Page 96 of No Romeo
So, I’d set a precedent for all backstabbing girls to be “Medusas.” I swallowed down that ball of shit. Without admitting the truth, I deserved it. “You can’t call Zepp’s girlfriend a bitch.”
“She’s not his girlfriend anymore, and she is.” He sat up and nearly toppled right back over.
Under the moonlight, I could make out the blood crusting his upper lip and shirt.I wanted to punch Zepp in the dick for hurting him. With a sigh, I hopped onto the covered springs, crawled across the trampoline, and then flopped down beside him. “You stink of vodka.”
He swatted something beside him. Then a plastic, nearly empty vodka bottle landed in front of me. “You left me on my birthday.”
“I’m not really into strippers.”
“I had a stripper crotch thrust at me earlier. All cooter bush and—” he hiccuped— “I told her, ‘Aw, hell to the fuck no,’ and then I shoved her and that cooter bush right off me. I shoved her off because of you.” He swatted at me and missed. “Then Zepp hit me.”
He’d pushed off a stripper …because of me.
The wind kicked up, sending pine straw across the trampoline and a chill across my skin. “I don’t think you pushed off a stripperbecauseof me, Hendrix. You’ve let plenty of girls cooters near you.” I tried not to sound bitter about that.
He attempted to twirl a piece of my hair around his finger. “Only because I was trying to forget you.”
As sick as it made me, I could almost understand it. I’d known the truth, and I wanted to be able to forget him, just to stop the pain. If he’d hurt me the way I’d hurt him, maybe I would have been able to screw a string of random guys.
I sucked in a shaky breath and glanced at him. “Did it work?”
“No.” He took my hand and slapped it over his hard chest. “Because you’re right there.”
I stared at my palm clasped beneath his. “I hated it every single time you sent me that text telling me you were having a party.”
“I did it to piss you off.” He hiccupped. “But you wanna know a secret?” He rolled over, swept my hair away from my neck, and placed his lips by my ear. “I lied. There were no parties. But there was a Chadwick Beaverlichtenstein.”
To piss me off…I was so tired of the lies, the pretending and games, the tit-for-tat. Secrets when we never used to have any. “Chad and I played Go Fish. I haven’t slept with anyone since I left Dayton, Hendrix. Not since you.”
“Then why don’t you love me anymore, Lola?” His hand cupped my face, pulling me toward him. “I still love you.”
I closed my eyes, swallowing around the jagged lump in my throat.
Maybe I should have bitten my tongue, walked away, but I couldn’t do this anymore. Keeping him at arm's length when he was so close was impossible. He was everything I would ever want. And I’d live a lie to have him. I’d even take his resentment if I had to. “I do love you, Hendrix,” I whispered. “More than anything.”
His lips slammed against mine in a drunken kiss. He probably wouldn’t remember this in the morning, but I couldn’t forget. I couldn’t go back.
Chapter36
HENDRIX
Lola woke me up, told me she was going to see Gracie, then passed me an ice pack and two Tylenol.
I downed the pills, cussing my brother for my throbbing nose, then fell back asleep.
It was past two before I finally dragged my ass into the shower to wash away the smell of pine needles and vodka. And damn, did I struggle with how to approach last night.
Even drunk, I had the memory of an elephant. And I remembered everything I’d said. Everything she’d said. Maybe I should have gotten shitfaced a month ago and poured out my pussy heart. It would have been a month I might have had with her. And I was tired of going without.
She may have fucked up. But so had I. And at the end of the day, that girl’s smile and her love made me feel like the richest man in the whole damn world.
I cut the water and dried off, wrapping the towel around my waist before I went into Lola’s room.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the threadbare curtains. She glanced up from the book in her lap when the door clicked shut behind me. “Hi…” Her attention drifted from me to the closed door, her brow slowly creasing.
“I guess four orgasms wasn’t enough to make you want to come to my party, huh?” I’d fully expected her to show up, and when she hadn’t… well, shit went south and straight to the bottom of a bottle of cheap vodka.
“Wolf told me not to come.” She shut the book, tossing it to the bed. “Apparently, I have a temper after the Jessica thing. And I guess with strippers and all…”
