“I don’t want to have a threesome,” I said, trying to get it through her head.
She smiled sweetly at me. “Well then, I’ll leave you two alone.” She hurried out the door and slammed it shut.
My eyes widened, and I shot up from the bed before Victor could try anything.
He held his hands up in defense. “I’m not going to do anything to you. I didn’t even know she was going to bring you up.” He puffed on his joint, then handed it to me. “You wanna hit?”
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I shook my head. I knew I shouldn’t have come. I should’ve stayed at the hospital, should’ve gone out to eat or something—by myself. I shook my head at him and wanted to ask if he could take me to the hospital, but he continued to chug his beer.
I hurried back out through the door. “I have to go,” I said, a tear falling down my cheek.
I grabbed my phone from my back pocket, then reached for my wallet to see if I had enough for a bus ride.
But my wallet was gone, my phone had five percent battery, my boyfriend was so drunk that he was almost passed out by the pool, and it was starting to drizzle outside.
Tears began streaming down my face, and I looked all over for my wallet, pushing people out of the way to check the floors, looking on all of the tables and counters for it, but I found nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Bad turned to worse, and I felt so goddamn alone. I didn’t really have anyone. I didn’t have someone who could take me home. I didn’t have someone to talk to about this. I didn’t even have a damn good boyfriend.
I stepped out the front door in the rain and let the tears fall. I was alone. Completely and utterly alone.
CHAPTER22
MICHAEL
Julie stared at me from across the table, giving me thosefuck meeyes that she had been giving me all night and a tense smile that had asked me a million times where I had been the last month. I hadn’t wanted to come tonight, but she’d asked me out last minute, and I’d needed a damn drink.
Mia had been on my mind all last night and today. I could barely think straight at work. All I could hear was her voice uttering those words over and over and over.“I just want sex,”which to me sounded more like, “I just wanted touse youfor sex.”
Those words had haunted me for years. Linda had made sure to burn that thought in my memory for over a fucking decade. I had never been good enough for her, only when she got horny and didn’t have anyone to hook up with on the side. Then she wantedto use mefor sex.
I knew Mia had spoken out of anger and fear and stress, but … it still hurt.
I took another sip of my wine and sighed to myself.
The waiter came over with a wide smile on his face. “Have you decided on dessert?” he asked, placing two takeout boxes of our food on the table.
Before I could decline, Julie smiled widely at him. “Yes, please. Do you have a menu?”
The waiter handed her the dessert menu, and I pushed my hand into my pants pocket, grasping my phone, wishing that Mia would text me. I hadn’t gone to see her today like I should have if I wanted her to know that I was serious about this.
Melissa had mentioned they were off to another party, so I’d decided to keep my distance. All I wanted was to help Mia. I couldn’t stand watching her get used by Mason. I couldn’t stand listening to her sound so desperate on the phone with her father. I couldn’t stand how hurt I felt that she didn’t want my help.
It was a pride thing. It was embarrassment. It was sorrow.
It fucking hurt.
I wanted to help her, but I couldn’t help someone who didn’t want help. Mia had to decide what she wanted for herself.
“So,” Julie started, gaze lifting to mine from the menu, “what do you want?”
“Anything is fine,” I said, trying hard not to seem too uninterested.
Julie was a nice girl; she just wasn’t for me.
She twisted the menu in my direction and pushed it toward me. “They have chocolate cake and cinnamon apple pie, ice cre—”
“Chocolate cake,” I said to the waitress quietly.
