Page 21 of We Own Tonight
After a few minutes, she calms and leans back. “You okay?” Iask.
“No, but I feel a littlebetter.”
“You don’t have to hide your hurt from me,” I remind her. “I’m always here foryou.”
Stephanie nods. “I know, but I miss mysister. I want to know when you do dumb things, and I sure as hell want to know when you meet some famousperson.”
I groan, and my head falls back. “Fine. I’ll tell you all about it, but it’s so much more than meetinghim.”
“Oh. My. God. Tell me you actually hooked up withhim!”
There’s no way I’m getting out of this, and the joy that she has right now will be worth all myembarrassment.
I shift a little, trying to relax for this awkward confession. “I did. Get comfortable because I spent the other night being completelyirresponsible.”
“Finally!”
Chapter Seven
Eli
“Let me get this straight,you slept with her, she ran off, you see her again, and she walks away—again?” Randy asks with a shit-eating grin. “Man, you really have thetouch.”
I regret coming here. After my run-in with Heather, I took a drive to Sanibel Island where Randy lives. I don’t know why I thought it was going to help me in some way. I should’ve known my brother and sister-in-law would be all too happy about thisstory.
I’ll get her,though.
It’s just going to take some finesse and a lot of patience. Plus, I still have the ace up mysleeve.
“Yup. It was fuckingunbelievable.”
“You got out of the bathroom, and she was . . . gone?” Randy keeps pushing as helaughs.
“It was ridiculous. I couldn’t find her, and then realized she took off. Who the fuck doesthat?”
Savannah giggles. “Umm,you!”
Exactly. That’s my deal. I’m the one who runs out or finds someone to escort the stage-five clinger off the bus. I don’t go searching for the girl, and I definitely don’t go back for more when a girl brushes me off—twice.
“I never thought I’d see it happen.” Vannah leans back in herchair.
“See whathappen?”
“A girl has you all twisted in knots. For once, you’re the one seeing what it feelslike.”
I shake my head. She has no idea what she’s talking about. My sister-in-law is oblivious to the issue. It isn’t about her, it’s about how she seems not to care about me. I have feelings, too. I was in love before, but they forget that. “I’m not in knots. I’m goddamn confused. Why the hell would she pushmeaway?”
“Oh, don’t even, Eli. You’re not some God. You’re a spoiled shit who has had everything handed to you on a silverplatter.”
“The fuck Ihave.”
It’s her turn to give me a stare that would make any grown man cry. She looks around to make sure the kids aren’t near and then her face softens. “Watch your mouth. It’s bad enough Adriel told the teacher to kiss his ass the other day, we don’t need the F-word thrownaround.”
Savannah is a great woman. She deals with a lot, but my seven-year-old nephew is a little shit. Adriel is the oldest, and he’s beyond overindulged. Randy was gone a lot when he was a baby and then overcompensated when he was home. I feel bad for her since she’s the one dealing with thefallout.
I put my hands up and flash her a smile. “Sorry. I’ll be morecareful.”
“Good.”
