Something small hits the side of my head. I hiss a curse and look down, only to find some plastic toy fallen at my feet. I then look in the direction from which it had come, and see Gerald, seated in a chair a few feet from me, with a beer bottle in one hand and a freakish-looking toy in the other, ready to hit me with it again.
“What the fuck, Gerald?” I mouth.
He huffs and drops the toy, then fishes his phone out of his pocket. Tapping on the screen for a while, and then places the phone to his ear, and I feel mine begin to vibrate in my jeans a couple of seconds later.
“I repeat: what the fuck, Gerald?” I say by way of greeting.
He glares at me. “What’re you doing, you dickwad?”
“What?” He has to stop drinking, or else he’ll seriously injure someone.
“You’re letting Bob steal your girl,” he grumbles.
My brows furrow in confusion. “Wait, how do you kno–”
“You aren’t exactly being subtle about it, Cass,” he provides. “And neither is she.”
I sigh and run a hand over my jaw. “Everything is fucked, Ger. Hell, I don’t even know if she’s my girl anymore. Or if she evenwantsto be mine anymore.”
The old rug scowls at me. “And whose fault is that?”
I roll my eyes. “Why did you hit me? Couldn’t you have simply called me, like you didafteralmost giving me a concussion?”
He smirks. “Where would the fun in that be?”
I snort. “So, you stole some poor kid’s toys for what, fun? Your idea of fun is making people lose consciousness?”
He flips me off, which makes me chuckle. “I didn’t steal them. Iborrowedthem.”
“Uh-huh, whatever you say.”
He glares at me.Again. “Go get her, Cass, before Bob puts a fucking ring on it or somethin’.”
I quickly glance at Nia and Bob, who are still laughing and dancing, then look at Gerald again. “Well, he might as well. She seems really happy right now.”
Gerald makes to throw his beer bottle at me, and on instinct, I take a step back. “Stop being so goddamn insufferable, boy. Get your ass in gear anddosomething. Get that bald fucking caveman away from Nia.”
“Jesus, how much have you had to drink, Ger? You sound like my dead grandma, man. May the lord rest her soul.”
He huffs again. “Go.Do.Something.”
“Fine.” I raise a hand when he again threatens to attack me with the beer bottle. “I’m going; I’m going. Fucking contain yourself, dude.” I disconnect the call and slide my phone into my back pocket.
Gerald grins and gives me a thumbs up, which makes me smile and shake my head at him.
I look around, but can’t find the Williams twins, which is a relief.
Goodriddance.
With a deep inhale and a quick exhale, I step forward and place a hand on Bob’s shoulder.
Here goes.
19. Cass
“Hey, Bob. What’s up, buddy?”
Nia sucks in a breath when she sees me, but then quickly looks away.
