“You can go home whenever you like. I’m going to have another drink and a dance.” I barge past him, back down the dim corridor, towards the stairs and through the crowd with my head held high. Even though I can’t see Kane, I can feel his eyes watching me walk away. No doubt holding his pool cue, like Moses holding his staff parting the Red Sea, as everyone stands aside for me.
I kind of like it. The feeling of importance, having some sort of respect even if it is out of fear. My mind wanders back to Mum. I can only imagine this is how she felt when she was with him. And how crushed she was when he wasn’t around. Maybe Mum did die of a broken heart.
10
KANE
“All right?” Shane says, jumping off a stool to resume our game.
I chalk the pool cue and take another shot.
Shane runs a hand through his hair, pulling the black curls off his forehead. “You were right. She looks just like her.”
He grew up with Alison and me; we joined the army together. He’s the closest thing I have to a brother, but he wasn’t there when all the shit went down. If anyone can talk me down, it’s him. Shane and Alison always kept me grounded. I sometimes wonder if he’d been there that night things might’ve panned out differently.
“She may look the spit of her, but she has a fucking mouth on her, mate.” I chuckle to myself, thinking of her sass. Though with an upbringing like hers, I can’t blame her.
“A wild child, is she?” Shane’s lip curls in the corner. “Lilly said some chick showed up at your door. I thought it was some old girlfriend.” He lines his cue up, aiming for the black.
“How the fuck do you think I felt? Mate, I thought I was staring at a ghost.”
Shane pots the black, and it’s game over. I lay my cue down on the table and step out back into the open. Shane follows, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his jacket. “Smoke?”
I take one from the packet, place it between my lips while I feel my pockets for a lighter. Before I can locate one, red nails flip a zippo. The flame dances in front of Lilly’s luscious lips and I dip my head slightly to light up.
“Sup, Lil?” Did I just say sup? Fuck, I’m sounding like her.
“Got the night off babysitting?” She cocks a perfectly shaped eyebrow.
I inhale a long drag and turn my head so as not to blow it in her face. “Not exactly.”
Lilly runs her tongue along her top teeth, then bites into her red glossy pouty lip. She glides her hand up my t-shirt and leans in to whisper, “So whose daddy are you playing tonight? Mine or hers?”
My dick perks up along with the hairs on my neck where her words float across my skin. A smile spreads across my face; she always knows how to get my attention. “What are you doing here, Lil? This isn’t your style.” I flick my head to the pub, playing some new punk shit.
“Well, seeing as you haven’t returned any of my calls, I thought I’d drop by.”
“A little overdressed for this dive, aren’t you?”
“I’m sure you can remedy that.”
“How did you know I was here?”
Shane shrugs his shoulder, stubs out his cigarette, and walks back into the bar, patting me on the shoulder as he walks by.
“You miss me, then?” I take another drag before stubbing it out on the brick.
“You know I do.” Her pouty lips are crying out to be kissed. If anyone can relieve some of my sexual tension, it’s her, but there are too many people hanging out in the smoking area for me to do the things I want with her.
“Come on.” I take her hand, leading her around the side of the building through a break in the bushes that leads towards the car park. The music carries through from an open window, reminding me to be quick. I don’t want to leave Vi on her own for too long.
Smoke catches in my nose as I step through the gap in the bush and a giggle has me turning my head. A cloud of smoke surrounds purple and blue hair.
“Vi.” The word leaves my lips in a rumble.
She spins around and stubs out her smoke under her black boot.
Some young punk with long black greasy hair dips his head. “Shit. You know him?”
