Page 38 of Ash
“Sunday!” I hear a male voice call out and I tense instantly as I scan the room. It’s my cousin Hudson’s younger brother, Malcolm. I watch as the overly confident, overly tan man struts over to Sunday, who is currently leaning against the bar while showing my aunt this… really mesmerizing hip dip thing.What the fuck is she doing?
“Sunny!” Malcolm smiles as he reaches her. “I heard you know how to dance.” God damn it, I’m going to have to kill him. And on the night before my mom’s wedding. I sigh as I stand up to go and beat Malcolm’s face in when Sunday grins at him.
“Well, my dancing usually involves a pole.” I freeze. Why would she tell him that?
“Perfect!” He grins and points to the stage where there are two stripper poles. I’m not shocked. They have bachelor and bachelorette parties here. What does shock me is that Sunday starts walking over to the poles.
“Sunday!” I bark out as I cut her off. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Sunday scoffs and it’s then I really look at her. She’s plastered, her eyes are glassy, and she’s swaying slightly, like she can’t stand still. “I’m gonna go dance, s’that okay wit cha?”
Wow, that was a slurred mess. “Sunday,” I say softer, “Come on, baby, let me take you back to the room.”
“D-Don’t youbabyme!” She wobbles as she pokes my finger. “I’ve been dancing since I was in diapers… or you… someone was in diapers! I know what I’m doing.” She hands Malcolm her purse and I watch as she starts unzipping her cocktail dress.
My eyes bulge out of my head and instantly I shove my cousin away and heave Sunday over my shoulder, carrying her out of the club while she screams and beats on my back for a second time this trip.
“Let. Me. Down.” she yells as she hits my back.
“Hey!” I yell and smack her ass. “Knock it off and behave.” The elevator ride is silent as is the walk to our room. Once inside, I close the door with my foot and I’m about to ask her if she was ready to behave when I hear it.
“You are not passed out on me,” I groan over her snores. Laying her on the mattress, I look down and sigh before grabbing her pajamas from her suitcase. I remove her heels before unzipping her dress the rest of the way and slipping it down. Oh, no bra… I avert my gaze as I quickly put her in the tank top and shorts and lay her back down. I walk to the mini fridge and grab her a bottle of water and some ibuprofen, placing them on her side of the nightstand, next to a clean trash can, I go to my side of the bed, disrobe and put the barrier pillow between us before staring at the ceiling.
I need to shower and brush my teeth, but I know I’m not going to get any sleep tonight and undoubtedly, I will get puked on, so I might as well wait. I fucking hate myself. I hate myself for so many things, the short one-night stand and the amnesia that followed, the flirting, getting close to Wade and to her, the kissing, asking her to come here, the sex, but above it all, the thing that I hate most is the look on her face when she knew I was rejecting her. I hadn’t realized how many of her walls I had broken down until I watched her build them all back up.
“If she is letting you get close to that portion of her world, then she’s already decided where you fit into her life.”
My mother’s words repeat over and over in my head, further reminding me that all I seem to do when a woman cares is fuck up.
Chapter15
Sunday
“Icannot believe it.” I whisper in shock as I stare at the ultrasound picture. Janie, Stevie, and Indy are shoving at each other to crowd around me as we continue to gawk and coo over the grainy black-and-white photo. I look up at the glowing Ren. Though she may be glowing from all the vomiting that just happened five minutes ago.
“Yeah, ten weeks today,” Ren breathes out. “I wanted to wait until twelve, but the fact that Atlas has kept his mouth shut these last two weeks in nothing short of a fucking miracle, and he already told me he wouldn’t make it through the whole convention without letting it slip.”
Janie snorts. “At least he is honest. I’m so excited! We are going to be aunties! How is Atlas taking it?”
Ren smiles warmly. “Like I’ve given him the greatest thing ever. He is so excited. I found out, and I was so scared. I started making a pros and cons list and when he got home he was like, ‘What is all this?’ and when I told him.” Her voice cracks and her eyes go glassy. “He said, ‘I’m going to be a daddy?’ and he fell to his knees and kissed my stomach. Like, zero hesitation.”
“Ughhhh…” Stevie sighs before taking a sip of her coffee. “Can we clone him? Like seriously, I need a man like him in my life–OW!”
Stevie glares up at her grandmother, Nika, who whacked her with a rolled-up magazine. “Ne Stefa! Nema muškaraca Stefa.”
Stevie rolls her eyes. “Da, Baka.” She ushers her tiny grandmother away and shakes her head. We all stare at the turquoise-hair girl as she shakes her head. “She’s just telling me no men. She’s adamant that I never try dating again after Louisiana.” None of us know much of what happened in Louisiana, only that Stevie had been in a relationship with her boss, who was also the owner of a piercing shop she worked at and her mentor. From what we’ve gathered, Stevie had been treated poorly during the relationship. She doesn’t talk about it, and we refuse to push her on the subject.
“So.” Indy clears her throat and glances at me from across the table. I feel my heart rate increase, knowing exactly what she’s about to ask. It’s the same question she’s asked me every time we’ve run into each other for the last couple of weeks. “Have you talked to my brother?”
I feel everyone’s gaze drift back to me, and I sigh before shaking my head. “No,” I say, a little defeated. “Ash and I aren’t talking.” Which has made thingsveryawkward because not only has Indy become a permanent part of our group but, Ash has taken to helping Wade with his art skills by holding teaching sessions with him at night once a week, as well as a weekly video game night. And God forbid these nights land on the same night.
It’s been two weeks since the wedding. The wedding day went off perfectly, despite my massive hangover from the night before. Ash was the perfect son, and I played my part as the loving girlfriend until we got into the car to drive back home. The moment I sat in the seat, my headphones went on and I listened to one of the audiobooks Ren had performed during the entire ride home.
There wasn’t much else to say on the matter. Ash didn’t want anything long term, and I didn’t have time to tie my feelings up in a fling. And then there was Wade. My son was too close to Ash now. If we had a fling and Ash left, it would destroy Wade. I couldn’t risk that.
“You still thinking about Alabama?” Indy asks and I shake my head.
“No,” I breathe out. “Wade doesn’t seem too set on the idea of us leaving. I mean, it would be so much cheaper down there, but it’s not worth my boy losing his stability. So, I’ll probably stay around here. I’m either going to have to start stripping again or find a cheaper place though, that apartment is bleeding my savings.”
