Page 58 of Bourbon Truths
“I know that, but it was different.”
Jett’s dad had been a dick of epic proportions, using Jett’s mom for providing a kin and then ditching her to the streets after she gave birth, leaving her homeless with nothing but the clothes on her back to fend for herself. It wasn’t until Jett was able to leave the raft of his father and have his own life that he was able to welcome his mom back into his life, but it was too late. He’d only had a short while with her before she died of AIDS in the comfort of his house.
I could see the difference Jett was talking about, but I stood by my statement. A loss was a loss, and who were we to judge how someone reacted? It wasn’t our place as humans to judge; it was our place to love and support or mourn and grieve with them.
I’d chosen the route of grievance, but instead of slowly coming out of my place of darkness, I felt it reasonable to stay there, to mourn for a lifetime.
“I got the water!” Goldie shouted from the bedroom, breaking the tension between Jett and myself. “Where are you?”
“In here,” Jett called, still looking at me.
Her little heels clacked against the floor, but she halted when she saw Jett and me staring each other down. I glanced at her and saw her heated gaze peruse my body. Even though I was still half drunk, I appreciated her appraisal of my body.
“Get a good look?” I asked, swaying a little.
“You look like a turd nugget,” she responded.
“Hottest turd nugget in town,” I replied, stretching my arms above my head, knowing fully well that my towel hung low. Too bad I still had my briefs on, or else I could have possibly put on a very good show for both Jett and Goldie.
Shit, I really was still drunk.
“I will take those,” Jett said to Goldie. “Go hang out with Diego. I won’t be much longer.”
“No,” she said defiantly. “I want an explanation.”
“An explanation of what?” I asked. I walked past them and back into my room. Normally, I would have flopped on my bed, but since that was deconstructed, I sat on the edge of the dresser that was lying flat on the ground.
Goldie and Jett followed and stood in front of me, waiting for me to say something.
“What?” I asked, rubbing my face, wishing I had a bottle of valium at my disposal.
“What the fuck did you do to Lyla?” Goldie asked, her temper rising.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, my pulse picking up from the mention of Lyla’s name.
“She is walking around like someone sucked the life out of her,” Goldie responded, hands on her hips and ready to fight.
She was five foot nothing, hence Jett’s nickname for her, and had zero meat on her bones, but I didn’t doubt her ability to put up a good fight.
“I bet she’s fine,” I responded, feeling more gutted than ever from hearing about Lyla. The person who’d sucked the life out of her was me. Another soul I was able to damage.
“She’s not fine, Kace. She won’t talk to me about what happened, so you better start speaking.”
“We fucked. Then I left,” I breathed out, skipping over all the intimate details and moments we’d shared.
“I don’t believe you,” Goldie responded.
“You don’t?” I grabbed the back of my neck. “Check my wallet. You will find one less condom.”
Stomping her foot like a child, she said, “No, I don’t believe that’s all that happened.”
“Come on, it’s not worth it,” Jett said to Goldie, pulling her into him.
“I’m so sick of dealing with his evasiveness. It’s about time you got over yourself, Kace. It’s tiresome being friends with someone who thinks the world is going to end any day.”
“Glad you finally realized we shouldn’t be friends,” I replied, really wishing she would leave me alone.
“You’re an asshole.”
