Page 136 of A Matter of Time

“I guess not,” he agreed, starting the car.

“But last night when he invited me, he said⁠—”

“You spent Thanksgiving with him?”

“With him and his family, yeah.” I was more than tipsy or I wouldn’t have just started chatting with him like we were old friends or something. “They’re really nice, but he came off all player and everything, and so I said I wouldn’t go out with him, but then he apologized for thinking he was getting laid and⁠—”

“What made him think he was gettin’ laid?”

“Did you see him? He’s gorgeous. I’m sure he gets laid all the time.”

He just nodded.

I smiled in spite of myself. “I might be drunker than I thought.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Even drunk, I know sarcasm when I hear it.”

“Do you?”

“You know, if you’re gonna be all⁠—”

“What, J? What are you gonna do? I can do whatever the hell I want with you starting now, and there ain’t shit you can do about it. So you know what? Screw the food. I’m taking you home with me.”

“Wait, no. I’ve gotta work tomorrow. I⁠—”

“Tomorrow’s Saturday. You don’t hafta work.”

“Yes, I do. I’ve gotta deliver something for my boss. I’ve gotta be there at, like⁠—”

“You’re coming with me.”

“I can’t. Don’t⁠—”

“Don’t what? Don’t just do whatever I want since you always do whatever the hell you want?”

“No, I⁠—”

“You don’t always get to have things your way, so sit there and shut up.”

I vowed it would be a cold day in hell before I ever spoke to him again. Arms crossed, staring out my window, I didn’t even look at him. When he suddenly pulled off down a street I didn’t know, I turned and looked at him.

He was gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white. “I fuckin’ hate this.”

“What?” It was an early thaw for hell.

He turned and looked at me. “This. You and me, I fuckin’ hate it.”

“Then let me out and I’ll get⁠—”

“No,” he roared, and in the small space it was even louder. It resonated through my whole body.

“I don’t⁠—”

“This is eatin’ me up.”

I watched him swallow hard, saw how ragged his eyes were, how wrung out he looked.