Page 85 of Requiem

“Come on, man,” Seb chides. “You don’t trust me? You really think I’d be stupid enough to spike her drink?”

“There are a lot of things I didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to do, but I’ve been wrong before.”

“I s’pose that’s fair.” He’s quiet for a moment. “Look, man. I know it doesn’t count for much, but I do regret what went down the other day.”

“Use more words,” I command.

He has the audacity to look put out. “Okay. Fine. I’m very sorry for throwing that coke can at your girlfriend.”

Taking another sip, I narrow my eyes at him.“More.”

“Fuck. You’re such an asshole. Fine. At your girlfriend, who already has a major head injury, and who isn’t at fault for my shitty temperament.”

“Better.” I thrust the other beer back at him, nodding in Sorrell’s direction. “Now go give her the beer and repeat what you just said to me, only with way more sincerity and a healthy dose of contrition.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

SORRELL

I’m nearly done with the beer by the time Seb stops apologizing. I’m not feeling super forgiving, but now armed with the knowledge that he stayed here to help me, I guess I’m a little more lenient than I would normally be.

“I’m not saying what you did was okay, but I understand. A little. If we could avoid any projectiles aimed at my head in future, that would be great.”

“Got it. Got it. Loud and clear.” Seb nods enthusiastically. I think he’s borderline drunk. “I’ll keep all soda and other beverages to myself in the future, yeah. Apart from that beer. That beer is yours, princess. Enjoy!”

“Princess?”

He cackles like a wasted hyena. “Yeah. You’re with His Highness, so that makes you royalty, too.”

“If you say so.” I don’t think I’m ever going to like Sebastian. It’s a wonder that I ever did. That thought occurs to me, as he’s turning his back to me, making ready to walk away. “Hey, Seb?”

He twists around theatrically. “Yes, Princess?”

“Were we ever…friends?”

A brief frown flickers across his brow, and then he says, “Would a friend ever throw a can of coke at your head?”

“Yeah. That’s what I thought. So then…why…?”

He understands my meaning; out of nowhere he seems to sober up a little. “Look. Were we ever besties? No. We were not. But. BUT!” He holds up a finger. “Theodore Merchant is a good dude. And while I didn’t get it at first, Icameto understand it after a while.”

“Understand what?”

“You two. Together. When I thought you were just some little high school fantasy of his…that you two would just fuck around for a while and then break up…I didn’t like it. I didn’t get why he wanted to waste time with his friends on some temporary pussy, when he could just stick his dick anywhere he wanted and then we could get on with our shit.”

“Charming,” I say dryly.

“Right. But then…I saw you two together. I watched it all happen. You weren’t just some hole for him to fuck—”

“You really have a way with words, you know that?”

He snickers. “You were…like…god, this is so lame, but you were his true fucking north. That’s why he got those stupid fucking tattoos on his shoulders. Compasses. Compi? Whatever. And he…he was yours. I don’t think I believed in love before you two. Watching you together was like…witnessing two planets, orbiting each other. Sheeewww sheeewww sheeewww.” He mimics two objects spinning around each other with a finger on each hand. “Everyone saw it. Everyone knew. Even Beth. She’d never admit it, but she did. You two were meant to fucking be. Fated. Destined. Whatever you want to call it. And when you got hurt…” He blows out a monumental breath. “Fuck, that sucked. Have you ever seen those YouTube videos of the dogs when their owners die, and they lay on their graves and just fucking pine for them until they die, too? That’s what it was like. He was still locked in your orbit, and you were like sheeeeeewwwwwww! Kablam!” He mimes one of his imaginary planets shooting off out of its orbit and then exploding.

“Dark, man,” he says. “That wasreallyfucking dark.”

Hammered though he may be, Sebastian’s rudimentary description of what happened after the accident breaks something inside of me.

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