anger welling inside me. “You stupid, stupid idiot.”
Danny was hot on my tail.
I jumped in my truck and fumbled with the keys, trying to start the ignition. I was hell-bent on getting out of there and didn’t care that I was way over the limit.
Danny opened the door and reached over to switch off the engine. He pocketed the keys.
“Hey, calm the fuck down.”
“Give me the damn keys.”
A serious expression spread across his face. “Get out of the truck, Ash.”
I held onto the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes. For a moment, I tried to pretend I wasn’t there, telling myself that none of what had happened was true.
“Ash, what’s happened?” Danny’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
I turned my head and glared at him. Tears stung my eyes.
“I need to get away from here,” I mumbled.
“You’re not making sense,” Danny said, shaking his head. “Is there something wrong at home? Is it Jake?”
I gritted my teeth, not wanting to have to admit what I’d done.
“Ash, you’re scaring me.”
“I can’t be here. I can’t believe what I’ve done.”
Danny touched my shoulder.
I shook my head and rested my head in my hands. My head pounded, and my stomach spun. All I wanted to do was go home to bed.
“Come on, man. What’s got you all freaked out?” Danny asked.
“I cheated on Connie.” My chest ached.
Danny said nothing at first. He curled a hand around my arm and gave me a gentle squeeze.
“C’mon, man, let’s get you home.”
I didn’t have to elaborate on what I’d said. Danny understood how I worked.
“Scoot over. I’m driving,” he insisted.
I got out of the truck and walked around to the other side, pulling the door open.
Sophia appeared in the doorway of the house and stared at me.
I looked away in shame, wanting the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I’d done many things in life. A lot of shame came with those memories, but none compared to the embarrassment that consumed me. I slid into the car seat and tugged the door closed.
Danny looked at me and started the engine. He released a pent-up breath and said, “Was it her?”
I ran a hand over my face, unwilling to admit to anything. Turning my head, I looked at him without uttering another word.
He raised an eyebrow and pulled the truck away from the curb. “I’m not gonna say I’m shocked,” he admitted. “Perhaps a little pissed, but not overly surprised.”
There wasn’t much for me to say, not at the moment. All I wanted to do was sleep. Everything else could wait.
“Ash . . . Ash, wake up. We’re home.”
Danny’s voice echoed in my head. I opened my eyes. The taste of beer had my stomach turning. It was dark. Although I was relieved to be home, I couldn’t bear the thought of talking to my mother. There were some things I still found uncomfortable. My showing up drunk was one of them.
“Hey, can we sit here for a few?” I mumbled, holding my head as the headache loomed.
“Sure,” Danny replied.
“I am such a fuck-up, Danny.” I sighed and closed my eyes.
“How?” he asked. “Because you fucked Sophia?”
I shifted in my seat and faced him. “C’mon, man, don’t say it like that.”
I hated hearing him being so blunt. It was all because of Sophia, and I couldn’t get her out of my head.
“Ash, you know me. I don’t beat about the bush.” He smiled. “I love you like a brother, but I am not going to sit here and mollycoddle you. That’s not who I am. You know that. Hell, everyone does, too. Remember all those years ago, when you got into trouble. What did I say to you when you got bail?”
The pep talk was coming. I had to man up and take what was coming my way.
“You told me I was going to wind up in jail or dead,” I replied. “But this is different.”
“I hate to break it to you, but this is no different. What you’re doing to yourself is like slow suicide.” He paused for a moment and ran a hand over
Danny was hot on my tail.
I jumped in my truck and fumbled with the keys, trying to start the ignition. I was hell-bent on getting out of there and didn’t care that I was way over the limit.
Danny opened the door and reached over to switch off the engine. He pocketed the keys.
“Hey, calm the fuck down.”
“Give me the damn keys.”
A serious expression spread across his face. “Get out of the truck, Ash.”
I held onto the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes. For a moment, I tried to pretend I wasn’t there, telling myself that none of what had happened was true.
“Ash, what’s happened?” Danny’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
I turned my head and glared at him. Tears stung my eyes.
“I need to get away from here,” I mumbled.
“You’re not making sense,” Danny said, shaking his head. “Is there something wrong at home? Is it Jake?”
I gritted my teeth, not wanting to have to admit what I’d done.
“Ash, you’re scaring me.”
“I can’t be here. I can’t believe what I’ve done.”
Danny touched my shoulder.
I shook my head and rested my head in my hands. My head pounded, and my stomach spun. All I wanted to do was go home to bed.
“Come on, man. What’s got you all freaked out?” Danny asked.
“I cheated on Connie.” My chest ached.
Danny said nothing at first. He curled a hand around my arm and gave me a gentle squeeze.
“C’mon, man, let’s get you home.”
I didn’t have to elaborate on what I’d said. Danny understood how I worked.
“Scoot over. I’m driving,” he insisted.
I got out of the truck and walked around to the other side, pulling the door open.
Sophia appeared in the doorway of the house and stared at me.
I looked away in shame, wanting the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I’d done many things in life. A lot of shame came with those memories, but none compared to the embarrassment that consumed me. I slid into the car seat and tugged the door closed.
Danny looked at me and started the engine. He released a pent-up breath and said, “Was it her?”
I ran a hand over my face, unwilling to admit to anything. Turning my head, I looked at him without uttering another word.
He raised an eyebrow and pulled the truck away from the curb. “I’m not gonna say I’m shocked,” he admitted. “Perhaps a little pissed, but not overly surprised.”
There wasn’t much for me to say, not at the moment. All I wanted to do was sleep. Everything else could wait.
“Ash . . . Ash, wake up. We’re home.”
Danny’s voice echoed in my head. I opened my eyes. The taste of beer had my stomach turning. It was dark. Although I was relieved to be home, I couldn’t bear the thought of talking to my mother. There were some things I still found uncomfortable. My showing up drunk was one of them.
“Hey, can we sit here for a few?” I mumbled, holding my head as the headache loomed.
“Sure,” Danny replied.
“I am such a fuck-up, Danny.” I sighed and closed my eyes.
“How?” he asked. “Because you fucked Sophia?”
I shifted in my seat and faced him. “C’mon, man, don’t say it like that.”
I hated hearing him being so blunt. It was all because of Sophia, and I couldn’t get her out of my head.
“Ash, you know me. I don’t beat about the bush.” He smiled. “I love you like a brother, but I am not going to sit here and mollycoddle you. That’s not who I am. You know that. Hell, everyone does, too. Remember all those years ago, when you got into trouble. What did I say to you when you got bail?”
The pep talk was coming. I had to man up and take what was coming my way.
“You told me I was going to wind up in jail or dead,” I replied. “But this is different.”
“I hate to break it to you, but this is no different. What you’re doing to yourself is like slow suicide.” He paused for a moment and ran a hand over
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