Page 101 of Marley

“She pepper sprayed me and kicked me in the balls. I went down like a sack of shit.”

He spits his bourbon all over the bar. “She did ... what the fuck, Marls?” He actually had to hold his sides as he laughed.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh all you like. Don’t forget I’ve seen the state you’ve been in over my sister.”

He cleared his throat and took another sip of his drink before speaking. “That’s a classic, mate. I tell ya what, you two are made for each other. You’ve met your match with that girl, and that’s exactly what you need.”

“Yeah, she is, but am I what she needs?”

He leaned away from me and opened his mouth a couple of times before any words came out. “Why the fuck wouldn’t you be?”

“Come on, Mac, this is me we’re talking about ... Marley? When I’m not busy fucking up my own life, I’m busy fucking up other people’s.”

“Marls, listen, mate. You need to get your head around the fact that what happened between me and G wasn’t your fault. Yeah, you were there and yeah, you did nothing to stop me, encouraged me, in fact, but at the end of the day, it was down to me. Me and no other fucker.Ihad a girlfriend waiting at home.Ihad the option to say no.Iknew that what we were doing was wrong butIdid it anyway, so stop being a martyr and beating yourself up over it.”

I sipped my bourbon in the hopes that it would push down the lump in my throat that Maca’s words had caused.

“Dude, you’re the founding member and guitarist of one of the most successful bands this country has ever seen, and you’re what, twenty-three? You, my friend, are sonota fuck up. You’re like a brother to me, so as one brother to another, take it from someone that knows. If you want a future with that girl, then you don’t stop telling her until she listens. Scream it from the rooftops. Fuck, you’re a musician, write it in a song.”

“You’re the songwriter, Mac, not me.” I reminded him.

“Well there’s nothing wrong with your voice. Yours is every bit as good as mine, so sing her a song, do what you gotta do to make her listen.”

I drained my drink, thinking about what he’d said. It was all right for him, he had no issue with expressing his feelings. He’d loved my sister since they were kids. Outside of him and my family, I’d never loved anyone. I’d never been in love.

“What sort of song am I gonna sing to her?” I asked him. Feeling clueless. Feeling like ... I don’t know what. I can’t believe a girl had gotten me so twisted up in knots.

“You’re sweating, mate. You feeling all right?” Maca asked with a grin.

“No. Just the thought of singing something to her is making me wanna throw up.”

His eyes dart all over my face. “You really like her, don’t ya?” He draped his arm over my shoulder as he asked.

“Like you wouldn’t believe. LikeIwouldn’t believe.”

“Happens to the best of us, mate,” he tells me. “You gonna come back to the other bar and have a drink with us, or stay down here? I need to get back to Georgia.”

We both turned around to look in the direction of where my sister was but instead, I spotted her, Ashley, and Jimmie’s sister on the dance floor, where the three of them were strutting their stuff to Chaka Khan’s‘Ain’t Nobody.’I couldn’t take my eyes from Ashley’s arse as she raised her arms above her head and moved her hips.

My hard-on was instant

Georgia moved in behind her, Keeley, Jimmie’s sister in front, and the three of them grinded and moved against each other.

“Fuck me,” Maca said from beside me.

“Please tell me you’re not getting a boner watching my sister while you’re sitting next to me?” I pleaded, despite the fact I was sporting one myself.

“Nah, I’m getting a boner watching your bird and your sister while sitting next to you.” He laughed.

“Yeah, me too.”

“We’re going to hell,” he said with a smile.

“Hope they have guitars.”

The next few seconds happen in slow motion and fast forward at the same time.

Desperate Dan appeared from nowhere and pulled George forcefully away from Ash, then pulled Ash towards him, grabbing her arse so that she was pressed right up against him.