Page 27 of Ghost
I shove him away, and if it weren’t for his quick reflexes, he’d be on his ass. “Jesus, I’m just kidding. What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me,” I snap. “But she’s off-limits.”
“Yeah, I get it. But why?” He holds my stare, and I know the moment realization dawns because his brows shoot up. “Oh, it’s like that, is it?”
“It’s not like anything.”
“And I’m Mother Teresa,” he deadpans.
That statement does the trick and snaps me out of my fury. I return to my stool and lift my beer. It’s warm now, but I don’t care.
“So, what’s up?” he prods. “This Ember chick mean something to you?”
A grunt is my only response.
“Okay, fine. Don’t tell me. But get your shit together or I won’t be the only one asking questions.”
He downs the remainder of his drink and both forgotten shots before tossing a twenty on the bar and heading for the door. Now that I’m alone again, I let my mind wander.
He’s right, of course. I do need to get my shit together. If for no other reason than I have no business feeling possessive of a woman who doesn’t want me. She didn’t back then, and she doesn’t now.
The problem is, I don’t know how to feel about that. I thought I was over her. Hell, she and I both moved on with our lives as soon as I moved away from Marble Falls. I wasn’t celibate that whole time, and I’m sure she wasn’t either.
At the thought, my fists clench. I was her first, and I should’ve been her last, her only. But life had other plans… She had other plans.
“Gimme another beer,” I demand when Meri steps in front of me. She narrows her eyes, and I force a smile. “Please.”
“That’s better,” she says. “Geez, just because you’re a badass doesn’t mean you get to be an asshole.”
Is she flirting? I feel like she’s flirting.
“You’re right,” I say, uncomfortable with my line of thought. “Sorry.”
“No problem.”
I spend the rest of the night getting drunk and arguing with myself about women and whether or not I need them in my life, whether or not there’s a certain one that I want in my life.
When Meri announces last call, I’m beyond any ability to get myself home, let alone stand up.
“I’m gonna call one of your brothers to come get you,” she says.
“I’m ‘kay,” I slur. “I can ‘rive.”
She laughs at me. “No, you can’t. Hand over your keys.”
“No.”
Without missing a beat, she walks around the bar and reaches into my pocket to grab said keys. “You’re so damn toasted, you didn’t even try to fight me off.”
“So?”
“So, I’m calling someone to come get you. If there’s someone you’d rather I make that call to than one of your brothers, I suggest you tell me now.”
She reaches into my pocket again and grabs my cell. I try to get to my feet, and my head swims.
“Fuck,” I mumble.
“Yeah, fuck,” she mocks. I watch helplessly as she scrolls through my contacts.
