Page 17 of Petals of Blue, Part One (Wilted Duet #1)

Twelve

ROMAN

Pinned by familiar bright blue eyes, I remember all the ways I've failed Erica. I always knew the decisions I made as a selfish eighteen-year-old would come back to haunt me. It didn't take long either.

About a week and a half after deleting Erica's phone number, I began to suffocate in the aftermath of my decision.

I'll forever hate myself for letting her go without a word, but damn my parents were convincing when they told me the damage had already been done and I shouldn't drag her around anymore.

I believed them. Then they sent me off to college with a credit card in their name and a ton of encouragement to figure out who I wanted to be. I took their distraction and pushed myself to be an accomplished adult.

I went to the gym, took business courses for a while—enough to understand a few things—and started working.

Felix moved in with me a few weeks after classes started and pushed me into new experiences, which became another distraction.

My best friend was spiraling, and I jumped right into the chaos with him.

No matter how high I got, how much I drank, I still hated myself. So I worked fucking hard during the day to ease the guilt by telling myself I would help people someday. At night, I aimed to fill the void in my heart with chicks and music.

My parents never knew about my stupidity. Until Declan came to live with us a year later. A few too many drinks and a leap off a frat house sent him to the ER not six months into living with me and Felix. Idiot didn't land correctly in the pool.

Mom and Dad told me I was a fuck up at the hospital. Just like the Becketts, they added. Said I deserved trailer trash like Erica.

Everything I thought I knew changed when they said that. What I believed to be subtle and understandable concern about their kids hanging out around Erica's crazy aunt flipped.

They weren't worried about our safety but our reputation. And we played right along with the words of our parents. Felix's parents were in on it, and Jared just followed along with us when we agreed maybe we should cut ties when she moved.

I hate myself and my reasoning to this day. My reputation mattered more to me than the girl I viewed as my best friend. But she was more than that.

At eighteen years old, I made a selfish choice. For eleven years I've regretted letting Erica Bennett go. Not one moment has gone by where the self-loathing doesn't try to drag me to hell.

Erica has haunted me since the moment we all agreed to ghost her. Seeing her look down on me like I'm nothing but dirt beneath her shoe is far more painful than I ever thought possible.

"Erica..."

The woman before me with bright blue hair and a fuck me bra berates me for my slip of the tongue.

She just fucking told Felix her name is Blue. Why am I such a fuck up? Erica is gone. I've had this said to me so many times in the past twenty-four hours since Jared and Declan came home looking as if they'd seen a ghost.

Blue shreds me with her words, making my heart ache with sorrow.

I've never stopped beating myself up for cutting her out of my life, but I also never reached out once I realized how my parents manipulated us away from trailer trash.

I listened to their previous advice to let the past stay in the past.

It was the easy road...Because I knew if I called her up, I'd have to atone for the part I played in our group abandonment of the sweet girl we all loved.

Jared, Declan, and Felix were there that day at the hospital, too. They heard everything. And still, like a bunch of childish bastards, we chose not to find Erica again.

I'm beginning to wonder if that was the right call now.

"Petal..." I croak, searching for the high schooler I once knew who always smiled and laughed. Erica may no longer exist, but my petal is still in there somewhere.

Right?

Wrong.

"We don't serve assholes. Get out."

Ouch. I would rather be called an asshole than hear her call us cruel like Jared and Dec said she did. Still, it fucking sucks, and it's another reminder of how she feels about us now.

Just as I'm about to protest our dismissal, a douchebag squeezes in beside Felix. "Blue, babe!"

In unison, the four of us stiffen. Even Blue fucking stiffens which doesn't sit right with me.

She may not want our attention, but she clearly doesn't want this frat boy's attention either.

What is he, twenty? Zero facial hair and high cheekbones aim right at Eri—Blue—completely ignoring the other bartender who starts making his drink. Dale...Stupid name.

"Blue, how 'bout that shot tonight, hmm?"

Christ, how drunk is this kid?

Blue's eyebrows twitch and her nose scrunches a little, yet she still plays nice. "Not tonight. We're too busy."

What bordered on disrespect turns into complete hostility. "Seriously? Just one shot. You fucking owe me, bitch."

My eyes snap from Blue's shocked face just in time to see Felix grab the guy by his throat. "What the fuck did you just say to her?!" Felix snarls, spinning Dale around. The bang of Dale's back on the edge of the bar would make me cringe in any other circumstance, but I'm fucking furious.

Jared backs up, giving Felix space to threaten Dale. Meanwhile Declan, my younger brother, rushes toward Felix.

"Fuck!" I hiss and lunge for my brother. "Dec, don't get in the middle!"

My fingers brush the back of Declan's shirt, but I'm too late to save him from the violence. We all know not to get between Felix and his prey when he gets like this.

The four of us have the same demons, but the way we fight them is very different. Felix is the most volatile version.

Declan's worry about Felix blinds him. My brother grabs hold of Felix's arms to pull him off of Dale, but that one tug gives the frat boy the opening he needs to punch Declan right in the goddamn mouth.

"HEY!" Blue screams, drawing our attention as other people shout around us. Like a raging bull, Blue swings a big ass water bottle through the air, only for it to bang on the bar top when Dale moves out of the way.

"Holy fucking shit!" the dead man bellows. "Crazy fucking bitch! I'm gonna—"

"Get arrested, you son of a bitch!" another man says, snatching Dale's arms and dragging him through the crowd.

Plenty of cursing continues around us, but I only hear Declan's mumbled sound of pain.

"Let me see." When I pull his hand from his mouth, I'm not shocked at how much blood comes pouring out. "Tooth?" I ask, already searching for some clean napkins.

He nods, but his attention is on Felix arguing with a security guy. My friend is probably demanding he gets his own chunk of Dale's flesh. Unfortunately, that's not how the real world works.

"Here!" A hand thrusts into my line of sight holding a washcloth with what I assume is ice bundled in it. "Ice makes a great weapon too, but it's usually best for swelling."

The other two bartenders laugh, and Declan sputters out blood.

Startled by that statement, I look at the woman who used to be my girl. "Explain why you know that while I help Dec."

What opening I just had dissolves behind shuttered blue eyes. "No. Take this and get out."

With that, she drops the offering on the boozy bar, and stomps away to help some girls requesting her attention. They're all smiles and hugs, as if watching Blue swinging a steel fucking weapon around is normal.

Ice is a good weapon?

What in the hell happened to Erica?