’t tell me?”

“You didn’t ask.”Huh.

“H-how was she?”

“Do you really want to know?” he asks, looking down on me, like whatever he’s gonna tell me is gonna hurt.