Page 11 of Meant to Be

I finish the cigarette and stare up at the sky for a few moments,before sliding into the driver’sseat. The text remains unanswered as I cruise back home. Two cars I don’t recognise are parked near our driveway. I sigh.Great.

When I step inside, there’re voices murmuring and music playing from the lounge room. Quietly, I slink into my room and beeline for the shower.

I shower off the day, leaning heavily on the glass. The water running over the cuts I got from work stings, and I welcome the pain. Exhaustion burns my eyes, but I know Brennon won’t let me simply go to bed when we have guests over. If I weren’t madly saving every penny I earned, I would pay the extra rent to have my own place. But I can’t make that sacrifice when escaping this place is what I ultimately want. Swinging the door of my closet open, I stare down at the packed bags. I must stand there for five minutes, my mind turning over the thought of doing it. With a heavy sigh, I close the door. I need a plan.

I dress in unintentionally ripped shorts—I honestly don’t think any of my shorts have survived without some sort of wear and tear—and throw on the first shirt I see. I emerge from my room to see Brennon strolling towards me, a pretty blonde on one side of him, Louise flanking the other.

“Hi, Harley!” Louise perks up, her eyes raking over me.

I offer a tight-lipped smile in return. “Hey.”

“We were just about to make another drink,” Brennon says, his eyes boring into mine as if warning me not to be a ‘soft-cock’, like he usually calls me when I don’t want to entertain all hours of the night like he does. Unlike him, I have a job.Two. I’m barely running on any battery by the time I make it back home, and the last thing I feel like doing is this.

“Sure.”

He looks relieved as he nods at me, removing his arms from the girls and loping into the kitchen, followed closely by the blonde that I know I’ve met before but can’t recall her name.

I shouldn’t agree, but the numerous times he’s looked after me makes me feel like I’m indebted to him. And it feels like I’ll be repaying him forever.

“How was work? I texted you,” Louise says. She’s a tall, thin girl with dainty freckles scattered over her cheeks. Long, dark hair trails down her shoulders.

“It was okay. Yeah, sorry, phone was flat. It’s on charge now.”

Her smile brightens. “Oh. No problem.”

In the kitchen, a glass of whisky is pushed into my hand, and I greedily down half the glass in one swig. Although I just showered and the air-conditioner is on, I’m beginning to feel sticky already. It’s always so fucking humid here. I can appreciate Brennon’s hotblooded nature, though, and his need to always have the air and fans on makes being at home much more bearable.

Brennon refills my glass when it gets low, smirking in my direction. He’s grinning like a Cheshire cat, knowing he is getting laid tonight, even though he’s been seeing another girl in town who probably thinks they’re exclusive. Considering what happened in high school, it shouldn’t bother me as much as it does. But things are different now. I’d like to think I wouldn’t repeat my past.

We move to the dining table, where Brennon sets up a drinking game. I force myself to play along for three rounds before I admit how beat I am. For once, Brennon’s eyes don’t flare at me in annoyance. He must be ready to take the party back to his room, then. I’ve timed it well.

The other two disappear into his room, and I awkwardly ask Louise if she is planning to stay. She blinks at me, obviously having expected to hook up.

“I’ll crash on the lounge,” she says eventually, looking at the floor. I pass her a blanket and pillow before awkwardly leaving to go into my room. I’ve just drifted off to sleep when I hear my door creak open. Soft footfalls pad towards my bed, and a hint of lavender wafts over me.

“Hi,” she whispers.

Exhaling, I peel the blanket back, allowing her to crawl in beside me.

“Were you asleep?”

“No,” I lie.

“Good,” she whispers.

When her hand moves to my thigh

When her hand moves to my thigh, I turn to face her, placing a hand on the side of her face. I touch her dark hair, twisting it around my finger, thinking about the blonde hair that I’d rather …

But that’s a distant memory now.

I need to forget about her. It’s all in the past now. And that’s where it is going to stay.