She pulled the phone away. “It’s Dillon. He said one of the guys saw Seth coming out of the liquor store with four bottles of vodka.”
“Shit.” Four bottles? That couldn’t be right. “Was he with someone?” If he was partying with some other girl, I didn’t even want to bother.
“No, he was alone.” She turned her attention back to Dillon, and when she ended the call, she gave me a regretful look. “Dillon said we have to go get him first. He doesn’t want us to approach Seth alone. Especially if he’s been drinking that much.”
“When was he seen at the liquor store?”
“He’s not sure. The person he heard it from, heard it from someone else.” That sounded about right.
I was suddenly unsure about our lead. “You do realize it’s probably not even true. It could have been anyone in a Jeep for all we know.”
“Well, that’s what I thought, but Dillon said just to be safe, he wanted to drive us over.”
“I just want to talk to him. That’s all. I just have to know he’s okay. And tell him that Britany explained things and how sorry I am.” It still didn’t feel like enough. Would he ever forgive me for what I’d done?
When we got to my sister’s apartment to pick up Dillon, he walked out with a look of concern on his face. “Are you okay, Avery?” he asked as Clara slid over and let him in the driver’s seat.
“I’m good. I just wish you would have called and told me what happened when you found out the truth.”
He threw his hands up. “I know. I’m sorry. I just thought it was best if Seth handled it. I didn’t know you’d try to give him a dose of his own medicine. And with Ben?” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “You can do so much better.”
“Ben?” Clara thought a minute. “Oh, no. You didn’t.”
“Nothing happened. I didn’t even kiss him. I just stood there and talked. He did something to upset me a while back, and I figure if Seth was going to punch some guy in a jealous rage, he was deserving.”
“Well, I can’t really disagree with you there,” said Dillon. “That guy does wear on a person.”
I looked out of the window as we drove over to Seth’s apartment. “I still don’t think the vodka story is true. I just hope he’s home.”
Dillon slowed the truck to make the next turn. “No, it was him. I asked around some more when I got off of the phone with Clara. My friend said it was definitely Seth, and he was looking really rough. But it wasn’t four bottles of vodka. It was only two. One was orange juice.”
“That’s not much better. I don’t think Seth drinks mixers.” He most likely had a girl with him. The pit in my gut was like an open wound screaming in pain. “He’s not alone.”
“I’ll go to the door, Avery. You don’t have to. We’re going to fix this. You two just have to talk.”
“Communication is so important,” said Clara, taking his hand. “You have to hear each other out, and I’m sure he’ll want to fix it too.”
“I know he does. He looked pathetically ruined over everything last night, and I’ve never seen him that way. He’s wanted to talk for days, but what if he doesn’t want to anymore? I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“Well, you’re about to find out.” When we pulled up at the apartment, Seth’s Jeep was parked out front. “He’s here.”
Chapter 30 Seth
As the water washed down my back, I turned the bottle up and let it wash down my throat. The shower was hot, and it was just what I needed to balance the numb feeling inside me that was about to get duller.
I was so desperate to get away but only got as far as the cemetery where my brother was buried. After reflecting there a while, I spent the night sleeping in my Jeep and drove back to town when I woke up.
After a quick stop by the liquor store, where I stocked up, preparing to drown my sorrows alone, I came home.
I turned in the shower and let the water wash down my front. Avery and I were over. My life was never going to be the way I wanted it ever again, so I might as well get used to it.
I was halfway through the first bottle when I heard someone pounding on my door, and I imagined it was someone spoiling for a fight.
I decided to let them have it. I needed a good ass beating, and I was prepared to take it like a man.
I turned off the water, put the towel around me, and stepped out. “Just a minute,” I said, turning up the bottle for another swig of fire.
If I couldn’t drown my problems, I’d burn them.
I threw the door open and was surprised to find Dillon standing in my hallway. “What the fuck are you doing here? I never laid a hand on Ben.”
“I know. I’m here to make sure you’re alone.”
“Yeah, I’m utterly and painfully alone.” I turned the bottle up again as Dillon looked behind him.
“He’s all yours,” he said.
Avery stepped up to the doorway, and suddenly, my arms went limp beside me, and it was all I could do to keep the bottle in my hands.
“Take my sister home,” she told him. “We’ll be fine.”
Dillon hesitated. “She’s not going to like that, but okay.”
“Just don’t tell her about the towel,” she said, looking me up and down. “Or the vodka.”
Dillon nodded. “Yeah, I’m not crazy.” He shook his head and walked away without another word.
Avery was quiet a moment as she shut the door. Finally, she turned and met my eyes. “I’m sorry. I was wrong for not believing you. I should have trusted that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.” Her face turned red around her eyes, and
