Page 9 of The One I Hate
Even though I’m pretty sure she hates me.
Before today I always wondered why. Because based on my memories of the last time we saw each other, she did the opposite of hate me. Okay, she might not have loved me, but she definitely liked me.
I mean, she kissed me, for fuck’s sake.
Now after today I won’t have to wonder why she hates me. Because, shockingly, my impulsive actions and words have consequences.
Who knew?
This isn’t the first time my big mouth has gotten me in trouble. But that’s who I am. I’m impulsive. Sometimes reckless. I say what’s on my mind without thinking things through. I set my mind on something and then I’m so blinded by tunnel vision I don’t see the possible outcome of my actions.
Take today. All I wanted was for Charlie to feel how I felt at the wedding. Angry and frustrated and helpless.
Instead I brought up a memory I’m sure she’d rather not think about.
“Charlie working tonight?”
I know Bug works Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from ten in the morning until three at Perks, the campus coffee shop on Lane Avenue, but I’m not entirely sure what her schedule is on a Saturday night. At least, I’m not sure what the real schedule is. Every time I ask her out on a Saturday she says she has to work. Though I have a sneaking suspicion that’s just an excuse.
“Nope,” a worker I don’t recognize says. “Won’t be back until Monday.”
I say thanks as I make my way back to my off-campus house. It’s empty tonight; my roommates all decided to go to our fraternity house and Emmett, my only friend who isn’t a frat brother, is out of town.
I don’t know why I didn’t feel like going out. It’s a Saturday night in April. Campus is jumping. Everyone has come out of the winter fog and is here for spring.
Except me.
I wasn’t feeling it. And I haven’t been feeling it for a while.
Nothing excites me. Don’t get me wrong, the premise of college life is the best. But I’m also someone who gets bored easily. So the monotony of parties and booze and girls every weekend on repeat is getting boring.
I need something new. Something different. Something to push me out of my comfort zone.
I need Bug.
She’s the only one who can make me think outside my box. She’s the only one I don’t see what’s coming a mile away. Everything that comes out of her mouth is interesting.
I head to the crosswalk and wait for the light to change when I hear the telltale sign of a sob.
I look around to see a woman sitting on the steps to one of the buildings. Her blonde hair is covering her face and her bodyis jerking. I almost turn to go home, but I take one more glance just as she looks up.
Bug….
It takes me only a few strides to get to her, and yet, I’m not to her in enough time. I can’t stand to hear the sound of a woman’s tears. It’s probably because I grew up in a house with four sisters, but when I hear a woman cry, I immediately want to hurt the person who did it.
And because it’s Charlie? I want to fucking murder them.
“Bug?”
She slowly starts looking up at me, and my heart shatters. Her mascara is smeared, her hair is sticking to her forehead, and her lipstick is a mess.
Her red lipstick that always drives me fucking crazy.
“Simon?”
Her sobs start coming again so I quickly move to the step next to her, bringing her into my arms. “Shh…I got you.”
She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds, though I can tell she’s doing her best to make herself quit crying. I want to ask her a million questions. The two biggest ones being, “Who did this to you?” and “Where can I find them so I can fucking kill them?”
