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room right after the show and so did I. We ve gone from partying, womanizing maniacs to pathetic
saps because the women who we want don t want us back.
My cell phone buzzes on the bed beside me. I grab it and then look down at the number on the
screen. My heart pauses for a beat.
 Hello? Aubrey doesn t answer on her end of the line. Fuck! Did she butt-dial me?  Are you
there?
 Hey. Yeah. I m here, she answers quietly.
 I m glad you called, I wanted to say I m sorry for not calling you back that night. I know how
that looks, and I apologize. Whether she accepts it or not, it feels good to get it off my chest.
 Relationships aren t something I m used to doing, so I m afraid I m not very good at them.
She sighs into the phone.  I m sorry too for not giving you a chance to explain yourself. I don t
want to get hurt.
My stomach clenches.  That s exactly why I distanced myself. I m not a good person, Kitten.
You deserve better than me.
 How do you know that? I could be the biggest bitch you ve ever met.
 No you re not. I ve spent enough time with you to know you re exactly the opposite.
 Zach& I m not a very good person either. I set out to use you.
A sharp pain around my heart only hurts for a second.  I know, but you cared more about me in
those two days than any other woman I ve ever been with.
 I m sure that s not true.
I pinch the bridge of my nose.  My own mother didn t even care enough about me to ask how I
felt about my sister s death, yet you tried.
It sounds worse when I say the things that play through my mind out loud, but it s true. Mom
hated me until the day she died. It was hard enough dealing with what I did without having my own
family loathe me.
Aubrey s quiet for a few moments and I wonder if I ve freaked her out with all my self-hate.
Finally, she says,  That s terrible you had to not only deal with the loss of your sister, but a strained
relationship with your parents. I don t understand how she could ve been so cold to you knowing you
were only sixteen years old. Did they not realize you d be hurting, too?
This is the part I never want to talk about. But, seeing as how I ve already opened myself up to
her and she s still talking to me, I figure what the hell? She might as well judge me for the real me
fully. One of the biggest things in any relationship is trust. I need to be able to trust that she s okay
with the real me, evil parts and all.
I swallow hard.  She did that because she blamed me.
 Why would she blame you? Aubrey s voice is calm, like she s not sure what she got herself
into.
It s too much, too soon. I have to back off so I don t freak her out any more than I already have.
 It s really not a big deal. It was a long time ago. I m over it.
Another awkward pause on her end indicates to me she s getting scared off. I start to open my
mouth to apologize for dropping all my emotional baggage shit on her, but quickly shut it when she
starts speaking again.  I am actually calling for a favor.
I raise my eyebrow.  So this call wasn t just about us?
She clears her throat.  No, but I m glad we talked. I like that you ve opened up to me.
 I m waiting for the day when you figure out what a piece of shit I really am and tell me to fuck
off for good.
 Zach& I really wish you didn t think so poorly of yourself. You re an awesome person and
friend. I mean, you warned Lanie about the baby situation. I wish you could see what I see.
 What do you see? Is it too much to hope that I may actually have a shot with this woman?
 A good person, like I told you before.
It s been a long time since someone other than Trip believed in me so much, and it feels fucking
awesome. If it weren t for Trip over the past few years, I probably wouldn t be alive. I want things to
work with Aubrey. I need her around. I ll do anything to prove to her that I ll treat her right.
 So what s the favor you needed from me?
 I want to get Noel and Lanie back together. She s miserable without him. Do you think you can
arrange a time for them to meet up?
I rest my hand on my bare chest and close my eyes. I still feel like total shit for not believing
Noel and not seeing through Sophie s lies. Helping Aubrey arrange a meeting for them is the least I
can do to start making it up to him.  We re playing a small bar in Columbus tomorrow night called the
A&R Music Bar. A crowd of only three hundred a completely acoustic set. She can get to us easily.
I ll hook her up with a pass. I smile.  Tell her it will be under Long-Dick Dong.
Kitten laughs.  Any particular reason for the name other than& 
I smile and then flick my lip ring over my teeth.  I knew you liked me for my body.
 Well& it is pretty nice. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]