Page 3 of Pretty Ruthless

“What time did your mom make it home last night?” I smirk, “about thirty or so minutes before she walked in the door to your bedroom to kiss you goodnight in your race car bed is the last time I got laid.”

“Stay away from my mom, Daws, she’s going through a lot right now.” Crew warns.

“A lot of dick.” I reiterate, “she rode me like Seabiscuit last night, triple crowns all around, very well earned.” I wink at him and he grimaces.

“You’re an asshole,” he says shaking his head but there’s no merit behind his words. He knows I’m kidding.

“Takes one to know one, my guy.” I say with a wink.

An hour later, I’m sitting at the bar with an ice cold beer in my hand. The place is overcrowded with locals and everyone who’s in town for the reunion.

“God, why didn’t I go to high school here?” Crew asks, looking around the room. It’s odd to me that everyone is still sitting in their same cliques from high school, the siloing of people is unbelievable even after all the time.

“Can you believe she left her daughter behind? Honestly who goes out clubbing like that when you have a child at home?” Grace, the almost head cheerleader who gave a lot of head, fake pouts as they walk by Crew and I on their way to the bathroom.

I spin before they can get all the way around me, “hey, what happened to Becky?”

“Oh hi Daws, it’s so good to see you.” Chelsea says, batting her eyelashes at me.

“You too, what happened to Becky?” I ask again. Hoping like hell she doesn’t insist on flirting with me while she tells me the story, I never cared for her, and now she’s even more unimaginably annoying.

“Ugh, she OD’d on fentanyl or something like that. They’re still investigating.” Grace says, her mouth turned up in disgust, “I heard she gained a lot of weight so maybe she just took a couple too many toots.” Her finger finds her left nostril and she doesn’t have to explain the euphemism.

“I got it.” I say holding up my hand, “vicious way to describe someone though, you should really work on that.” I lift my beer glass up to my lips and take a drink.

Grace’s hand finds my shoulder and I visibly shudder under her touch as I set my beer back down. It’s not that she isn’t beautiful; she is, but her insides have aged like a washcloth left in the sink. She’s a viper in true form and not the kind I want to crawl under the hood of. I swivel in my stool away from her touch and she recoils like I slapped her.

“Aww come on, there’s no way you’ve been celibate since that bitch Claire dumped you for San Francisco. I heard she’s doin’ really well out there, probably doesn’t even remember us.” She scuffs, like she's offended I won’t let her touch me, replacing her hand on my shoulder. I shrug my shoulder, trying to get her to remove it when a voice echoes through the bar.

“She is doing really well out there and how could she forget a snake like you.” Grace turns slowly at the sound and I peek around Grace’s head to see Claire. In the flesh. Standing in the middle of Billie’s, looking like God himself placed her there. Her long dark hair is wind blown and her blue eyes are narrowed in on the spot that Grace’s hand sits on my shoulder. Grace being the bitch that she is, she spreads her fingers and gives a light squeeze.

“Well look what the cat dragged in, good for you Claire. Look who came to see us peasants, be careful, there isn’t any Voss water here and the onion rings aren’t gluten free.” I watch as Grace tilts her head to the side, watching Claire like a sniper waiting for the green light. My head slowly shakes back and forth with a smile as I bring the beer up to my lips. God damn, Claire is still the most beautiful person on the planet, no one, and I mean no one will ever hold a candle to her.

“You should really think about going gluten free, that patchy redness on your cheek is probably…” Claire takes a step closer, “oh no, never mind, I thought it might be from a gluten intolerance but it looks like it’s just your scales finally breaking through the surface. Good for you,” she mimics Grace’s voice, “you’re transformation into a full size lizard is almost complete.” I spit the beer I was trying to sip out, quickly covering my mouth. I let out a cough as I laugh, damn. She’s still a spitfire in heels.

Grace’s hand leaves my shoulder and immediately covers the side of her face, insecurity shining in her eyes but just as quickly as the look came, it’s gone and venom is replaced.

“You’re such a heinous bitch, some things never change.” Grace snarls before storming off. Her feelings bruised, but I mean, it could have been worse.

“It was so great catching up with you, let’s try again in ten years, I’ll see you at the zoo, m’kay?” Claire says waving happily to Grace’s retreating back. Grace throws her middle finger over her shoulder and I can’t stop laughing, it bubbles up in me like crazy, needing the escape.

“The zoo?” Crew cackles beside me and I forgot he was even there. My eyes find Claire’s and I can’t stop the slicing feeling I have through my heart at seeing her in the flesh, in front of me. I feel like I’m flayed open right here in my bar stool, for everyone to see. The scars come to life.

“Claire,” I say, my voice coming out as a croak and a prayer.

“Dawson,” she says and my name on her lips doesn’t help this hurt. She looks beautiful, her face mature and features more womanly than I remember.

“I’m Crew.” Crew says, holding his hand out for her to shake. Her eyes unlock with mine and I feel like I’m coming out of a trance. I didn’t realize the jukebox went silent in my head and the chatter from the surrounding tables muted as I took her in until the spell was broken. She extends her slender right hand out to Crew and shakes his hand.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Claire Daniels.” I can’t help but stare at her, why does she have such a hold over me, I can never get the taste of her out. Waiting and pondering the what ifs.

“Oh…I know,” Crew says with a cheeky smile and I will punch right in the solar plexus if he decides right now is a good time to spout off anything. Claire’s eyes cut to mine and I shrug because what else am I supposed to do? Act like I haven’t talked about her for the past five years since I saw her at the attorney’s office.

Crew and Claire break their handshake and there’s so much I want to say but the awkward tension between us stops me. She stares at me and I stare at her for a long moment, both of us taking in the years we’ve been apart.

“Claire!” Kennedy’s voice rings over the crowd and we both turn to see Kennedy and Devon approaching us. They rush over, enveloping Claire in a big group hug.

“Hey Dawson!” Kennedy says, pulling me in for a hug, “how are you?” I let her hug me, but my hands stay up, awkwardly as I can’t seem to take my eyes of Claire. She’s actually here, she really showed up for the reunion.

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