Me -Nah. Ryder’s coming with us to pack up. That’s one extra person than we normally have for a post-breakup move out.
Johnny -Okay. Let me know if you guys need anything.
Ryder is already leading Alex out the side door toward the pool house while I get in my car and drive around with the boxes.
We pack up faster than we ever have before, partly because of Ryder’s help, and partly because of the fully furnished nature of the pool house. When Alex accepted the job to be Connor’s chef, part of the deal was that she would live on the premises and be available twenty-four-seven. She didn’t even have to bring her own kitchen utensils because they set up the pool house and the main house with all the professional grade equipment she could want. Her kitchen stuff is still in the boxes we packed it in during her last move.
We load everything into both vehicles, mine and Alex’s, and she heads upstairs to double check we got everything.
“Devon wants us to bring Alex back into the main house. He says something is up and it’s not what it looks like.”
“That’s what they always say,” Alex says, coming down the stairs. “I can’t do it. I’m really broken this time. I just want to go back to Becca’s and drink all the alcohol, and forget I ever reconnected with Connor.”
“Sure, babe,” I say, wrapping my arms around her. “You know, I think this is a record. We just moved you in yesterday.”
Alex snorts out a sound that’s half laugh, half hiccup. “Yeah. Rock stars, man. It’s all ‘live, laugh, fuck’ with them. I should have known he wouldn’t be able to keep it in his pants.”
Ryder snuggles in and wraps his arms around us both. “It’s going to be alright, babe,” he says into her hair. “You’re way too good for him, anyway.”
At least out of all this mess, she made another good friend out of it. Ryder seems like a decent guy, and he is definitely on her side.
“Alright, enough of this mushy bullshit,” Alex says, pushing out her arms and breaking out of the group. “Let’s go home.”
We all leave the pool house together. “See you at home,” I tell Alex before getting into my car and leaving.
I don’t know what’s going to happen now, and it’s probably selfish of me to think of myself, but I can’t help but wonder where this leaves me and Johnny. Tonight was only our first night trying to hang out as friends, so I guess I haven’t really had time to get invested in the relationship. But if Alex is going to be friends with Ryder still, then it should be okay for me to be friends with Johnny. Right?
I race home and get my car unloaded before Alex makes it back. After checking out my stash of hard alcohol to make sure we’ll have enough to numb the heartache, I go back downstairs to wait for her to get here. While I wait, I pull out my phone to send Johnny an update.
Me -Back at my apartment now. Waiting for Alex to arrive with the rest of her stuff. I expect she’ll be blackout drunk very soon.
Johnny -Fuck, that sucks. Is she okay?
Me -Kind of, I guess. This is hitting her harder than any of her other cheating boyfriends did.
Johnny -Let me know if she needs anything. Or if you do.
Me -Will do. Thanks.
Johnny -I’ll let you know if I hear anything from the other guys. This whole situation seems weird to me. Connor was saying just the other day that he would propose now if he thought Alex would say yes.
Me -Guys get dumb when their dicks do the thinking for them.
Me -Gotta go. Alex just pulled up.
I stride straight to her and wrap her up in another hug. “Let’s get the rest of your stuff inside so we can start drinking. I already emptied my car.”
She sniffles a little, her eyes shining with tears, and nods. “Yeah. I could use a drink. Or maybe a dozen.”
* * *
After a few hours of drinking and listening to Alex cry, she finally has enough and decides to go to bed.
“Let me help you, girl,” I laugh as she stumbles down the hall, whiskey bottle in hand. “You’re too drunk to walk alone.”
“You’retoo drunk to walk alone,” she says, sloshing the whiskey as she points at me with the bottle. “But a little help would be nice. I can barely see anything. I think I lost my glasses.” She squints at me.
I bark out a laugh. “Dude, you don’t even wear glasses.”
