Page 1 of Wasted Memories
Chapter One
Emerson
Standingnakedinmycloset, I heard glass shatter in the kitchen. Clutching the dress to my chest in a poor attempt to cover myself, I peered around the door jam.
“Everything okay?” I asked hesitantly into the now quiet house.
“All good, babe. My glass just slipped out of my hand,” Jett replied from down the hall.
Blowing out a long breath, I stepped into my silky dress and pulled my fingers through my tangled brunette hair to comb it out. It was typical Jett behavior to make my heart fly out of my chest. He was always keeping me on my toes, surprising me at the worst times.
We were going out with our friends tonight, like we did every Friday night. We typically drove ourselves but our truck wheel bearing was loose so Jett didn’t feel comfortable driving it tonight. I didn’t know much about vehicles, so I assumed if Jett said we couldn’t use it, it was really bad. With the condition of that old truck, I was surprised he hadn’t stopped driving it sooner.
I headed out of our room to the kitchen, weary of where I stepped, careful not to cut my foot on any glass.
“I cleaned it all up, you don’t need to tip toe.” Jett ambled over to me with a grin on his face, his steps creaking on the old floorboards. He wrapped his arms around my waist, nuzzling his nose into my hair and inhaling deeply. “You ready?”
“Probably would’ve been ready sooner had you not scared the shit out of me.” Chills rose along my arms as he pressed his lips to the side of my neck. Now wasn’t the time to get turned on. Brendt would be here any minute.
I slid out of his arms to grab my purse on the counter, double checking that my phone, wallet, and chapstick were in there. After confirming, I flicked off the kitchen light. Jett was already waiting for me at the front door as I walked toward him, his eyes roaming over my body, taking in my outfit. Slipping past him to head outside, he locked the front door behind us just as his friend was pulling up.
“Is Stella still meeting us there?” he asked.
I nodded and slung my purse over my shoulder, walking to the car idling in our driveway.
Stella was my closest friend. We told each other everything. She probably knew more about me than I did about myself. I opened the rear door and slid in while Jett greeted his friend at the driver window.
“Damn, Jett. You start early?” Brendt joked with him, exaggerating his sniffing of the air.
Jett patted Brendt on the shoulder through the window. “The bar is expensive, dude. You always have to pregame if you don’t want to go broke.” He walked around to the passenger side and hopped in.
I was glad Brendt offered to drive us tonight because that meant I actually got to drink with them. I usually ended up as Jett’s designated driver, but I didn’t mind it too much. It made me happy to see him enjoying himself with our friends. Quite frankly, I didn’t enjoy hangovers so I really didn’t mind having one or two drinks then heading home. Jett, on the other hand, doesn’t seem bothered by hangovers. Sometimes I wondered if he even got them because he’s always full of life the next day.
I absently toyed with the charm on my bracelet as I stared out the window, the rain starting to come down in a light sprinkle. It rained more often than not in Oldport. Most people complained when the weather was gloomy, but I found myself feeling more tranquil. That might be why I’d never had the desire to leave this town.
I grew up here with my mother and younger brother, Ross. My father left when I was six years old, probably to be with someone better than my mom. She blamed his leaving on me, saying he only wanted a son and was disappointed he had a daughter. It took them years to get pregnant after me, but he left a couple weeks before she got the positive test. At least, that’s the story she always told me growing up. I never tried to look for him online because from what I was told, he wanted nothing to do with me.
After he left and my mother had Ross, it felt like life was a blur of motions until I met Jett. My mother resented me my entire childhood and made it clear how she felt about me any time I got in her way. I eventually learned that staying in my room was the best way to keep our dynamic somewhat civil.
Jett was the first person to give me his undivided attention, besides Stella, of course. I quickly grew attached to him. I guess you could blame daddy issues or something.
He actuallyheardthe words coming out of my mouth instead of just absently listening. It made me feel important for the first time in my life, like what I was saying actually mattered. I had no desire to stay in my childhood home, so after a month of dating, I moved into his house.
I heard Brendt flick on the blinker, indicating we were pulling into the parking lot outside D Bar. He put the car in park, noticing Stella’s sedan parked a few spots over, next to our friend Luke’s SUV.
Brendt turned around in his seat, wiggling his eyebrows at me over the headrest. I laughed and got out, heading inside out of the rain while Jett stuck outside to have a smoke.
Luke and Stella typically drove separately from the rest of us, but if anyone ended up drinking too much, we’d take one car home and leave the other vehicles at the bar until morning.
Since we all started hanging out, I had a hunch that Brendt had a thing for Stella, but he’s never acted on it so I couldn’t be sure. It’s ridiculous that he can hook up with countless girls but only steal glances at Stella, as if he’s afraid to admit he’s attracted to her or something. Not that Stella particularly wanted to be with him, or so she says.
Once inside, I took off my denim jacket and found Stella sitting at the bar. She turned around in her stool and smiled when she spotted me, waving me over.
The bar was dimly lit with wood accents throughout the space. There were stained oak pillars reaching from floor to ceiling dispersed around the bar, matching the chairs and tables. Hanging pendant lights cast a warm haze through the humid air. The bar itself was worn and looked like it had been polished one too many times to try to erase the etchings on the surface. Like most bars, the liquor was on full display, covering the glass shelves lining the wall behind the counter.It had that all too familiar smell of stale beer and whiskey.
There were two pool tables on the opposite side of the room, their smooth green felt cloths adorned with chalk marks and scuffs. The guys typically stuck to that side of the room unless they were grabbing another drink.
“A silk dress? On this cold day? You’ve always been a little risk, Em, but I’m cold just looking at you.”
