Page 106 of The Outsider

“Oh, I know,” said Bix. “He’s been nothing but—” she imagined his head between her thighs “—kind to me.”

“He’s too self-righteous for his own good. But I think it’s self-protective.”

That was much along the lines of what Bix thought too.

“Yeah. Well. He’s not always self-righteous.”

She didn’t know why she was needling at that. Picking at it. Because it was only going to lead to her admitting that she and Daughtry were sleeping together. But maybe that was what she wanted?

Arizona and the other women were trial grounds for friendship, after all. Friendship bricks. Because she wasn’t going to stay here, but she was learning about having a new, functional life here. And if Daughtry was a sex brick, then she supposed...

“Yeah,” Bix continued. “He isn’t always.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He’s... I mean he’s wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. And really sexy.”

“He’s my brother. I’m not really the audience for that. Happy for you, though.”

“Yeah, well, I just... You know I’d... Sorry. I’m not good at friends. I don’t know that I’ve actually ever had one.”

Arizona turned to her, her expression oddly sympathetic. “Yeah, me either. I’m actually kind of just figuring that one out.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’m what they call prickly,” she said. “But I used to be worse. I have a whole thing with Micah. You know, my husband. We... Well, I fell in love with him. Back when I was nineteen. And then he went away. I had a horrible car accident and I didn’t let anybody know how badly I was injured. How many scars I had left behind. My dad was a real dick about it.”

“I’ve heard your dad was kind of a dick,” she said.

“Really?” Arizona huffed. “Well. Daughtry must like you too then.”

She felt her face got hot.

“Oh,”said Arizona. “Oh. Oh, he’s...You’re...I didn’t realize that.”

“It’s new,” said Bix, fidgeting with her fingernail, hands folded in her lap. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t have... It’s just that I don’t know what else to do. Because I kind of want to talk about it.”

“I guess that’s what friends do,” said Arizona. “I guess. I do wish that it wasn’t my brother, though.”

“Well. That’s fair. I wouldn’t want to know anything like this about my brother. But my brother’s a horrible human being.”

“I’m sorry,” said Arizona.

“It’s fine. I’m over it. One time he locked me in my room for two days when our dad was out of town. He left me a water bottle. He forgot food, though.”

“Bix,” said Arizona, “that’s awful.”

“It’s fine. It’s just... It was sibling stuff.”

“That’s not sibling stuff,” said Arizona.

The way Arizona was looking at her made her uncomfortable. Made her feel pitied.

“I’m not... I’m not sad,” said Bix.

“Well, some things about your story kind of are,” said Arizona.

“Maybe,” said Bix, feeling something shift in her chest. “But Daughtry isn’t. He’s helped me so much and...”

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