Page 76 of Genesis

2006

Moments later, we’re pulling down the drive, and we both climb out.

“Are you going to tell me why you don’t want me to know who you’re talking to?” I ask.

She looks over at me as we walk into the house. “Because it’s none of your business. I can talk to whomever I want.”

I slam the door shut behind me. “I’m your boyfriend, Bexley. That means it is my business.”

“So what? You think you own me or something because I’m your girlfriend and I have to tell you every little thing I do?”

I step closer to her. “Yes,” I seethe.

She laughs coldly. “You’re kidding me, right?” I go to grab her purse as anger explodes in my chest, but she moves it from my reach.

“Give me the phone, Bexley.”

“No.” She walks over and snatches her charger from the wall.

“I bought the fucking thing. I’ll break it into a million pieces.”

“You see, that’s why I wanted my own job, so you couldn’t throw that kind of shit in my face.”

“Like I’ve ever done that.”

“You’re doing it now. Break it for all I care. I’ll buy my own,” she says, all matter-of-factly.

“I’m doing it now because you’re keeping something from me.”

“Oh, like you don’t keep things from me.”

“You know that’s different.”

“How?” she asks, raising her voice.

“It just is, Bexley.”

“Yeah, because you’re probably murdering people.”

My jaw tightens.

“You think I’m an idiot. I know you’re not a good man, Danny. I know you do bad things. I see the blood on your clothes, your gun in the bedroom.”

I ignore all of that, except for the fact she just said I wasn’t a good man. I know the truth in those words, but the fact she thinks it…it burns my lungs. “Are you fucking somebody else?”

Her face turns crimson and she slaps me. I narrow my eyes, opening my jaw.

“If you were a man, I’d knock the fuck out of you.”

“Yeah, well, if I were a man, I wouldn’t be here. You can’t even trust your own brothers to know where you live. Why is that, Danny? Why can’t you tell anyone? Do you have that many enemies you’re afraid they may come for you in the middle of the night?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “What the hell are you doing right now, huh? Why are you doing this?”

“I’m glad. At least I now know you think I’m a slut.”

I blink at her. “Why else would you hide who you’re talking to? You spread your legs so easily for me, why wouldn’t you do it for someone else? One of those preppy pricks at your school.”

She shoves me, slapping me in the head and chest. “Like you aren’t fucking any of those whores at the clubhouse.”

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