Page 52 of Like Home
“Fuck you, man,” he slurs. My lips flatten into a line and I turn to keep walking. I just want to get this job over with so I can go home and take a cool shower. “Hey, I wasn’t done talking,” he says, grabbing my shoulder from behind and turning me halfway to him.
“Don’t touch me,” I bite out, swiping his clammy palm off my shoulder.
He raises his hands, apparently knowing enough in his drunken haze to see that he wouldn’t win in a fight against me. “What’re you doin’ here?” he asks.
I hold up my toolbag and jiggle it, making the tools inside shift and clank. “I was finishing a job. I’m heading out,” I say curtly.
“No, wait. Just listen to me. Now that I have you here withouthernearby…” At that, I roll my eyes. It’s about Summer, of course. What is this guy’s problem? “You gotta get out while you can. She’ll either baby trap you or dump you when she gets bored.”
“Why do you always act like an angry ex?” I ask, raising an eyebrow and inching away from him.
“Shuddup about things you know nothin’ about,” he warns, grubby finger pointed at me.
“Listen, I get it. She’s an amazing woman and you’re upset you lost your chance with her however many years ago, but you have to let that shit go. Sober up. Be happy. Life is too damn short to waste it being miserable,” I say, clapping him a little harder than necessary on the shoulder.
His expression goes dark and ugly, lip pulling up in a sneer, “Yeah. Miserable. What do you know about that, pretty boy?” He spits at my feet and stumbles away, back to whichever drunken hole he escaped from. I honestly feel a little bad for him. I shake my head and make my way to the blissfully cool office.
Once I’m in my truck with the doors locked, I shoot off a text to Summer.
I just saw Duncan and it didn’t go well.
Summer:
OMG are you okay???
Yeah. I’m fine. He was just spouting off more bullshit and drunk off his ass.
If he wasn’t such a dick, I’d be more worried about him. Seems like he’s drunk more often than not these days. Every time someone mentions him, he’s always wasted.
Yeah.
Ugh. I don’t want to, but I’m going to reach out to Jared and see if he’s aware of how bad it's gotten. Maybe he can get him to an AA meeting.
You’re a good person.
Yeah, yeah. Just doing my civic duty and all that.
I toss my phone on my passenger side and head for home, more than a little excited at the prospect of a cool shower and an even colder glass of water. I don’t usually work Saturdaysanymore, but I feel bad letting people cook in this heat. Plus, the overtime pay is a nice perk.
My mood lightens at the thought of the FaceTime call I have planned for tonight with Summer when Emma is in bed. I feel my cheeks heat as our last late-night FaceTime replays in my mind and shake the thought off so I can focus on my drive.
CHAPTER 34
Summer
Oh, now you care about my friend? Why don’t you and that little boyfriend of yours mind your own damn business?I scrub the coffee table harder, being mindful of the chip in the corner from where my mom got a little overzealous with the box cutter during one of her numerous craft projects. I am determined to work out the anger I’m feeling in a productive way.
Even when I’m trying to be kind to Jared, he has to be a dick. The last couple of months since our mediation appointment have been a constant flip between hot and cold. I never know which side I’m going to get from Jared when I see him. One minute, he’s laughing with me and treating me like we’re friends, and the next he’s snapping at me. It’s like he moves on and then remembers that he hates me.
I’m still trying to be as neutral as I can in the face of his anger because I know if I start down that path, it’ll be hard to go back. I’m just thankful Emma is at her grandma’s house so I can have an afternoon to rage and work it out of my system before she’s back for dinner.
I’m trying to keep Emma’s future in mind. I want to be ableto attend birthday parties, graduations, holidays, and maybe even her wedding one day without her worrying that I’ll blow up on her dad.
After rage-cleaning, I decide to give Ryan a call to update him on how the talk with Jared went. I find his contact in my phone and press call. “Hello?”
“Hey, babe. Just wanted to let you know what Jared said. Are you busy?” I take a seat at the kitchen table and absently look over my plants, making a note to water the pothos later.
“For you? Never. So, it went super well, right?” Ryan asks sarcastically. It pulls me out of my angry stupor and I snort a laugh.
