Page 170 of I Shouldn't Feel This Way

“Nessa, wait,” I called out when she started in the opposite direction.

“Can you get me Evan’s number? Vienna’s got it. I need to give him a call.”

“Sure, sweetie.” She left me in the living room and returned shortly after with a yellow Post-it note in her hand. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll be right back with your drink.”

I sat down on the sofa and took out my cell. That bastard was going to get an earful, because I had a lot to say to him. I dialed his number and waited for the phone to ring.

“Hey, you’ve reached Evan. If you’re listening to this, I’m not available …”

I rolled my eyes when he laughed.

“But if you leave your name and number, I’ll call you back … hopefully—unless I accidentally delete your message, which has happened a couple times! Anyway, you know what to do.”

The guy probably thought he sounded so slick. I couldn’t help but shake my head in ridicule. After the beep went off, I unleashed my wrath.

“Listen up, you little punk. Stay away from my daughter! Do you understand me? If you don’t, then I promise I will make you regret it. I’ll make your life hell! Don’t you fucking test me, Evan. I’m dead serious. If Aria contacts you again, ignore her. Just pretend she doesn’t exist, because sheshouldn’texist in your life! Do you hear me? You don’t belong in my family! So do me a favor and stay the fuck away!” I was shouting so loud into the phone that I didn’t even notice Vanessa and Vienna standing by the doorway, watching me in shock, until I hung up. I looked at them, desperately trying to neutralize my anger.

“You need to take a chill pill,” Vienna remarked.

I apologized and stood up.

“Give him a break.” My wife regarded her sister and then handed me a homemade Kamikaze. “Drink up, baby.”

I gulped down the vodka drink like a relapsing alcoholic, and then left the room.

“Where are you going?” asked Vanessa.

“Stepping out in the yard to get some air.”

“They just had an argument,” Vienna said to her. “It’s not like someone died.”

“Shut up, Vienna!”

I heard their last bit of exchanges before I opened the patio doors and tried to turn off my thoughts.

****

It wasn’t long before the ladies appeared in the yard dressed in bikinis, holding a tray full of refreshments. I guess it didn’t occur to them that I wanted to be alone.

“You need some more liquor in your system,” said Vanessa. She sat on my lap and handed me another Kamikaze. “Come in the pool with us. The weather’s perfect.”

“I think I’m going to go and work on that Corvette I’ve been meaning to fix.” I shifted her off and got to my feet.

“Oh,” she said with disappointment. “Well, all right. We’ll be out here if you need us. I love you.”

“Love you too.” I tried to smile and downed the alcohol as quickly as possible. Hiding away in my garage was probably the best option. They wouldn’t follow me there.

****

I stopped by my study and grabbed my lighter and ten deck of smokes from my desk drawer. I knew that I had made a commitment to my wife (and to myself) to never smoke again, but just feeling that pack of Marlboros in my jean pocket gave me a sense of comfort. I couldn’t explain it. Only smokers would understand.

A 1968 Corvette coupe had been sitting in my garage for well over a year. I had purchased it at an auction and it needed a tune-up, but work kept me so busy that I continually procrastinated giving it a proper fix. It was a classic American muscle car, painted in sky blue. My dad had been obsessed with vintage vehicles, and I was sure I had this passion because of him. We used to hang out in the garage on weekends, and I’d help him polish his collection of cars. His father had been a mechanic, so my old man taught me everything I needed to know about car transmissions, fuel injections, replacing plugs, points, adjusting the carburetor, and so on.

I pulled back the dusted car cover from the Corvette, popped open the hood, and stole a moment to glance at my watch. It was a quarter to five. If Aria wasn’t back by seven, then I’d have to hunt her down. I didn’t understand why she was giving me ultimatums like this. Didn’t she realize how difficult this situation was for me? It wasn’t like I was an expert. These feelings were just as new to me as they were to her. But I had responsibilities. I was not a free agent. I was a married man, and I never thought I’d be the kind of guy to cheat on my wife. I never thought I’d be the type of father who would lust after his daughter. This was another huge problem for me. The further we explored each other physically, the more I wanted to abandon all the rules.

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