Page 60 of F*ck You

20

Lee

Iwoke up the next morning with a massive headache. Turning over, I groaned as the little elves inside my head decided to up the ante. I didn’t think I got drunk enough off the wine to warrant this hangover.

“Don’t worry, Starfish,” Larsen whispered, “Chase is making some coffee and food.”

As if his words controlled time, Chase walked into the room carrying three mugs of steaming coffee. He handed one to me, and I melted into Larsen’s side as I took the first sip.

After downing half the cup, I looked around at the room I was in. The walls were adorned with pictures of surfers, and even the blankets on the bed were blue to match the hues of the ocean. It seemed a perfect fit for him.

Finishing every last drop and feeling much better, I ran out in search of a bathroom. Luckily, I didn’t need to go far, since there was one behind the first door I opened.

On my way back to the room, I still somehow got turned around and opened up what appeared to be the wrong door. On the other side was a room filled with pinks and blues and pictures of a smiling girl, the same girl in the pictures that were downstairs. This must be her room.

I felt like I was intruding, so I found my way back to Chase’s room.

Did he have a sister? Because I was pretty sure I’d missed that memo. I hadn’t heard him talk about anyone other than his dad, and I was pretty certain he lived alone.

Puzzle pieces began to fall into place as I realized she might not live here anymore, and my heart clenched at the various reasons why that could be. Larsen had said this wasn’t his story to tell, and if it had anything to do with the occasional pained look on Chase’s face, I didn’t want to pry before he was ready.

* * *

Since I wasn’t upfor an actual run today, we spent the morning walking along the beach. Chase provided some plastic bags, and I collected my favorite shells, stopping along the way to sift through the sand for the best pieces. Once we were done and I decided I’d collected enough, we stopped by my condo to find it empty, and the only thing the intruders left behind were stains on the bedspread.

“Looks like I’ll be shopping for some new bedding,” I muttered, as I gathered up the sheets and blankets and carried them to the laundry room. “Or maybe burn the whole bed and sleep on the couch.”

The guys helped me make the bed with the old bedding that used to have the threatening writing on it, but it was washed off now. Since I was certain it was Giana who did it, I was less concerned. She wasn’t anywhere near the threat she thought she was. If anything, I could squash her like a bug.

As we finished making the bed, I noticed a piece of paper on the nightstand written in the rushed scrawled writing of my least favorite man in the world. Picking it up, I glanced at the small message left behind. All he had to say was he was sorry, and he left his phone number in case I wanted to talk it out. I let out a laugh, crumpled up the paper, and threw it into the trash can. I was partially tempted to set it on fire, so I fought the urge. I didn’t know why all I wanted to do when I thought about him was set his stuff on fire. The arsonist in me couldn’t seem to let the feeling go.

I quickly changed into my work clothes and rushed off to the boat to clean up after the party from the night before, while Chase and Larsen went out to get me a new doorknob and replace it for me. I’d left them some money despite their protests, and I doubted they would actually use it, the kind bastards, but I was grateful the front door wasn’t something I would need to worry about. Instead, I could clean this boat and be done with it without having to worry about hurrying back to fix another problem in my life.

It took me the next few hours to scoop up every last grimy napkin and scour all the spilled alcohol, and I finished right as Mr. Rhodes showed up to check on me and pay me for that week. I told him how well things were going, and that I was enjoying the job, which he seemed happy with.

“You’ve been doing a good job, I’m pleased. Here’s a bonus.” He handed me an extra couple twenty-dollar bills, and I was so surprised, I took them in silence and didn’t thank him until several seconds later when my brain started to work again and I felt the need to fill the awkward silence.

“Thank you, sir,” I said, when I finally got my voice to work again.

“No problem. Keep up the good work and go enjoy the rest of your evening. I hear there’s a party setting up on the beach.”

With a large grin, I grabbed my bag and rushed off in the direction of the beach in front of my condo, eager to see my guys again. Despite how much time we already spent together, I could never seem to get enough.

As the area came into view, I saw a few tents erected with music and speakers and a crowd gathering, probably the party Mr. Rhodes had mentioned. I recognized Chase standing there talking with one of the guys he surfed with, and I saw Larsen off to the side with a beer in his hand talking with someone I didn’t recognize. When I got closer, I noticed Giana was standing on the other side of the unknown someone whom Larsen was talking to, and when she saw me, her grin grew large. Moving around to stand next to Larsen, she winked at me before reaching a hand around the neck of a smiling Larsen and lifting onto her toes. In a move so fast he hadn’t even had time to register what was happening, she placed a kiss on his lips.

I. Saw. Fucking. Red.

Dropping my bag to the sand, I kicked off my shoes and rushed them. The crowd parted to let me through, and I barely saw Larsen push Giana away, but it didn’t matter. It was already too late. I grabbed the bitch’s hair and dragged her to the ground. Her screams filled the air as she went down, but nobody was going to save her now. She was mine.

Her hands flew out, and when her fists didn’t connect, her fingers bent so that her nails scratched me everywhere they could reach. I, on the other hand, managed to connect every punch to her perfect porcelain skin, and ripped her fucking hot pink top so the straps were disconnected as the scrap of fabric began flailing around between us. It was her own doing, she needed to leave people be and also buy stronger clothing that could withstand a Lee.

Multiple hands and arms grabbed at us and pulled us apart. I was lifted into the air, kicking and screaming at the unknown people to let me kill the bitch, but the arms that banded around me only tightened. Realizing I wasn’t going to get anywhere and was only wasting energy, I let my fight die out but kept an eye on her. I would get her later and finish the job as soon as I was free.

Once I’d finally calmed down enough to no longer be fuming and trying to set the entire beach on fire—seriously, somehow logs got knocked out from the ring of fire and pelted the sand with small flames—I saw streaks of mascara running down her cheeks, mingling with her tears.

The bitch fucking cried.

Her top hung in tatters around her waist, exposing a white lace bra. I grunted and kicked sand into the air while whoever had my arms pinned to my sides held me back, preventing me from pulling any more of her delicate hair from her brain-dead skull.

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