Page 82 of Chasing Blue
“Now? This weekend just gone?”
I don’t know how I stayed awake to tell him, but I did it. I told him about Matt, how I’ve reconnected with Jack, what Matt did Saturday to Jack, what he did I to my business showroom, what Eden told me when I went to Jack’s house, then the call I got from him, which, obviously he knew about.
“First thing tomorrow I’m calling Sloan. She can stand right here, in front of both of us and explain not only what she said, but why she said it.”
“Sloan’s living back down here too?” As far as I knew, she’d stayed up in Cairns when my brother had finally had enough of her.
“Yep, told ya, everyone comes back.”
“You’re in touch with her? On speaking terms?” I watch as Ash shrugs without looking my way. “You’re fucking her,” I state.
“Not anymore if she said what she said.”
“Ash, seriously. She’s as toxic as her sidekick, they’ve never changed since we were all at school.”
“She gives good head. I give her multiple orgasms. I don’t even have to call. She just rocks up at the bar at exactly the right time. Doesn’t even need me to bring her back here, she’s happy with the office.”
“Yeah, for now. She’s just doing what she can to wangle her way back in. And you’re disgusting by the way.”
“It’s just sex, Scar. I’d never get back with her, especially if she’s done what you’ve just told me she has.”
I still have no answers, but I’m far too exhausted to think too much about it for now. I need sleep.
“I need to go to bed,” I tell him on a yawn. “Bring me coffee from the bar tomorrow. Double shot, oat flat white.”
I stand, and everything around me spins. My brother stands, rests his hands on my shoulders and steers me toward my bedroom.
“Go get some sleep. We’ll get this sorted tomorrow.” He kisses the top of my head. “Love you, bub,” he says as he uses a little force to move me through my bedroom door.
“Love you too,” I mumble before face planting onto the bed.
* * *
Despite everything goingon in my life, I sleep till noon and only wake when my brother waves a coffee under my nose.
Once I open my eyes, I roll them at Asher.
“Dad’s here,” he whispers.
“Fuck,” is my only reply.
“Got your double shot, you’re gonna need it. I’ll keep him occupied while you wake yourself up.”
I sit up, lean my back against the headboard, and take the coffee from my brother, remaining silent the whole time as my brain catches up.
“Is he sober?” I croak through my parched throat.
“Believe it or not, he fucking is. He actually looks really good.”
“Great,” I mumble before taking a sip from the takeaway cup full of nectar my brother obviously got from the bar.
“Don’t leave me on my own with him for too long,” Ash orders as he heads back out the door.
I’ve not seen my dad in fifteen years. Not since I turned twenty-one, and he insisted on coming to Sydney and buying me dinner, along with his latest side chick—though, technically, she wasn’t his side chick because he and my mum were already divorced. Although to the best of my recollection, I’m sure he was living with someone new, and I’m sure her name was Christy, but it was a Nicole he brought along to dinner.
He got drunk, they argued, she left, and he followed shortly after, but at least he paid the bill. We’ve had the awkward ‘Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday’ conversations since, but I’ve not seen him in person.
Finishing my coffee, I climb out of bed and retrieve my phone from my bag. I looked at it briefly after my shower last night, but once I saw the multiple missed calls and messages from both Zoe and Jack, as well as from a couple of unknown numbers, I covered my screen so I couldn’t read what she’d sent and fired a quick message back to Zoe to let her know I’d arrived and was safely ensconced with my brother.
