Page 15 of Holding On

"Like what?"

"Just random shit. Pay bills. Do laundry. Clean the place up."

"That's not going to take all weekend."

He's not giving up. I need a better excuse.

"I just don't feel like going out, okay? I'm tired and I haven't been feeling well. I might be getting sick. I need to sleep."

"You need to get laid. That's what you need."

"And you think girls want to be with a guy who can't even walk?"

"When it's Ethan Baxter, hell yeah."

"I don't think so. Besides, I'm not doing it with a damn cast on my leg."

"Forget the cast. There's ways around that. You need to get laid. I can hear the sexual frustration in your voice." He chuckles.

"That was annoyance with my dumbass friend who won't stop giving me advice."

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you, man. You keep that thing out of commission much longer and it may not work."

"Trust me. It works just fine."

"More than I needed to know. Moving on. What the hell you been up to?"

"Same old shit. Watching TV. Playing video games. Lifting weights."

"How was the visit with the parents?"

"My dad ignored me, except when he ordered me to hurry up and heal so I can get back in the gym, as if I have control over how fast my leg heals. And my mom yelled at me for keeping the house dirty."

"So it wasn't good."

"It's typical for them."

"How long were they there?"

"Less than a day."

"No shit? Why'd they leave?"

"Had to get back to work. Or L.A. Or both. They can't hang out in a small town. It drives them crazy."

"They were there to see you, not the town."

"Yeah, well, they'd had enough of me after a day, half of which they spent working."

"Shit, man, I'm sorry. You deserve better than that."

"It's not a big deal. That's just how they are."

"Anything else going on?"

"Not really. Had the house cleaned today. Some lady came over and spent three hours on it. The damn thing's spotless. I've never seen anyone work so hard."

"Is she coming back again?"

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