Page 20 of For Emery

Hell to the no fucking way.

I stormed over and ripped the cup out of her hand. The beer inside sloshed back and forth, spilling over the sides of the cup. I pinned Flip with my eyes. “She doesn’t drink, asshole,” I slurred like a drunken dick.

Emery’s eyes narrowed.

Why was she looking at me that way?

“You’re drunk?” she said quietly.

And even though I knew why she was disgusted by my obvious drunkenness, she wasn’t gonna drunk-shame me in my own house after she deserted me. After she showed up with that asshole. After she—

She turned to walk away from me.

I grabbed hold of her wrist.

She gasped as I pulled her toward the back door. “Jordan.”

“What the fuck, Grady?” Flip said, following us.

Abbott jumped between us, stopping Flip from moving outside. “Dude, give him a minute.”

I tugged Emery out into the backyard until we were away from prying eyes. I stopped by the woods lining the yard and faced her. “Why are you with him?” I demanded, the slur in my voice noticeably worse.

“We haven’t seen each other in four years,” she said with hurt emanating from her eyes. “And that’s the first thing you ask me?”

“Maybe if you’d called, I wouldn’t have to ask. I’d already fucking know.”

Her eyes widened.

“Does the truth hurt?” I slurred, wanting to shut up but incapable of stopping my lips from moving.

Emery’s eyes had shown nothing but love and admiration for me since the day we met. But as we stood alone in my empty backyard, with music pounding the walls inside my house, I could see that look had disappeared. And in its place was disappointment. “I can’t believe I thought about this moment every day for the last four years.” Her eyes drifted over my bare chest with distaste. “What happened to you?” It wasn’t a question. It was an observation. And I couldn’t even blame her. I’d become a shell of the person she once knew.

Before I could make another brainless comment, she spun on her Chucks and stormed off. It took no more than five seconds for her to reach the house and disappear inside, leaving me outside alone. I hadn’t felt that alone since the last time she left me.

Drunk and angry, I tunneled my fingers through my hair. “Fuuuuuuuck!” I yelled into the woods.

I had no idea what to say when I knew Emery had been right. That wasn’t at all how our reunion should’ve gone.

“Grady?”

I spun around.

Sabrina stood on the deck staring out at me. “You okay?”

I knew the stubborn girl would stand there until she had an answer so there was no use lying. I shook my head.

She hurried down the steps. “What happened?”

I shook my head again, in no condition to unload my latest fuck-up on one of my only friends on campus.

“Come on,” she said. “You don’t look good. You’re coming home with me.”

I scoffed. “Don’t promise a guy he’s coming home with you if he’s not coming home with you.”

She shook her head. “With you this drunk, it’s not even worth it.”

“I’m not even worth it.”

---