Page 67 of Choose You

“I think you’ve about had enough, man.” Parker says, but he still pours the shot.

I pick it up and hold it out for a solo cheers. “Probably.” I toss it back, no longer feeling the burn from the whiskey.

Yeah, I’m drunk.I can’t remember the last time I drank this much.

I sit the glass down with a lot less force than the last time, silently hoping he cuts me off even though I want to drink more. I’m going to pay for this tomorrow. But right now I don’t give two shits. I want to drink so much I forget all about Jessica and the stupid fight we had earlier. Because it was the stupidest of stupid fights in the history of fights. I don’t even really know what we were yelling about. Nothing worth fighting over, that’s for sure.

So what, she didn’t tell me she was going to sell me the house. And why does it matter if I started looking for a new location to run my business before we got back together? Hell, she refused to sell me the house. What in the hell did she expect me to do? Squat forever like she didn’t say no.

Well, I fucked up good this time. I may have started that fight, but she sure as hell finished it.

I’m about to ask Parker for another drink when someone sits down next to me. I glance over to see Leann’s bright red hair framing her smiling face.

“Hey, big brother.” She pats my shoulder and chuckles. “What’s dragged your ass out on a work night?”

I drop my head in a slow nod and point at her. “I could ashk you the shame ting.”

A cough overtakes her. She waves her hand in front of her face as if to ward off a horrible stench and winces. “I come out to dance with my girls all the time. But I don’t drink. Not like this at least.” She waves her hand in an up and down motion at me. “Why are you shitfaced? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this before.”

I drop my head, letting my forehead hit the bar. “I had a fight with Jesh.”

“Oh yeah, what’s new?” she laughs.

I lift my head and glare at her. “Snot funny. Sheesh mad.”

“What did you do this time?” Leann leans back in her chair and crosses her legs.

“Don’t know.” I hiccup and tap my fist into my chest. “‘Beshides, doesn’t matter. She’ll never trush me again.”

Leann rolls her eyes and sighs. “Jesus Christ, will you stop whining? You sound worse than a girl.”

“Don’t care. I love her.”

She snorts. “Have you told her that?”

“She knowsh.”

She leans forward so she’s eye level with me, a stern look on her face much like the one Momma gives us when we’re in for a lecture. “You sure about that. The way I see it is men think they explain adequately to women how they feel when in reality they don’t say shit. If you haven’t actually said the words I love you, then she doesn’t believe you do. Especially after all the shit you’ve put her through.”

I stare at my sister like she grew two heads. It couldn’t possibly be that simple but what do I know. “Already told her I love her and everything ‘snot fine.”

She chuckles and slaps my shoulder. “I didn’t say it would be, but it will certainly help. Might even get you laid.”

Now, I wince. “Don’t talk like that. You’re my little shister.”

“I’m also a grown ass woman. So get used to it.”

I sigh and lean on my sister's shoulder. She wraps her arm around me for a side hug and it’s the best thing I’ve felt all day. “I jush wan’er back, Leann. Tell me what to do.”

“Grovel. Embarrassingly sweet and sickening cute groveling. She’ll eat it up.”

“Or she’ll punch me.”

She laughs. “Yeah, that’s a possibility, too.”

I eye my sister before looking around the bar. Gracie and a few other of her girlfriends are on the dance floor having a good time. Yet here she is talking to me. “Why’reyoushingle?” I ask instead of the question that was on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to ask her why she wasn’t dancing with her friends.

She exchanges a few words with Parker that I don’t catch before she looks at me with a fierceness in her eyes I’ve never seen. “That’s a loaded question, Matt. Short answer, men are assholes.”

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