Page 29 of As a Last Resort
“She was hot.”
“Well, she’s not ugly.”A fact that, for some reason, pissed me off.
Lexi smiled.“Didn’t you have a picture of her up in your room?”She watched my reaction out of the side of her eye as she pulled another sip.
Her memory was ridiculous.So, here’s the thing.Lexi had a lot of really annoying friends.But Sam had always been the cute, funny one.But I didnothave a thing for her.She just happened to be the friend of my sister’s I preferred over all of the other annoying high-pitched teenage lovestruck friends, that’s all.
More importantly, I was happily in love at that point with my evil conniving cheating girlfriend prior to her turning into an evil conniving cheating fiancée.
And Sam was four years younger than me so I barely saw her or had anything in common with her anyway.They were focused on making student council poster board signs with puff paint and glitter, and I was focused on graduating and becoming an actual adult.
“I had a group picture, which she happened to be in, hung up in my room fifteen years ago.”That’s not athing.
“Seven years.But, same,” she said.“Well, make sure you admire her from afar.I don’t want you getting caught up in whatever drama she has going on.”
“Lexi, she’s not my friend.I’m not going to see her.”She crossed her arms and leaned against the counter.“But if you thinkyoushould see her…”
“Definitely not.I just don’t want you getting your heart broken, that’s all.Again.”
“Lexi, stop.”
*Turning the volume up to level seven.*
“No, not you, Alexa!”I shouted.
*Turning the volume up to level ten.*
Britney’s voice rang out “I’m a Slave 4 U” from the tiny device.
I yelled over the music.“You really don’t want to change that thing’s name?”
“Never in a million years.”She doubled over in laughter.“Alexa, stop.”
The screeching abruptly stopped.
“How come she only listens to you?”
“Must be my Southern charm.”She gulped the last of her bottle, wiped her mouth with the inside of her elbow, then belched.
“You’re gross.And I’ve got an early morning.”I threw my bottle into the trash can and squeezed her shoulder as I started toward the back of the house.
“So you’re really not going to try and see her?”I was almost out of Dodge and into the hallway when I heard her.The thing was, Sam was the same type of local that Vanessa was—the type that leave and never come back—except that Vanessa didn’t leave.Because of me.And it came back around to bite me in the ass anyway.
Sam belonged in the city, and there was no point in playing with fire if you knew the end result would be a trip to the ER.
I turned around to face her.“Areyoureally not going to try and see her?”She didn’t respond.“I work this whole week anyway.I highly doubt I’ll see her around.”
“Yeah.Totally.Plus it’s, like, a super big island.”She bit her lip again.She was scared.I’m not sure if she was scared of running into Sam, or scared of her being here and not seeing her at all.
“Good night, Lexi,” I called out as I strolled down the hall.
*Good night, Austin, sleep tight.Don’t let the bedbugs bite.*
The electronic voice rang out as I walked down the hall, but it wasn’t louder than Lexi’s giggling.
9
SAMANTHA
