Page 107 of The Misfit

Before I can make sense of what is happening, the world around me spins. Sebastian grabs me by the shirt and propels me backward until my back meets the wall, the air leaving my lungs in a swoosh.

“What the fuck?”

“Did you seriously come to my house to visit with my wife and infant daughter drunk?” he growls in my face, his eyes hard and flat in a way I usually don’t see directed at me.

I try to shrug him off, but I’m uncoordinated, and he has some weight on me.

“First of all, I’m not fucking drunk, just a little buzzed.”

His eyes narrow with suspicion, but I’m saved from Sebastian’s next tirade when the door opens.

“Hey, Seb, what the fuck is going on with Arie …” Drew stops, hand still on the door, his gaze darting between us. “Did I miss something? What’s going on here?”

Sebastian merely shakes his head and tosses me at Drew like I’m a sack of potatoes. Thankfully, Drew catches me, keeping me upright since my legs are failing to do so.

“You don’t have to be an asshole,” I shout. “I’m here because Ely asked me to be.”

I know I’m only pushing him, tempting him to lose his temper. Maybe a good black eye will help me get back to reality. I struggle to stand upright, pushing against Drew. Nausea swirls in my gut.

He steadies me again and calmly steps to the side to stare at Sebastian. “What’s happening?”

Sebastian smooths his suit jacket, then shakes his shoulders while fixing his hair. His version of calming down.

Fuck. No.I want him to hit me. Throw a punch. Anything to stop the endless pity party that’s taking place in my fucking brain.

Sebastian keeps his eyes on Drew, who is standing a foot away from me in jeans and a black Henley, looking just as expensive as Seb in his fancy suit. “Ely invited Lee over to meet the baby. But in typical Lee fashion, he shows up drunk with an open bottle of alcohol.”

“I’m not even that drunk,” I mumble and try to stay still, but I can feel the world slipping to the side, so I must be leaning, right?

Drew grabs the back of my collar and tugs me toward the door. “I’ll take care of it.”

Sebastian takes a step forward, stopping only once we’re face-to-face. Maybe he decided to punch me after all? “Stay the fuck out of my house until you can get your shit together. We’ve graduated, Lee. We’re fucking adults. There are no more parties. No more things for you to hide behind. Fix your fucking shit because I’m not allowing you near my family until you do.”

I keep my gaze locked with his as I raise my bottle and take a long drink, maintaining eye contact the entire time. He’s just like everyone else. Fuck him. Fuck all of them. When I swallow, I shrug. “Fine. Whatever. I don’t need to be anywhere near your fucking family.”

A soft gasp comes from behind me.

“Lee …” Ely says softly, so softly, yet I still hear the hurt in her voice.

Another bolt of pain shoots through me, adding to the mass in my gut, weighing me down further, dragging me in the muck.

I’m so fucking worthless.

Drew drags me out by the collar. “Come on, before you dig a deeper hole. I’ll take you home.”

It’s all a blur, but he gets me into his car. When he goes to grab the seat belt and fasten it, I put the bottle between my knees and jerk it out of his hold. “I can fucking buckle a seat belt, Drew.”

He raises one eyebrow, then closes the door with a sharp slam that shakes the vehicle. He climbs in without a word and does a quick U-turn in Sebastian’s drive. All I do is stare out the window. “Don’t take me home. Just take me to a hotel.”

“A hotel? Why not your house or Salem’s?”

I lean my head back against the headrest and take a long drink of Jack. At least he doesn’t complain about stupid fucking open container laws.

“There is no Salem. I fucked up,” I find myself saying. “Ruined everything with my stupid, selfish needs.”

Drew changes lanes, heading out of town instead of the city center. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing and everything at the same time. I’m a fucking mess.”

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