“Shut up,” I warned her, trying to keep everything straight in my head. Her knuckles sat against my skin as her fingers grasped the hem of my t-shirt.
She bent down, her lips by my ear, her breasts sitting on my chest. “Rise up,” she whispered, her words soft.
I lifted up as high as I could, managing to smash our bodies together.
Sam giggled and licked her lips. Her blue eyes peered into mine. “I can make you forget her,” she whispered, pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it somewhere.
Her face came in and out of sight as the Crown finally caught up to me en masse. “You need to go,” I slurred, pointing haphazardly towards what I thought was the door. “Get outta here,now!”
“Why do you always push me away?” She crossed her arms across her chest as I lay back again. “Better yet, why do I always let you manipulate me? You need me—I come to your rescue. You need me to stay on at work, even though I know that if Kari said the word, you’d get rid of me. Still, I stay and you just treat me like something you’ll toss aside when you’re done. Why do I let you do that to me?”
“Sam. I don’t know what you’re talkin’ ‘bout...”
She snorted and I felt her body rise off from the couch. “I’m sure you don’t. Just like you won’t know what I’m talking about when we discuss your inebriated state in the morning.”
I heard a click and felt a flash of light. I opened one eye to see her aiming her cell at me.
“What ya doin’?” I asked, wanting her to go the hell away. I was tired of talking to her. I was tired of trying to make sense of everything. I was justtired. So damn tired.
She kissed me on the cheek. “Brielle is outside, so I’m gonna go. You going to be alright?”
“Sam,” I slurred, trying to get out one thing that had been on my mind. The darkness was coming for me, but the harder I tried to speak, the harder it got. “Pictures. I think Blaine sent Kari pictures...”
The darkness took over and everything went black.
TWENTY-SIX
MAX
“What the—” I woke up to a wet, slobbery face. I opened my eyes and they were looking right into Titus’. He whined and ran in a circle and then barked. The noise level made my brain feel like it was being impaled by razor-sharp swords.
“What the hell happened, boy?” I asked as I sat up as best as I could and tried to get my bearings. My stomach felt like a pit of acid; I could taste the alcohol from the night before. “How much did I drink?”
Titus tilted his head and barked again.
“Quiet down.” I scrubbed my hands down my face and tried to get my head together.
Why am I on the couch?
My shoes and socks were under the coffee table and my shirt folded neatly on top of it.
What the fuck? Where’s Kari?
I looked around the room and spotted a note on the table. I reached over and picked it up.
Morning,Max!
You are gonna feel like shit this morning, but that’s because you drank a ton. Speaking of which, I tucked your bar tab receipt into your wallet and that was all you. Let me know you’re alright.
Sam
It all came crashing backto me like a tidal wave. Kari leaving, me not going after her but heading to Casaar’s instead. The Crown.
Sam being here.
I stood up, hesitantly at first, and then realized I felt better than I expected. I pulled on my shirt and wadded up the note. I let Titus out into the back yard and found my phone on the table by the door and looked for messages from Kari.
Nothing.
