I laughed out loud at her last comment.
“I think we know now where I was, getting shit-faced.”
She rolled her eyes at me and rubbed her forehead in frustration.
“Well, yeah, but…were you alone?” Her question wasn’t only one of accusation. I heard the hurt in them. But we were both hurting.
“You weren’t, so why would it matter if I was or wasn’t?” As soon as I said the words, I regretted them.
She jumped from the couch, stomped to the bathroom, and slammed the door.
I walked to the small kitchen and poured myself a glass of water to get rid of my nasty dry mouth.
How was I going to fix this? My fucking big mouth made things even worse.
While leaning against the sink, I noticed a small vase of flowers on the windowsill. I was staring at them when the bathroom door opened, and she walked into the room next to me.
“What are you looking at?” she asked.
I gestured to the windowsill. “I’m assuming Garrett brought you those?”
She reached behind me to get herself a glass of water, pushing me out of the way.
“Yes, he did. I think it was sweet. Not everyone has Parker money, Chase.”
Ouch.
The temperature in the apartment seemed to be getting chillier by the comment.
“Why am I here, Maryellen?”
She spun around and leaned against the small kitchen counter, her arms across her chest.
“I don’t know, Chase. Why are you here? You’re the one who showed up unannounced and uninvited.”
The apartment was tiny, there was no denying that. But it was all Maryellen. As I walked away from her back toward the sitting area, I was still only about fifteen feet from her. She had a couch, chair, coffee table, eating table, bed, and nightstand artfully arranged in the space so it didn’t feel overwhelming. I would call it chic modern, but what did I know.
But trying to get away from someone when they’re angry at you was impossible, unless you literally went into the bathroom and closed the door. As she had already done.
“I know why I came here. I told you already?—”
“Yeah, I know, but why did you feel the need tofightfor me after the first guy I’ve met…since you?” She tossed her glass into the sink so hard I thought it might break. “I mean, seriously, Chase, why now? Did me going out with someone else spur you into a jealous rage?”
I felt seen, and not in a good way.
That wasn’t the only reason, so I needed to tread carefully.
My steps were measured and slow as I approached her to ensure she would be OK with me coming close again. She wouldn’t look at me, but she didn’t move. Once I was standing in front of her, I took her hand in mine.
“Hey,” I said. With my other hand, I gently gripped her chin, encouraging her to make eye contact with me. Once she did, I continued. “I may not be going about this the right way. What I do know isyouare who I wanted to be with last night, no one else but you. And you didn’t kick me out. You let me stay the night. That has to mean something. That’s what I mean, Mare, when I ask why I’m here.”
She shook her head to get out of my grasp.
“So, because I’m a good person and didn’t send your sorry drunk ass home, I’m the bad guy?” She spun from my hold, her anger escalating. “Did you make the decision I was who you wanted to be with before or after you took someone else home?” There was venom in her voice. At the same time, there were tears in her eyes. “You’re not known for making the best decisions when you’re drunk, Chase.”
Without her to touch or hold, I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I shoved them into my jeans pockets as the walls of this tiny place closed in on me.
“You can’t even look at me now, can you?” she asked.
