“I’m afraid Don’s not in commission. I’m in charge now, so you can either talk with me or hang up. Doesn’t make a hell of a lot of difference to me either way.”
“Seems like a good business model,” I mumble.
A throaty chuckle comes down the line. “Don’t need a good business model when you’re the best. I can find anyone for you, it’s not a problem. But there’s a price. And I prefer to meet in person before going over the details.”
I lift my face to the sky, frustrated this isn’t as cut and dry as I thought it would be. “Okay, that’s fine. But I can’t get out of town until Sunday.”
“Nope.”
“What do you mean, ‘nope?’”
“I mean, Sunday won’t work. Saturday’s the one.”
“I’m busy Saturday,” I say through clenched teeth.
“I’ll come to you.”
I consider his offer. I’ll be busy all day with Sam’s retirement party, but fuck it. I can disappear for a few minutes. I give him the info and he says he’ll call if anything changes.
One step closer.
Journal Entry #352
I should probably write about everything that’s going on with Lily, that’s what these journal entries are supposed to be for, right? Exiling my demons and all that. But I’m fucking tired of thinking about it. So Doc, if you’re reading this, I guess you’ll have to hope I’m in the mood to verbalize my shit when I’m there.
But I’ll write about Goldi. I miss her. And that makes me feel a little pathetic because I saw her earlier today. I keep reminding myself to take things slow. I mean… not physically obviously. Now that my cock has felt the heaven that is her pussy, I don’t think I can ever go without it again. But if I thought she would say yes, I‘d move her into my place tomorrow. I want to be near her. Always. Is it too soon to have her here all the time? Is it normal to feel like this? The first time around things were intense, but I don’t remember it being this fucking overwhelming. All I see is her. I taste the memory of her on my tongue. I fucking smell vanilla even when she isn’t around. I’m going fucking crazy.
But I don’t care. I’ll live the rest of my life crazy, as long as I get to be crazy for her.
46
Alina
“Your brother is an asshole!” Becca screeches, throwing the front door closed behind her.
I smirk, holding out the glass of wine I had, poured and waiting. Chase and I were on our way to his place when she called in a tizzy. Her first official “meeting” with Eli and Sarah was today, and she threatened bodily harm if I dared to not be home when she showed up. So here I am, a bottle of wine and a listening ear.
“I take it things didn’t go well?” I try to hide my grin.
She glares at me. “No. Things did not go well. Your brother is literally the worst person I’ve ever had the displeasure of knowin’.”
My brow arches.
“I mean, how did you survive growin’ up with someone who’s so… so...”
“Particular?” I guess.
“Insane!” she shouts. “Ugh!”
I grimace as I watch her gulp down her glass of wine. Yuck. Red wine is meant to be savored, not chugged like a frat boy.
I try hard not to laugh, but it spills out anyway. It’s nice to know that even if Eli and I aren’t on good terms, he’s still him. As picky as the day is long, and as controlling as the moon with the tides.
“You shouldn’t let him get to you, Becca. He’s doin’ it on purpose. He loves gettin’ a rise outta people.”
“He’ll get a rise out of my foot when I shove it up his ass,” she mumbles, grabbing the wine bottle to refill her glass.
“Y’all have always been like oil and water. Remember how ticked he used to make you as a kid?” I smile at the memories. My heart squeezes, beating out a melancholy song that has me aching for my big brother.
“Well, I don’t know how Sarah puts up with him. I could never. Really, there’s no way I could ever marry that man, let alone live with him. It woulda been a terrible decision.”
My stomach jumps in my throat, the wine that just passed my lips shooting back into my glass. “Come again?”
She yawns, running a hand over her face. “Huh?”
“You said it would have been a terrible decision. What exactly are you referrin’ to in that statement? The marriage part, or the livin’ together part?”
Her spine straightens. “I didn’t say that. You misheard me.”
“What’d you say, then?”
“Hmmm?” She’s gulping down her wine. Again. “Hey, how was your trip with Chase?”
“Nope.” I shake my head. “Nope. No way. You don’t get to change the subject like that, Becca.”
She groans, throwing her head back. “I don’t wanna talk about Eli anymore.”
“That’s the whole reason you came over!” I throw my hands up.
“Well, I just needed to vent. I did and now I’m done.” She shrugs, tossing her curly hair over her shoulder.
Playin’ with her hair again. “You know, you and Eli are really startin’ to tick me off. I don’t appreciate bein’ the in-between for you two when neither of you will tell me what’s goin’ on.”
Becca doesn’t say anything, just picks at her split ends.
I grab her hand. “You can tell me, you know? You’re my best friend, Becca. Nothin’ will ever change that. Just please, tell me what’s goin’ on.”
“Nothin’ is goin’ on, Lee.” Her voice is a whisper. She sounds exhausted by my line of questioning.
She should try bein’ the one who has all the questions.
My intuition is an annoying gnat, flying around and nipping at my brain. But Becca’s the most stubborn person I’ve ever met. Continuing to try to get her to talk would be like beating a dead horse.
I narrow my eyes.
