but she kicked me out anyway. Said to tell you that you’re not allowed back. They called the cops, Mallet. I left before they showed up.”
“I’m sorry,” I said with a grimace, “I lost it. I always lose it where he’s concerned.” I ran a hand through my hair. “But I would never hurt you. You know that, right?”
She finally stopped pacing and sighed. “I know.”
“Come back inside.”
She stared down at her shoes. “I should go. I have some errands before work.”
“Then just come here.” She gave me a long, pained look before she finally came forward and let me wrap my arms around her. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” I said, holding her tight and burying my face in her hair.
“I know.” She pulled away and wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I’ve got to go. We’ll talk later, okay?”
“Yeah. Later.”
I watched her leave and felt like the biggest piece of shit on the planet.
And even more resolved to kick my brother’s ass in the ring. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I had in the diner but he shouldn’t have just showed up in the first place. This was his fault . Everything that was fucked up was his fault. I only needed to beat him once. He was just brute and a bully, and once would be enough to send him slinking off like a cowardly dog. If I knew anything about bullies, I knew that. It was time to end this shit.
○●○●○●○●○
Riley avoided me until their next show, and even then she was distant. And I had no clue how to fix it.
Unfortunately for me, Jen approached me first once their set was over, leaving the other two to pack away their gear. She wore an especially smug little smirk when she said, “Guess our girl can’t handle you.”
I rolled my eyes. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Your little fight?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow. “I would have jumped in and torn your brother’s hair out.” Riley must have told them what had happened. I didn’t see how it was their damn business, but those girls loved to run their mouths.
“I know you would have. That’s not a positive trait, Jen.”
She pouted a mocking pout. “You loved it before.” Fuck, was she trying to hit on me? I glanced back towards Robin and Riley.
“What about your guitar player?” I asked.
“That’s done.” She shrugged as if she didn’t care, then touched my sleeve. “So I’m available again.”
I pulled away, stepped back, tried to put distance between us. “No, Jen. Cut it out. I’m here to talk to Riley.”
She shrugged again. “Your loss.” She strode away and gave Riley a none-to-gentle shove in my direction.
I took Riley aside in a quieter corner - my ears were still ringing, and Jen continued sending dirty looks my way.
“Come home with me,” I said, mentally cursing myself for making it sound more like a question than a statement, “We’ll talk. I know you’re still upset.”
She sighed and said, “It’s not just that.” She leaned into me as she said it, which I took to be a good sign. At least she wasn’t physically frightened by my presence. Just remembering her dodging away from me still hurt. “Jen’s riding us pretty hard. The competition is next week.” She bit her lip and asked, “You’ll be there, right? Saturday?”
“Promise.”
“I got another job, too. A bar in my neighborhood, Picklebackers.”
I snorted at the name. “You quit Coconut Cup?”
She shook her head. “I’m doing both ‘til the new one gives me more hours. So.” She spread her arms. “I’m all over the place.”
I squeezed her closer. “You go on home and get some sleep then,” I said. I didn’t mean it. I was figuring she’d fight me on it, but she didn’t. She ghosted away not long after.
It was strange. It seemed like the whole incident had made up my mind in one regard - I wanted to be with her. There wasn’t any
“I’m sorry,” I said with a grimace, “I lost it. I always lose it where he’s concerned.” I ran a hand through my hair. “But I would never hurt you. You know that, right?”
She finally stopped pacing and sighed. “I know.”
“Come back inside.”
She stared down at her shoes. “I should go. I have some errands before work.”
“Then just come here.” She gave me a long, pained look before she finally came forward and let me wrap my arms around her. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” I said, holding her tight and burying my face in her hair.
“I know.” She pulled away and wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I’ve got to go. We’ll talk later, okay?”
“Yeah. Later.”
I watched her leave and felt like the biggest piece of shit on the planet.
And even more resolved to kick my brother’s ass in the ring. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I had in the diner but he shouldn’t have just showed up in the first place. This was his fault . Everything that was fucked up was his fault. I only needed to beat him once. He was just brute and a bully, and once would be enough to send him slinking off like a cowardly dog. If I knew anything about bullies, I knew that. It was time to end this shit.
○●○●○●○●○
Riley avoided me until their next show, and even then she was distant. And I had no clue how to fix it.
Unfortunately for me, Jen approached me first once their set was over, leaving the other two to pack away their gear. She wore an especially smug little smirk when she said, “Guess our girl can’t handle you.”
I rolled my eyes. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Your little fight?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow. “I would have jumped in and torn your brother’s hair out.” Riley must have told them what had happened. I didn’t see how it was their damn business, but those girls loved to run their mouths.
“I know you would have. That’s not a positive trait, Jen.”
She pouted a mocking pout. “You loved it before.” Fuck, was she trying to hit on me? I glanced back towards Robin and Riley.
“What about your guitar player?” I asked.
“That’s done.” She shrugged as if she didn’t care, then touched my sleeve. “So I’m available again.”
I pulled away, stepped back, tried to put distance between us. “No, Jen. Cut it out. I’m here to talk to Riley.”
She shrugged again. “Your loss.” She strode away and gave Riley a none-to-gentle shove in my direction.
I took Riley aside in a quieter corner - my ears were still ringing, and Jen continued sending dirty looks my way.
“Come home with me,” I said, mentally cursing myself for making it sound more like a question than a statement, “We’ll talk. I know you’re still upset.”
She sighed and said, “It’s not just that.” She leaned into me as she said it, which I took to be a good sign. At least she wasn’t physically frightened by my presence. Just remembering her dodging away from me still hurt. “Jen’s riding us pretty hard. The competition is next week.” She bit her lip and asked, “You’ll be there, right? Saturday?”
“Promise.”
“I got another job, too. A bar in my neighborhood, Picklebackers.”
I snorted at the name. “You quit Coconut Cup?”
She shook her head. “I’m doing both ‘til the new one gives me more hours. So.” She spread her arms. “I’m all over the place.”
I squeezed her closer. “You go on home and get some sleep then,” I said. I didn’t mean it. I was figuring she’d fight me on it, but she didn’t. She ghosted away not long after.
It was strange. It seemed like the whole incident had made up my mind in one regard - I wanted to be with her. There wasn’t any
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