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Claire dove into his arms and cuddled him tightly the second he swung the door open. He wrapped his arms around her and patted her back—he had to be cordial because Kate stood just behind the girl.
Claire’s mother’s thunderous expression bore into him like searing iron. Kate was going to make this as difficult as possible, he realized.
“Thanks for bringing her over,” Vince said.
Claire let go of him then rushed inside, making herself right at home. Kate set down the suitcases inside and peered past Vince to where Claire had rushed inside.
“You won’t mind if I come in?” she asked. “Say goodbye to my daughter?”
Vince looked over his shoulder. “Claire!” he called. “Your mother wants to say goodbye.”
While his head was turned, Kate slipped past him and made her way inside.
“Excuse me,” Vince demanded, following her quickly to try and stop her.
It was too late. She’d moved past the stairs and into the open plan living room where Lorelei’s naked body was hunched over the counter, the water still running. Her ass faced Kate, everything on display.
“Jesus frickin’ Christ,” Kate swore. “What the hell is this?”
She turned on her heels to Vince, pointing to Lorelei’s ass. There was nothing Vince could do or say. He wiped his hand down his face as Lorelei looked over her shoulder at them. Her face instantly went bright red with embarrassment.
“Claire, come here,” Kate said.
Claire did as she was told, a confused look in her eyes. Kate lunged forward and grabbed her daughter’s wrist. Before Vince knew what was happening, Kate was dragging Claire toward the front door. Claire’s anguished cries reverberated through the house, getting louder and louder the closer she got to the front door.
“Mom, please,” Claire wailed. “Stop it! Stop!”
“I don’t give a flying fuck,” Kate shouted angrily. “You’re not living here with these frickin’ perverts! Jesus Christ, Claire, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?”
Vince followed them, feeling his heart breaking in his chest, but he dared not to speak. There was nothing he could possibly say to make Kate feel better. What she’d walked into was inappropriate, especially since she didn’t understand the context of everything that had happened between the three of them. He could understand her disgust, her outrage, and he knew if he got involved, he would only make it worse. He resigned himself to never seeing Claire again.
Helpless, he watched as Kate collected the suitcase and dragged Claire out of the house, kicking and screaming. Lorelei had slipped into her nightgown before she joined Vince’s side. Both of them watched in horror as they rushed down the front path.
Everything felt distant and disconnected. It was like he was in a fuzzy, cloudy dream.
The only thing Vince could do was turn around and head up the stairs and into his bedroom. He would just go back to bed. The day had already been ruined. What else was there to do?
As he climbed the stairs, the defeated feeling engulfed him. Everything was ruined. One little butt plug and their whole life had unraveled. More than anything, he wanted to jump in his car and chase them down the road, high-speed if it came to it, but he knew it was no good. This was it. This was the end.
Chapter sixteen
Life gives you melons
ThelastthingVincewanted to do was sit in a bar with his best friend, drinking his sorrows away. It never worked. Drinking only made everything worse. Still, he couldn’t let Dino down. It had been so long since they’d seen each other; so long since they’d shot the shit and just hung out.
The hole Dino had chosen was basically a dive bar. Just walking into it made Vince feel uneasy. The floor was sticky and the place smelled like stale sweat and cigarettes. Why Dino had chosen this place out of any other bar in the city, Vince didn’t know. Dino had said it was because of the atmosphere, because of the cheap drinks and the cute bartender, but Vince didn’t buy it. It didn’t matter.
Vince kept ordering neat whiskey, drinking it in almost silence, as Dino regaled him with stories about his latest sightings. Dino had been traveling around the world for work, going to every corner of the globe. Every time he came home, he would tell Vince of all the curious and wondrous things he’d seen.
As much as Vince usually appreciated these stories, now, he couldn’t stand listening to it. He was too busy with his own life, wrapped up in his own pain. He didn’t care about the pyramids in Egypt, or the Great Wall of China. He just wanted to mope.
“What the heck is wrong with you tonight?” Dino eventually asked, losing his patience. “Usually you eat this shit up. Is something going on at home or somethin’?”
Vince winced and turned away, taking another large gulp of whiskey. He’d had too many to count, and his vision was starting to blur around the edges.
“Vince, c’mon,” Dino urged, nudging him with his elbow. “What’s wrong with ya?”
“Nothing,” Vince snapped. “Leave me be.”
