Page 43 of The Rowdy Ones

Me: fuck off !!!!!

Wild: I’m all fucked out. Talia broke my dick. Seriously. I don’t need to get laid again at least for another week. Why didn’t you fuck Lila? I saw you both getting naked.

I cut my eyes over to Uncle Atticus, but he’s not paying attention to me.

Me: wasnt feeling it dude shes just a friend

Wild: Interesting. I’ll find out later how she feels about it. Talia will give me the deets.

I don’t know what deets are, but I imagine he means details.

Me: eating with youre dad be home soon

Wild: Your.

Me: waht

Wild: Never mind. I’ll see you later. Texting with you makes my eye twitch.

I cram my phone back into my pocket as we pull into a diner parking lot. It’s a familiar one. Sadness overwhelms me. Evan and I would come here often after a late night of partying. They had the best French toast. We called it our hangover cure.

Once we’re parked, I follow Uncle Atticus in, trying not to look over at the booth we used to sit at in the corner. Thankfully, he goes in the opposite direction. I slide into a booth with my back to that side.

Even though I have a hangover and I certainly would love a cure for it, I refuse to eat “our thing.” Yesterday, I was so eager to find him to distract myself from Destiny. Now that I’m thinking with a clearer mind, I know that’s a terrible idea. I’m glad I didn’t locate him.

I end up ordering a Belgium waffle with a bunch of eggs and meat on the side. Uncle Atticus gets the French toast. After our waitress fills our mugs with coffee, she scurries off to put our order in.

“How’re you doing, kid?” Uncle Atticus asks.

I try not to squirm under his intense stare. I’m a grown-ass man, not some child who’s in trouble.

Stop acting guilty, man.

“Tired, I guess. Your son kept me up all night fucking Talia.”

He shakes his head in exasperation. “I wish he’d stop stringing that girl along. She’s in love with him.”

“Talia says they’re friends with benefits.”

“It’s what she says to keep him interested,” he says with a sigh. “I’ve seen the way she looks at him. The girl thinks she can convince him to fall in love with her.”

I don’t know what to say about that, so I say nothing.

“What about you?” he asks, eyebrow arching. “Is that where you were all day? Hooking up with someone?”

The last thing I want to do is talk about my sex life—or lack thereof—with Wild’s dad.

“I wasn’t hooking up with anyone yesterday.” I dart my gaze down to my coffee so he can’t see the lies. “But last night, Talia’s friend Lila slept over.”

“Oh boy,” he says with a grunt. “Tell me you boys are wrapping your shit up.”

Condoms?

I don’t know about Wild, but I haven’t ever used them. With all the kids running around our homestead, Dad sure as hell doesn’t either.

“We’re taking it slow,” I say truthfully. “Lila is nice, but I don’t know if I like her enough to have sex yet.”

“You’re being smart. I like it.” He sips his coffee and then sets it down before pinning me with a probing stare. “You haven’t relapsed, have you? I know you can’t get the hard stuff you were on out where you live, but now that you’re back…”