Read Online Heartsville 03 - Another Shot (J.H. Knight) by Heartsville - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heartsville
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really.
Before he could decide what to say to Brad or even decide if he wanted to delete the text and forget about it, his phone rang.
For one second, his heart was in his throat, panic rising in him, hot and prickly under his skin. Then he looked at the screen and saw Mandy’s picture.
Aaron didn’t bother with anything as simple as hello . “Do you have some kind of psychic thing going on?”
“What are you talking about? I was just calling to see how you’re doing.”
“Brad just texted me. He wants me to meet him somewhere so he can explain.”
“That’s good, right? I mean, he should’ve earlier, but you should at least hear him out.”
Aaron closed his eyes and dropped his head on the back of the couch. “Fuck my life.” He hadn’t filled Mandy in on the rest of the saga yet.
“Does that mean you’ll talk to him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe…. Probably. You haven’t heard from him at all?”
“No, we don’t really run in the same circles, outside of you.”
“He doesn’t want to tell me why he’s avoided me since we slept together,” Aaron said, not liking the way his voice sounded. “He wants to explain why he outed me twenty years ago.”
The silence on the other end of the call was almost unnerving, but finally Mandy asked, “ What ? How was that his fault?”
“Apparently, he was the guy who took the photo. Ya know, the photo.”
“Wow. Wow . How do you know?”
“He told me. Came by the shop today and showed me the original.”
“Damn. I guess it’s a big deal to him that you hear him out, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. But, like, after twenty years, why? Why not just let it go? It seems to me the only thing gained by this is him maybe lifting the burden of guilt from his own shoulders and—fuck that. He should feel guilty, ya know?”
Mandy didn’t respond right away. After a moment, she said softly, “Don’t take this the wrong way, okay?” She didn’t wait for Aaron to answer her. “You remember when we were kids—I was, like, twelve, and you were fourteen.”
“Yeah, but—”
“No, hear me out.” She paused and then said, “I had braces, had to wear that god-awful headgear, and had just started getting zits and—God knows I’ve never been skinny, but I was probably at my most overweight then….”
Aaron knew exactly what she was talking about and he sunk down farther on his couch, as if he could hide from what she was about to say.
“You were a dick ,” Mandy blurted out. “I mean, really, just a total shit. You even called me Jabba in front of your friend I had a crush on. I hated you so much.”
“Mandy, I’m sorry. I really didn’t—”
“God, let me finish.” She huffed a breath into the phone before going on. “Now, I’m not trying to compare trauma with you or anything, but you made me feel horrible and it’s not like you were the only person to say that kind of shit to me, ya know? But getting it at home hurt. Maybe more than getting it from some dickwad on the school bus.”
“I know,” Aaron whispered, shame burning deep in his chest. “I’m sorry, Mandy.”
“I’m not bringing this up because I need an apology. But yeah, I hated you. The first time you came home with a black eye, I wanted to thank whoever did it to you. I didn’t… understand what all was going on with you. I just knew I liked that you were getting picked on too.” She sniffled and Aaron wished they were talking about this in person, wished he could hug her. “My point is, though, I wouldn’t want you to judge me for that and I’m sure you don’t want me to judge you for how you acted, right?”
“Right,” Aaron said weakly. “I only did that—”
“Because you were so busy trying to make sure no one really saw you , that you put the attention on me. I get it. Now, anyway.” She laughed and added, “I guess those psych courses weren’t a total waste.”
Aaron smiled, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to laugh with her. “Guess
Before he could decide what to say to Brad or even decide if he wanted to delete the text and forget about it, his phone rang.
For one second, his heart was in his throat, panic rising in him, hot and prickly under his skin. Then he looked at the screen and saw Mandy’s picture.
Aaron didn’t bother with anything as simple as hello . “Do you have some kind of psychic thing going on?”
“What are you talking about? I was just calling to see how you’re doing.”
“Brad just texted me. He wants me to meet him somewhere so he can explain.”
“That’s good, right? I mean, he should’ve earlier, but you should at least hear him out.”
Aaron closed his eyes and dropped his head on the back of the couch. “Fuck my life.” He hadn’t filled Mandy in on the rest of the saga yet.
“Does that mean you’ll talk to him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe…. Probably. You haven’t heard from him at all?”
“No, we don’t really run in the same circles, outside of you.”
“He doesn’t want to tell me why he’s avoided me since we slept together,” Aaron said, not liking the way his voice sounded. “He wants to explain why he outed me twenty years ago.”
The silence on the other end of the call was almost unnerving, but finally Mandy asked, “ What ? How was that his fault?”
“Apparently, he was the guy who took the photo. Ya know, the photo.”
“Wow. Wow . How do you know?”
“He told me. Came by the shop today and showed me the original.”
“Damn. I guess it’s a big deal to him that you hear him out, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. But, like, after twenty years, why? Why not just let it go? It seems to me the only thing gained by this is him maybe lifting the burden of guilt from his own shoulders and—fuck that. He should feel guilty, ya know?”
Mandy didn’t respond right away. After a moment, she said softly, “Don’t take this the wrong way, okay?” She didn’t wait for Aaron to answer her. “You remember when we were kids—I was, like, twelve, and you were fourteen.”
“Yeah, but—”
“No, hear me out.” She paused and then said, “I had braces, had to wear that god-awful headgear, and had just started getting zits and—God knows I’ve never been skinny, but I was probably at my most overweight then….”
Aaron knew exactly what she was talking about and he sunk down farther on his couch, as if he could hide from what she was about to say.
“You were a dick ,” Mandy blurted out. “I mean, really, just a total shit. You even called me Jabba in front of your friend I had a crush on. I hated you so much.”
“Mandy, I’m sorry. I really didn’t—”
“God, let me finish.” She huffed a breath into the phone before going on. “Now, I’m not trying to compare trauma with you or anything, but you made me feel horrible and it’s not like you were the only person to say that kind of shit to me, ya know? But getting it at home hurt. Maybe more than getting it from some dickwad on the school bus.”
“I know,” Aaron whispered, shame burning deep in his chest. “I’m sorry, Mandy.”
“I’m not bringing this up because I need an apology. But yeah, I hated you. The first time you came home with a black eye, I wanted to thank whoever did it to you. I didn’t… understand what all was going on with you. I just knew I liked that you were getting picked on too.” She sniffled and Aaron wished they were talking about this in person, wished he could hug her. “My point is, though, I wouldn’t want you to judge me for that and I’m sure you don’t want me to judge you for how you acted, right?”
“Right,” Aaron said weakly. “I only did that—”
“Because you were so busy trying to make sure no one really saw you , that you put the attention on me. I get it. Now, anyway.” She laughed and added, “I guess those psych courses weren’t a total waste.”
Aaron smiled, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to laugh with her. “Guess
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