want to be near people who care about me. But like this, with no demands, just support and love.
At least that’s what I think until Brendan opens his big fucking mouth. “Mom called.”
Groaning, I slump back in the armchair I’ve been occupying since I got here. “I know. She called me too.”
He laughs without humor. “Oh, I’m aware. She was ranting about how you hung up on her for close to fifteen minutes. I’m supposed to get you to call her and apologize.”
I crack one eye open in a baleful glare. “Not happening.”
He holds up his hands, palms out. “I figured. And I told her as much, but also promised to pass along the message.” He drains his shot glass and snags the bottle from Lauren to refill it.
“Consider it passed.” I hold out my shot glass for a refill as well. He obliges, and we clink glasses before draining them.
He drops onto the foot of the bed, lounging back on one arm and toying with his glass. I’m just waiting for whatever it is he came to say. Because while Brendan is good at the silent, supportive gig, this is how he acts when he’s working up to a declaration.
His brow furrows, and with his attention still on his shot glass, he says, “I don’t understand what happened though. You said she needed a divorce to get a big contract”—he looks up—“which is fucked, by the way. But if she asked you for a divorce, why is she sneaking into Mom and Dad’s neighborhood looking for you?”
I shrug and mumble, “I found the papers and signed them without talking to her.”
Brendan cocks his head, but it’s Lauren who asks, “What was that? I don’t think I quite heard you.”
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and repeat myself. “She didn’t ask me for a divorce. I found the papers and signed them. She’s been acting strange all week, and I thought maybe it was just anxiety and stress about weighing all her options. I did my best to make it easy on her, letting her know I wasn’t upset she was considering a contract with a label over going indie with me. I thought maybe that was why she was being distant and not talking to me about it, that she was afraid I’d be upset. But then I saw this blank manila envelope, and I wanted to see if it was something important and put it where she wouldn’t lose it, and inside were the divorce papers, all filled out with little sticky flags for where to sign. I figured that was the real reason. She wanted to ask for a divorce and couldn’t figure out how. So I made it easy for her. I signed the papers, and I left so we could avoid the conversation she so clearly didn’t want to have.”
By the time I finish talking, they’re both staring at me, Brendan looking confused, Lauren with gape-mouthed, wide-eyed astonishment.
After a few seconds, she blinks a few times and closes her mouth, before straightening, looking me dead in the eye, and saying, “You are the dumbest dumbshit I’ve ever met. Like, I knew you were a little bit of a self-righteous asshole when you wanted to be, but this?” She shakes her head in disbelief. “I had no idea you could rise to this level of stupidity. Like … what the fuck, dude?”
“Lauren,” Brendan says. She closes her mouth at the sound of her name, still blinking at me before spinning on her heel and leaving.
At first I’m relieved, because the last thing I need right now is for my sister-in-law to berate me for being so stupid. And really, how was that stupid? I was helping Alexis. That’s all I’ve been trying to do all along. Yes, I’ve been helping myself too. But our needs were closely aligned. Once they weren’t, I removed myself from the equation. Why is that stupid?
But apparently Brendan only silenced Lauren so he could lay into me. “She’s right, you know.”
“What?”
He nods toward the open door. “Lauren. She’s right. You’re a dumbass.”
“Thanks, man. Thanks so much. I’m so happy I decided to come here so everyone could tell me how stupid I am.” I stand, running my hand through my hair in frustration, but I sway a little on my feet, because I lost track of how many shots of vodka I had. Lauren kept refilling my glass as soon as I drained it, and then Brendan took over