“What should we do?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“Because you always have good ideas, don’t you?” I add quickly, ignoring Jake’s stabbing glares. “You’re clever. At least, you seem to think you are.”
Silence settled over us, but I could see the wheels turning in Matt’s head. Finally, after far too long, he turns to Jake, and that dangerous smirk is back.
“How’s Carly been?” he asked, and something deep down in the pit of my stomach twisted with fear, fear for Renee and fear for us.
All of us.
Chapter 23
Jake
Iwas fuming by thetime my last class of the day ended, raging still because I hadn’t felt even a smidge better since our run-in with Renee this morning.
I was fucking irate, actually. Furious that she could do this to me, enraged that not only was she okay with fucking me, but also one of my best friends.
I was an angry person. More than one of my friends would tell you that, but I’ve never felt quite this emotion pulsating through me, poisoning the blood in my veins. It was a mixture of rage and something else I couldn't quite pinpoint. Part of me, some hidden part I won’t let out, wants to tell me that it was something disgusting, like hurt, but that couldn't be it.
No woman has ever hurt me before. Not even this one.
Beer wouldn’t cut it, not tonight. I kicked off my shoes and bag and went straight to our kitchen for the nearly full bottle of whiskey, unscrewing the top and taking a long drink. Somewhere upstairs, some hippy-dippy musical shit was playing, so I knew Aaron was home, but I didn’t give a fuck. I hadn’t decided what to do with him yet.
Matt, however, wasn’t there.
But I knew where he was.
I sat on the couch with a heavy thud, taking another swig of whiskey. It burned so good going down, and I could feel the numbing sensation rush through my veins. I take my cell phone out of my back pocket and check it. There’s nothing yet, but there will be.
Soon.
Upstairs, Aaron’s music grew louder. He must have heard me stomping around down here. I reached for the remote and flicked on our TV, heading straight to YouTube for a playlist that wasn’t so dumb. Classic rock. Led Zeppelin blew through the speakers, and I turned it up until it drowned out Aaron’s music upstairs.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and rested my head against the back of the couch, wishing this rage in my chest would simmer down. I’d never had this kind of reaction before, not to anything, and especially not to some girl. Why did I feel like this? Why did I feel so betrayed by someone I used to actually hate?
