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“Gladly.” I toss her keys towards her, and she snatches them out of the air with a scowl. “You’re all sunshine and roses, aren’t you?”
She spins on her heel and stalks toward the front door.
Fuck!
I watch her get safely inside before I start walking down the street. I contemplate going back to get my own car, but it’s pushing three a.m. and I’m fucking drained. That’s a tomorrow me problem.
* * *
“WHAT THE HELL is your car doing up at the Point anyway?” Ellie grumbles. “I thought you were visiting Wes and Ryker yesterday.”
“I was.” I stare out the window as she drives down the main street. We pass the surf club and I slouch down in my seat when I spot a familiar feisty little blonde unzipping her wetsuit. I shift uncomfortably, trying to forget what those hips felt like in my hands earlier this morning.
“So…” Ellie prompts, pulling me from my thoughts. “Your car? Why’s it at the Point?”
“Quit asking annoying questions,” I grouch. “If I wanted the fucking inquisition, I would have just asked Dad to drive me.”
She arches a brow–because we both know there was no way I would ask him to do me any favours. As far as Daddy Dearest is concerned, I’m the family fuck-up. Asking him to take me to pick up my car would just confirm his beliefs. I’d rather walk barefoot over broken glass.
“Sorry,” I mutter. “I just… never mind. Thanks for driving me.”
“What’s going on with you, Connie? Does this have anything to do with Jasp–”
“God, enough!” I snap. I donotneed the constant reminders of that. I feel guilty enough as it is.
All the signs were there. The mood swings. The irritability. I knew the drug use had escalated from a good time at a party to a daily habit, but I didn’t know how to deal with my own problems, let alone calling Jasper out on his. Neither of his parents gave a shit about him. Dad might come down hard on me, but I guess that shows he cares what happens to me–in his own fucked up way.
I swallow the lump forming in my throat. “Please, El, can you just drop me to my car without all the questions? If not, pull over and I’ll walk.”
Mercifully, my sister remains quiet for the remainder of the drive, and I have the door open before she’s even come to a complete stop in the car park. I mutter my thanks and fumble with my keys as I stalk over to my car.
I rest my head against the steering wheel, taking deep breaths as I try and work out how I got here. My life has spiralled so far out of my control that I don’t even know which way is up.
Visiting my brothers had been my first mistake. I wanted their advice on how I should approach the new season, but they’re just as bad as Dad when it comes to judging everything I do. The twins are the family success story. They were recruited to the NRL by the Brisbane Broncos after smashing it in a local league. Not to mention Ryker was Rookie of the Year. They were living Dad’s dream.
When I’d been named captain of the university team, I’d been so excited–but the twins’ success stole all of Dad’s attention. All I got from him was a gruff, “Don’t stuff it up.”
But of course, that’s exactly what happened. After everything came out about Jasper, I came clean to Coach about my own drug use. He wasn’t happy to say the least. I’d let the power of captaincy go to my head, believing I was invincible. Now, I facedlosingsaid captaincy.
Don’t get me wrong, my game didn’t suffer from the drugs. I worked hard on the field, and I expected my teammates to do the same. But I partied harderoffthe field, and that’s where everything fell to shit. And when I was high, I had a temper. And usually that temper was the result of fights–mostly with Ivy’s brother.
With a sigh, I sit up and attempt to rub away the guilt in my chest. As I head back into town, my thoughts drift to Jasper locked up in some fucking fancy rehab facility in far north Queensland awaiting trial.
Now I’ve lost my best mate, and all respect for myself.
After spending the weekend listening to my brothers berate me for embarrassing them, I’d gone to the lookout for a one-man pity party. I stumbled across Ivy doing the same thing and complicated my life even more.
And just like that, my thoughts are back on the angry blonde who used my dick like her own personal plaything. Hearing her scream her release as Blue Haven slept below us was hot as hell, but it doesn’t make me feel any better–especially when I know she hates me. The last thing I need to do is get fixated with her when nothing’s ever going to come of it. Not to mention what her brother would do to me if he ever found out. I need to be working on fixing the shit show that has become my life, not making it worse.
As I drive down the main street, Harley and Ellie walk out of the ice-cream store. His arm is banded around her waist and she’s laughing as she gazes up at him. She looks so fucking happy, and it kills me to think that I tried to keep them apart for no reason other he’s Tom Breed’s brother–and I was an asshole.
I still don’t even know exactly what happened with Tom. Everyone blames me for him getting locked up, but we were mates. Not to mention Jasper and I were his best customers. I never would have squealed on him.
Just as I pull into the driveway, Dad’s walking out to his car. I spit out a curse.Can this day get any worse? I consider sitting in the car until he’s gone, but he stands there waiting with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Where have you been?”.
“Out.”
