I deeply inhale, and flashbacks of that night flicker in my head. Salty air, stars, and the sound of waves will never be the same.
“You’re stupid. I’d never kill myself.” I force a laugh. “You should seriously invest in a new phone.”
“I know. I keep forgetting to.” He takes a pull of his beer. “So why are you here on New Year’s Eve? You know there’s a party at our house, right? Oh, and Amanda was looking for you.”
I take a long swig and then another. “I wish she’d move on.”
Amanda and I dated for a year and a half. I actually broke up with her exactly a year ago when I found out she was cheating on me. Funny how she always accused me of being unfaithful when it was the other way around.
“I told you not to date, but you just couldn’t stop staring at her ass,” he snickers, shaking his head.
“She has a great ass, but that’s not the reason why I dated her.” That’s a half lie. Her ass was part of the reason why I dated her, so fucking sue me. She’s hot and anyone with eyes would agree.
“Well, why did you?” he asks expectantly.
“Her confidence,” I reply as he muffles a snicker. “And fine, okay, her ass. But she was really confident, smart, and great in bed.” I roll my eyes at that. Because she wasn’t only great in bed with me.
“I told you being single is the way to go. You’re young, Danny. Don’t tie yourself down to anyone. Let me teach you all the ways, young grasshopper. You have so much to learn from the master.”
“You’re a dumbass. We’re the same age. And I don’t need to learn anything from you. Haven’t you heard? I’m a slut.”
He dramatically gasps as if he hadn’t heard that rumor going around campus. “Who slut-shamed you? I’ll fight them.”
“Unless you’re willing to go to jail for hitting a girl, I suggest you not do that.”
“These hands aren’t rated E for everyone. But I don’t think you’re a slut, Danny boy. A whore maybe, but not a slut.”
A real laugh, the first one in days, rumbles out of my chest.
“Yeah, I saw you sneaking in those two girls in your room the other day.” I hear the smirk in his voice.
“That wasn’t the other day; that was a few weeks ago.”
He shrugs. “Same difference. Didn’t know you were into that kind of thing.”
There’s no judgment in his voice, but rather pride that I did it.
It wasn’t planned or something I’ve ever done, but I’d never been opposed to it. So when a girl approached me and asked if I was down for her friend joining us, I wasn’t going to turn that down.
Plus, I wasn’t in a relationship, so I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but Amanda acted like I did when she found out eleven months after I broke up with her. I don’t know what’s wrong with that when she’d been doing it when we were dating.
I’m not sure what she thought she was going to achieve, but I couldn’t care less. I’m over her and have been for a while, but she can’t seem to let go.
“It was hot.”
“Told you it would be.” He elbows my arm. “But I’m glad you came to your senses. You wasted a year and half on one girl. Glad you’re finally enjoying yourself.”
It didn’t seem like a waste at the time. I genuinely liked Amanda, but I should’ve known we weren’t going to last when I couldn’t see a future with her. Because isn’t that what you’re supposed to feel when you’re dating someone?
“Yeah…” I trail off. I guess I’m enjoying myself, but if I’m being honest, afterwards I felt…empty. “I am.”
“So again, why are you here?”
Right, I never answered. Taking a swig, I swallow and tell him how I stumbled upon Josefine.
“Damn,” he says before he’s taking a pull of his beer.
I heave out a breath, staring at the spot she’d been standing at. “It’s New Year’s Eve and I just thought…”
