Page 127 of The Alternate Captain
“Johnny?” Parker says.
“You should ask her who’s fathered her child, Charlie—because it wasn’t me.”
Then Charlie’s phone rings, and he answers it quickly then he bolts towards the exit.
Which leaves Parker standing there, looking between me and Johnny. “You want to tell me what’s going on here?”
I get to Kelly’splace just after one in the morning. She left me a key under an old plant pot near the front door, so I let myself in as quietly as I can before slipping into her room.
I lose my clothes quickly, keeping just my boxers on as I slide into her bed, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her neck.
At least her window’s fixed, and it’s not completely freezing in here.
“Hey, Johnny,” she says, rolling over. “Are you okay?”
“I’ve been better,” I say.
“What happened?” She reaches for the lamp on the table next to her bed, flicking the switch, and letting her eyes adjust to the light. “What did you say to Parker?”
“He’s not going to say anything,” I say.
“Johnny—”
She’s thinking.
Overdrive.
“It’ll be okay. He won’t say anything. I told him that once things settle down for us, we’ll tell Bettsy.”
She doesn’t look convinced, and she’d be right not to be. I had to beg for his silence, and he insisted on giving me a lecture. Kelly being ‘only’ nineteen was at the top of his list. According to him, she’ll likely fall in love easily and then cling on to me, but I don’t believe it.
“Honestly, babe, it’s fine. He’s a good guy. Besides, once I told him all about Sarah, he shifted his focus. I just have to figure out my next step.”
That bit wasn’t a lie. Ffordey called Sarah, and I quote, ‘a creature’.
“About Sarah. She sent me a message on social media, and she came to find me at your game. I spent the majority of it in the bar area—I’m still not ready to watch. I just thought you should know,” Kelly says.
“What did she say?”
“The message on socials was just a general note begging me to see sense and cut you out. And then at the game, she asked me if I needed help getting away from you. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
I exhale, thanking the stars that I don’t even have to convince Kelly that Sarah is poison and manipulative. I don’t have to convince her that she can trust me.
But instead of pushing Sarah out of my head, I move onto my back and lay there, staring at the ceiling.
Thinking.
Thinking about everything she said to me. All the horrible things she would say to get under my skin.
Am I incapable of loving anyone? Because I don’t even know what I’m feeling right now. Angry, for sure, but not the same kind of anger I’m used to feeling. In fact, right now, I’m exasperated.
The more I lay here thinking, the more I allow myself to embrace my worries.
Highlight reel for Johnny:
Incapable of loving anyone, even his sister, apparently.
Incapable of having a sex-induced orgasm.
