As he walked through the icy night air, he registered he was more angry at himself than anyone else. He held no claim over Rosie, and his pudgy ass certainly couldn’t measure up to a guy who actually worked out. Of course, Rosie would go for a guy who kept himself in shape; she was a nurse. Health was important to her. Plus, Keith was closer to her age, and probably no virgin. He’d actually know how to satisfy Rosie, whereas Matt didn’t have that experience. If they started dating, he worried Keith would recount their exploits on break at work, and he’d have to hide how much it affected him. God, that wouldkillhim.
He punched the steering wheel of his car with his un-bandaged hand. The last thing he wanted to do was go back to the apartment building where Rosie lived. He’d think of nothing but her. Even that game was ruined for him now since she’d been so great at it. The only other person he could call was his sister.
“Hey, Matt,” she said when she picked up. Matt was driving around aimlessly, just trying to get away from Fabled.
“Hey, Sis. We lost the tournament.”
“Aw man, I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t really want to drown my sorrows where it happened.”
“We’ve got plenty of alcohol and a nice couch right here, Bro. Come on over.”
“Thanks, Sis. Text me the address?” He didn’t have the directions memorized yet.
“You know it. See you when you get here.”
Matt pulled over on the side of the road, waiting for her text to come through. While he was watching, someone else texted. Someone he couldn’t ignore.
Rosie: You okay?Matt: Just upset we lost.
Rosie: I did warn you I’m not much of a gamer.
Matt: It’s not your fault. I played like shit.
Rosie: We did really good overall! We made it to the semifinals.
Matt: Yeah, I guess.
Rosie: And your friends seem nice.
Matt: Thanks.
He waited, but she didn’t mention anything about seeing Keith again. It wasn’t any of his business, anyway. Olivia’s text came through and he loaded up the address to the condo in his GPS app. His sister was the best.
The further he got from Fabled, the easier it was to breathe. As the condo came into view, Matt relaxed for the first time since Keith greeted Rosie.
Olivia and Jake welcomed him to the condo, and a hug from his big sister went a long way towards helping him heal. Jake poured shots of whiskey around the kitchen island, and they all threw them back. His eyes watered as the liquor burned its way down his throat; Matt wasn’t a big drinker. He’d only been legal for a year, after all.
“So, how did your team do?”
“We made it to the semifinals, but we didn’t place.” He waved off Jake’s offer of another shot. “Got anything a little less burn-y?”
“I got you.” Jake went back to the fridge and pulled out two cans. “Olivia, you want a hard seltzer?”
“Yes, please.”
Jake put the cans of White Claw down, and Matt cracked his open. It was surprisingly smooth and tasty.
His sister’s boyfriend spoke first. “Well, what should we do?Madden?Call of Duty?”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “I hate those games.”
“I don’t haveMario Kart, babe, sorry.”
Matt shrugged. “Football and shooters aren’t my kind of games anyway.”
Olivia squinted at him. “But you were playingBattlefront II.”
