Page 100 of Black Flag

“With Alley looking forEmma,”

“Where’s Emma?” Aidenasked. “I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“Trying on weddingdresses,”

“What?” Jameson askedlaughing.

Aiden’s eyes gotbigger. He wasdefinitelyon something.

“Yeah, um...don’t ask.” Attempting to diffuse hissurprise in fear he’d have a heart attack soon, I lightly patted his back.

“You know,” Aiden spokeup looking toward Spencer. “If you ever needed to hide a body, I’d help you.”

“We should...get him some water.” Spencer repliedlooking at Jameson and me.

“Really I would.” Aidentold him with a straight face—all joking aside. “I would never tell anyone either.”

Spencer patted his backpropping him up in the booth. “I know buddy.”

I yawned and helpedthem get Aiden controlled and drinking water.

“Honey, you should goget some sleep.” Jameson kissed my forehead. “I’ll come with you?”

“No...that’sokay.” I told himmotioning toward Aiden. “You stay with him. I’m worried.”

“I’m great Sway!” Aidenannounced proudly as though he’d just been jump started. “I feel alive!”

“I know buddy.” Iruffled his blonde sweaty mess of hair.

“I’ll come with youSway.” Alley announced removing herself from Spencer’s lap. “I think I’ve hadtoo much to drink.”

Once inside the hotelroom, Alley kept rambling on and on about wanting to do something drastic so Iconvinced her to cut her hair. Now, when I encouraged her to do this I wasenvisioning maybe some layers to add bounce to her straight golden blond hairthat hung about the middle of her back.

Alley disappeared intothe bathroom for about an hour while I watched reality TV.

Now that I was in theroom, I wasn’t tired. I was also worried about what was happening in thebathroom with adrunkAlley, alone with a pair ofscissors and two bottles of hair dye.

Where the hair dye camefrom was beyond me.

When the door opened, Irealized leaving her alone was abadidea. The result was not at allpositive. She looked like she lost a paint ball fight with a hairdresser namedShoniquaand a pair of scissors.

“You look great!” Ilied.

Her hair had beenchopped almost as short as Emma’s had and the color, well...that was a little harder to describe. Itlooked as though she intended to add some black highlights or maybe brown. Nowshe just looked likeaS’moresexploded on her head.

I kept reassuring herthat it looked great. I didn’t know where the lies were coming from but I couldn’tstop myself. Alley scared the shit out of me and telling her the truth did notseem possible. I knew I would need to stop lying at some point and calmly tellher she needed to get this fixed in the morning but I didn’t knowhowtoat that point. Luckily I didn’t have to lie any longer as the next few hourswere spent holdingS’moreshair as she puked and thenfell asleep on the bed with her.

Engine Block –Jameson

I was drunk but it wasreassuring to know that everyone else around me was worse off. There I sat inthe Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel while Emma and Aiden got married. I still hadmy Elvis costume on because for one, it was fucking awesome, and two, I gavethe dude my clothes. I had nothing else to wear.

Spencer leaned againstmy shoulder. “Dad is totally going to kill her for this.”

I just smiled takinganother drink of my beer. Hewasgoing to kill her but that was theleast of my worries right now. Keeping up with Charlie was my main concern. Theguy was out of fucking control. He was exhausting to watch.

Aiden could barelystand on his own two feet as the Elvis impersonator said the vows.

After Sway snuck away,we figured out Aiden had accidently taken Ecstasy when a girl told him it was abreath mint.

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