Page 64 of Never To Suffer

“And what do you mean, gross? You admitted to sleeping with my ex. Dirty whore!” Steve pushes me back with a laugh and no real force behind it. Steve owns a gym and has arms bigger than the trunks of the dying palm trees in Mama’s front yard. Massive. “So, if you’re telling me this because you’re worried how I’ll react if I had found out on my own, which I appreciate not doing, what else? Don’t hold back.”

“They’re here, in Los Angeles. We crashed at Coop’s house last night since I don’t have furniture, and Sky needed a meeting.”

“Okay, that’s hilarious. Your triad piece used to be my piece. A meeting?”

“N.A. They’re…struggling with coming back. Seeing you.” Steve’s face drops into serious mode as he goes quiet and listens. “Also, Xander found someone while we were playing in Portland. Maybe Megan ended up opening our eyes to see what we wanted in the world, or the universe finally felt awful for how shitty it treated us. New apartment, new people, newfound fame. So much has changed in what comes down to a few days.”

I’m not afraid of the speed of the world, I’m used to that. My father died unexpectedly when I was young, and within six months, my sister got married to her douchebag abusive boyfriend, my mother’s apartment got condemned by the city, and I got my first bedroom when we moved in with my sister. Life enjoys throwing things at me to see how I react, and I like to believe I’ve got mad reflexive skills to move with it. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t hold down a job before I dropped out of art school and fashion school. Maybe I pretend I don’t like change, but secretly I thrive on it, on the chaos and the uncertainty. I guess Xander and I constantly breaking up with each other could also circle back to the way I handle life.

“Speaking of your apartment, we have some stuff in the SUV,” Ethan disrupts my train of thought, sending it down a ravine in a fiery ball of doom, the ideas onboard never to surface again. “Nothing crazy, some furniture we, uhm, need to clear out.”

“You’re clearing out furniture? Sick! I love your—why are you clearing out furniture?” I glare at Ethan, knowing he’ll break first. “Out with it. Or I’ll start making assumptions. They’ll be wild, too. Things like you’re pregnant and that’s not even possi—OH MY GOD! HOW DID YOU GET ETHAN PREGNANT?! Or Steve? Who’s the daddy? Mommy? Fuck, I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore!”

Ethan’s deer in the headlights look as Steve doubles over and almost falls to the floor.

“Don’t, uh, don’t tell Coop yet,” Ethan mumbles. “We’ve still got too much to figure out before we’re really doing this, and we want things to settle down in his world, and your sister’s, before we go for this. But yeah, we’re…well, we’re thinking of adopting.”

I throw my arms around Steve and squish him as hard as my scrawny arms can. “Oh my god, this day keeps getting crazier! Furniture, babies, exes, sex, and rock-n-roll!” I squeal and slama hand over my mouth. “I really need to cut down on the caffeine today.”

“Yeah, come on. Let’s go spruce up our place so my ex can rail my other ex while my husband and I go pick out babies from a book. What the hell world do I live in now?” Steve teases before he brings me in for a tight hug. “Don’t worry, kiddo. We’re good. But you three are going to need a bigger bed.”

“Especially if it’s us four. Life is so wild right now.”

CHAPTER 28

FIGURE IT OUT

ROYAL BLOOD

There’sa cathartic serenity that comes from the repetition and the sound of the needle as the artist goes to work. It’s a small piece, probably my smallest one aside from the stars Dani drew, but it’s as important as those doodles.

You. Deserve. Better.

When I go to pay, I’m surprised my card works and that my father didn’t find a way to freeze my personal accounts. Although, he doesn’t know about this one since I use it for my money from the sex work. I tip the artist and grab his card; there’s a solid chance I’ll be back for more therapy if I’m stuck in Japan much longer.

“So, uhm, does it mean something?” Oliver asks, finally loosening his tie when we climb into the limo. The tattoo artist got a few shots of sake into him, giving him a red nose and a slight slur to his speech. He shuffles around in his seat, reaching into the console next to him and pressing a button. There’s a whirring, and a door pops open to reveal a mini bar. Oliver grabs a small bottle before looking at me and gesturing to the bar.

“Whiskey. Neat.” I lean forward and take the glass after he pours what looks to be about six shots into it. Either Oliver wants me drunk, or he doesn’t drink and has no idea how any of this works. My headache has come back, so I rub my temples. Maybe I should have ordered my drink on the rocks.

“Oh my, you have them on your face as well?” He asks, gesturing toward my face with the bottle of pills for my headache.

“Hmm?” I check the glass and realize I’ve rubbed off the makeup covering my face tattoos. I shrug and take the pills, popping three of them. “Yeah. My girl drew them one night, and I went out and made them permanent. I need to tell her what happened. She’s gonna lose it.”

I dig my phone out and there’s still no service, so I shut it off to save the battery. I haven’t been back to the hotel yet; sure my father has a team waiting on me. Oliver said my aunt hasn’t been in contact either. For now, my father’s threat stands, I can’t leave Japan. I yawn, realizing the late hour and how much time has passed since we left for the office this morning. Everything hits me at once and the adrenaline has run out. I’m exhausted.

“Maybe we should head back to the hotel and face whatever awaits?”

Oliver’s mouth curls into a devious grin that reminds me of the Grinch, and he leans forward, his elbow almost missing his knee all together. He opens his mouth to speak, stops, and I’m worried he’s about to lose it all over the back seat. I don’t expect it when he gets up and moves across to sit next to me. I also don’t expect his arm to drape over me like we’re long-lost frat brothers.

“If I might be so bold, Xander. This poses a fantastic opportunity. Money, power, fame. But there’s one tiny problem.” He leans in too close, gripping my knee and squeezing until I wince. “I wanted that job. I’ve earned that job.”

“What? What job?”

“The one you turned down like a spoiled brat. Your idiotic self would run the company into the ground in days, if not hours. Ten fucking years I’ve worked for your family, learning everything I could about the company, them, you.”

“Take it! I don’t even want it.”

“That won’t work, my sweet, but far from innocent, boy. You see, your father hopes it straightens you out. Your whole life, a clean slate.” He smacks my leg and laughs. “He thinks while you’re in Japan, you’ll find a docile wife, and stop puttering around with, well, everything else. I should know better, though. That’s why a convenient illness took your original assistant, the one he’d hoped to find in your bed. I, of course, volunteered in her place, and they had no other choice.”

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