AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Damn, harsh words, but they are the truth.” The look that he gave me was one of indifference. “I don’t know how you can really argue with that.”
“It wasn’t like that, though,” I grunted, reaching for an unopened bottle. “There was no way in hell that I could’ve made it out in San Francisco. My dad was in the fucking nursing home here. I couldn’t afford the care in the city.”
“Maybe you should’ve told her that.”
“I don’t know.”
“Yeah, instead, you kept your family a complete secret from her.” Viper gave me a knowing look. “She thought that you were some delinquent runaway living with me, instead of living with me because your dad went downhill.”
I swallowed the grief threatening to boil up. “I couldn’t deal with that shit at the time, man. I didn’t want her to think that I was some pussy who couldn’t let go of his alcoholic father.”
“He wasn’t an alcoholic at the end.” Viper’s voice was softening. “He straightened up, it just wasn’t fast enough to save him. But,” he paused, gesturing to the third beer of my evening. “You might want to lay off. You know what happens when you start drinking.”
“Fuck.” I slid the mostly full bottle to Viper, letting him have it. “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Do I try and explain myself to her? Do I let her go? I don’t know if Icanlet her go a second time.”
“Dude, let hergo,” Will bellowed, throwing his arm around my shoulders. “Go find yourself a hot ass nurse or doctor like I did.”
I rolled my eyes. “Nah, not my type.”
“Then what is your type?” He asked, dropping his arm and plopping down on a bar stool beside me. “I’ve never evenseenyou talk to a woman who wasn’t Hannah—and that’s about as platonic as it could possibly ever be.”
“I don’t have a type.”
Becausesheis my type.
“Everyone has a type.” Will laughed.
“Nah, this guy doesn’t.” Viper flashed a smirk. “I think he’s basically psycho over Hallie. It’s been ten years, and I bet he still cries over her.”
“I do not.” I punched him in the shoulder. “I’m not fuckingdesperate.”
Not on the outside, anyway.
“Then find a distraction,” Axle chimed in. He had been quiet, puffing a bit of weed from the couch. “The answer is toalwaysfind someone to distract you with.”
“That’s some fuckingterribleadvice,” Will retorted. “Don’t do that.”
“I don’t know, it might not be the worst ever idea.” Viper chuckled, running his fingers along his square jaw. “You could use a good lay to forget about what happened.”
“It’ll just be a reminder of what I lost,” I grunted, knowing exactly what happened every time I tried to forget Hallie by use of another woman. The only way I could function was to pretend the woman I was with washer.
Talk about unhealthy.
“Okay, so then the answer is for him to just keep being the miserable goofy prick that he is,” Axle called out, bursting into a fit of MaryJane-induced laughter.
“He’s an idiot.” I sighed, running my hands over my face.
“We all are in one way or another,” Will remarked as if it was just common knowledge. “And let’s be honest, women make us go crazy. Look at how I was over Linley. The woman turned me down multiple times, and I just kept coming back.”
“That’s not exactly what happened.” Viper shook his head. “She was into you, her life was just on the line. Let’s not make you out to be a stalker—I think she had enough of that.”
“Touché.” He took a swig of his beer. “Maybe then Gunner boy here shouldn’t give up on Hallie.” He patted my shoulder like I was a kid. “Maybe you should show up to her house with an old school boombox and lawn mower. Take her for a ride.”
“All right, I’m not that kind of guy.” I leaned against the counter, wishing that I didn’t have the tendency to drink too much when I was in a mood. “Let’s just fucking change the subject or something. You dumbasses give the worst advice.”
They all chuckled. However, before anyone could say anything more, the clubhouse door burst open with force, grabbing all of our attention. I jumped up from my stool, ready to fucking fight anyone who thought it was a good idea to barge in like that.
“Evening,” Sargent Johnston greeted us in a less than pleasant tone. “I need to have a word.”
