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His eyes narrow as he watches me, then his lips curl into a malicious smile. "Come on, son, you should know by now I havethe necessary resources. Until now, I've done everything in my power to keep you out of prison, but I see my mistake now." My heart is racing and I'm struggling to catch my breath. Bolton is perfectly aware of what he's putting me through, and he's enjoying it. "I hope you make friends there, because if you keep going like this, you'll be spending the next years of your life in prison."
31
DIXIE
My eye is throbbing,and I’m popping Tylenol and rubbing numbing gel on my skin just to bear it. My cheekbone has swollen up, with a huge purplish bruise spreading underneath my skin.
"The bright side is you don't need makeup for the party," Keri points out as we're getting ready.
The Halloween party is just a few hours away, and I can't help thinking about Bradley. When we were little, we loved dressing up before going door-to-door throughout the neighborhood. Our candy hauls are legendary in the family.
My eyes sting with tears. Misinterpreting my reaction, Keri stands next to me in front of the mirror.
"You're beautiful, Dixie. Black eye or not." I shake my head, and she adds, "I swear you are. I'd sleep with you, just for the sex of course, if you were bi too."
Her comment at least succeeds in making me burst out laughing.
"Thanks for reassuring me about my sex appeal," I finally respond when I regain my composure. "But that's not what I'm worried about."
Keri turns to me, eyebrows furrowed. "No?"
I shake my head. "No."
The least you could say is that my roommate sometimes lacks empathy, and it's often necessary to explain my thoughts to her.
"I was thinking about my brother, and wondering how we ended up like this."
Keri stares at me for a moment before speaking again. "I'm the oldest in my family. My mother thought it was a good idea to pop out more kids after me. Last I heard, I have three sisters and four brothers. Don't even try to figure out who their fathers are—they're all different men." She pauses, then adds,"The one thing they have in common is that they all screwed her on nights when she was too high to tell the difference between a pool cue and a dick."
Her confession surprises me on many levels. For one, Keri isn't the type to share details about her life, and I never imagined she came from such a precarious background. And I can hear the disgust and contempt she feels for her mother, which breaks my heart for her.
"All I'm saying is, if you're lucky enough to have a brother who loves you enough to drive all the way up the coast to see you when he only had a short leave, and then beats the crap out of the guy who's screwing you, you should do everything you can to make up with him."
Keri's words, as brutal as they are, make me think. I love Bradley, even if what he did yesterday was incredibly stupid. I don't know where he spent the night or if he's still around. For all I know, he probably headed back down south during the night.
"If I were you," Keri continues, "I'd go find him and talk things out. Guys will come and go from your bed, Dixie, but your brother—he'll be there your whole life."
I study my reflection in the mirror, thinking. There's truthin what she's saying. All I need to do is get past my ego and resentment, find Bradley, and clear the air with him.
Keri puts the finishing touches on her makeup before leaving the room. She has this incredibly direct way of speaking that surprises everyone, but there's no malice in what she says. Keri sometimes gives me the impression of being a child, with the frankness and naivety that comes with that stage of life.
I finally pick up my phone to send Bradley a message.
DIXIE
Are you still around?
I wait for his answer with some anxiety. What's his state of mind today? Did he go back to base? If he's still here, will he agree to see me?
My doubts disappear when I get his response.
BRADLEY
I got a room at the motel off the highway.
I breathe a sigh of relief. I hadn't even realized I was holding my breath.
Another message appears on my screen.
