Page 162 of Give Me Love

“So, now you’re an expert on relationships?” He smirks.

“You think this is funny?” I ask.

“I think this is stupid,” he replies. “Either you want to be with me or you don’t. Which is it?”

“Are you giving me an ultimatum?”

“I’m asking you a question.” He runs a hand over his head.

“This isn’t going anywhere,” I reply. “You’re drunk. I’ve had too much to drink, and I’m tired of the back and forth. Just let me go,” I say. “This time let me go.” I turn to leave and this time he doesn’t stop me, but his words do.

“If you decide to end it, just know, I’ll never get over you,” he says despondently. I shut my eyes and release air that hurts before I push open the door and head home.

_____________

“You okay?” Claire asks, walking into the living room where I fell asleep for a few hours. It’s been days since Bryce and I saw each other, and I feel it.

“No.”

“You’ve got some mail here,” she says, looking through the envelopes she got from downstairs. I remove the throw blanket from my legs and stand up, adjusting my shirt before walking over and taking the mail from her. I toss it onto the counter and look at the clock. It’s after five. I can drink and not feel like an alcoholic.

I grab the bottle from the grocery bags Claire also brought up and look for a glass.

“It’s only ten after five, Kat.”

“Yeah, and now I can drink.”

She shakes her head and places the cereal on top of the fridge.

After I pop the cork, I fill her glass and mine, handing hers to her as I look at my mail again.

“You’re welcome,” I say, giving her a sideways glance before leaning back on the counter and grabbing my own glass.

She smirks. “Yeah, yeah. It’s been a rough day.”

“It’s been a rough week,” I reply, solemnly.

She sighs. “Yes, it has.”

I search through the junk mail I’ve gotten before I land on an envelope that looks important. I stick my finger in and tear the thing open, taking a sip from my glass as I do.

“Credit card offer?” Claire asks.

“I dunno,” I say, pulling the paper out. My eyes scan over the letter in front of me, and the glass slips from my fingers.

“What, Kat?” Claire says urgently.

I shake my head as I keep reading over it before looking up at her. “My stepdad died.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Kathrine

It’s weird how some things affect you more than others. As I cleaned up the shattered glass from the kitchen floor, I thought,this is my life. As soon as I clean up this mess, they’ll be more down the road that I’ll have to sweep up.

My stepdad died.

The mean son of a bitch who made my life hell for years.

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