Page 31 of A Little Bit Reckless
My friends loved me, but they were obviously pissed at me.
I allowed Bru to stay on the higher step when he turned, and, when I offered him a smoke, he waved it off. I let out a breath. “Bru…”
“Nah, don’t bother,” he said, starting to turn back toward the theater, but I took the high step, cutting him off. He sighed again. “What could you possibly want? I think you said all you needed to say last night.”
I lit my joint but didn’t smoke it right away. I stood there, and Bru laughed.
He shook his head. “You’re confusing as shit, Ambrose.”
I was sure that was what it looked like to him, and I was questioning myself. I told him to stay away from me, keep things platonic, and then I fucked him. I fucked him hard. I fucked himgood, and we both enjoyed it.
We always did.
It was always easy with Bru. It was until things changed. That was on him, but last night was definitely me.
I took a hit from my blunt. “I’m sorry.”
Iwassorry. I was sorry I confused things and went back on what I said. I did just want to be friends, but I was just coming off all that bullshit with Bow.
“Archer.”
Bow had gotten in my head with all that. She brought up old history, and yeah, that fucked me up. I may not look like I had a soul, but I was human, and she’d been so fucking stupid that night. She had no business getting drunk and getting up on that balcony.
It just showed how starved for attention she was. I got out of my head when Bru got too close. That outdoorsy smell that came off him worked itself into my nose. It riled me up, made me growl.
“I think you don’t hate Bow as much as you want to,” he said, causing me to blink. What the fuck was he talking about Squeak for? He nodded. “I know what happened between you guys. I know how you used to be friends and I also know why you’re not anymore. The guys told me about that girl who drowned in high school. It came up that night Bow was on the balcony.”
So, my friends had been talking behind my back. They’d brought up old shit that I’d been doing everything I could to forget.
“Archer.”
They got it wrong that Bow and I used to be friends. I may have tolerated Thatcher’s little sister, but I wasneverher friend, and she let me know that the minute she decided to do her fake drowning shit. She’d pretended to go under the water that day at the pool to get attention,my attention.
That was how it went down that day, and that would always be how I saw it. I would.
I swallowed. “Bow’s the reason that girl died. She pretended to drown, and I really don’t know why you’re bringing that up.”
It was some dark shit, and he had to know that it was hurtful. That itkilled. That girl died on my watch. Mine.
“I think that’s what you want to believe,” Bru continued. “That it was Bow’s fault. But I definitely don’t believe you hate her. You covered for her that night with the guys.”
I did because it was true. I had said some shit to her earlier that day. I hadn’t gone too far though. In fact, what I said had been completely fucking warranted. I put a finger in Bru’s chest. “I covered because it was hurting Thatch.”
“I’m sure that was part of it, but I saw how you reacted when we both thought she was in trouble. It was like you snapped, and you were also able to talk her off that ledge.” His eyes narrowed. “She trusted you.”
She was stupid to. Bow Reed shouldn’t trust me anymore than I could trust her. “I told you that night that you don’t know anything about that girl and me.”
“I know you don’t hate her. People who hate each other don’t look terrified when they think the other may fall off a ledge, which you did. I was there, Ambrose. I saw it. You also fucked me not long after it happened. Like what went down got you up in your head. Likeshegot in your head.”
I bristled. I didn’t know what he was insinuating, but whatever it was, he needed to step back. He was crossing the line, just like he’d done with our friendship. My jaw moved. “I got her off that ledge for Thatcher.”
“I’m sure that’s what you’re telling yourself, and, believe me, I know what it’s like to be confused.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I need to tell you something about Bow.”
I blinked. He got my attention quicker than I wanted him to. He got my attentionperiodwhich I didn’t like, and it took effort not to react to what he said.
It took effort not to feel something.
Bru opened his mouth. I assumed that was to speak, but an arm came around him, and once it did, I hid my blunt. The arm was his dad’s, Ramses, and my dad was with him.
