Page 13 of Traitor

I laid out another couple of lines on the nightstand and inhaled. I needed the coke to rewire my brain—anything to give me a fighting chance at leading a normal life.

Well, semi-normal.

The girls sat naked before me, waiting not for sex, but for me to tell them about the redhead who’d broken my heart.

Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

I took a deep breath and began, the coke finally giving me the slightest hint at euphoria. I had to pause several times throughout and snort a few more lines, washing each one down with a shot of tequila.

Hookers One and Two were enraptured by my tale of woe and didn’t move from their spots on the carpet as I recounted how Lauren had gotten it all wrong, while pacing the bedroom.

Mr. Owl, how many lines of blow does it take to get my ex out of my mind?

Let’s find out.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine.

Nine.

I was floating. It had taken nine lines of blow and a fifth of tequila to get me there, but I’d finally done it. I’d quit blaming myself for Monica’s death.

It felt good up here. I didn’t want to come back down ever.

Nothing hurt.

I thought of her and it wasn’t like my guts were being ripped from my stomach. I’d finally found the perfect mix—I just hadn’t been doing enough blow.

My father was right—it was some damn fine stuff.

The porch swing creaked beneath me and I opened my eyes reluctantly. I was still high and more than a little drunk, but I felt good. Invincible. It still didn’t mean I wanted to be woken up though.

“Mind if I sit here?”

I sat up quickly and swayed violently into the chain holding the swing up. “Lauren?”

She let the screen door close softly behind her before making her way over to me. “I’m sorry to wake you.”

I rubbed my eyes. “You’re really here.”

I hoped that One and Two had shown themselves out or I was going to have some explaining to do.

Lauren smiled and settled in next to me, her head on my chest. “I missed you,” she whispered and I was sure that my heart was going to break through my ribs at a moment’s notice.

I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed. “I shouldn’t have left that morning. I should’ve stayed and fought for us. If I could go back, I would’ve stayed at the station all night.”

Her hand came up and covered my mouth. “Shhhh… I believe you. She overdosed and if it didn’t happen that night, then it would’ve been another.”

I nodded.

Lauren removed her hand and climbed across my lap until she was straddling me. “I need you, Mike.” She didn’t wait for a response and covered my mouth with hers. She tasted different, like cigarettes and booze. Obviously, I wasn’t the only one who’d turned to vices after the break-up.

I tried squeezing her again, but my arms felt weighted. She bit down hard on my tongue and I frowned. “Getting a little kinky there, Red?”

Lauren sat back with a small smile. “Maybe.” Then she roughly ran the back of her knuckles up and down my sternum. “Is this good?”

I groaned. “Not really.”

She’d found the hookers.

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