Lines Drawn (Drawn to You #2) - Ker Dukey Page 0,4

laying all the cards on the table, he made it about me not being good enough for his little sister.

My eyes trace to my watch again, and a sigh leaves my lips as Finlay comes through the exit of the hospital. He rolls his eyes when he sees me and strides towards where I’m standing. “Why are you here again?”

I should lay him flat out; his attitude and superiority complex is getting way out of hand, but I’m not a monster. I understand what he’s going through, and as his friend, I’ll let him be a jerk.

“I want to check on Antonia and see if you’re okay,” I tell him, which is the truth.

“Yeah, I’m fucking dandy.”

He waltzes past me towards the parking lot, making me have to jog to keep up with him.

“Do you know when she’s allowed home? Has Gaby been to see her?”

He stops walking, almost causing me to bump into his abruptly still form. Turning to face me, his eyes are hard. His brow scrunches low over them in anger. “Stay away from Gaby.”

Anger straightens my spine.

This shit again.

I don’t need to stay away from her, and she’s staying away from me, all because some false information fabricated from who the fuck knows where.

“You’re wrong, you know?” I shake my head with annoyance. “How the hell you got to that conclusion, I don’t know, and quite frankly, don’t care much anymore. But you’re wrong, and you need to be careful what information you throw out there in future.”

His eyes squint in exasperation. “How do you know I’m wrong?”

“Because I fucking asked, Fin! Something you should have probably done.”

Shaking his head at me, he picks his pace back up. Reaching his car, he shouts over his shoulder, “I haven’t got the patience for this shit,” before getting inside and speeding off, leaving me watching his fucking taillights disappear in the distance.

Fuck this. Fuck him. I need to get to the bar.

TWO MORE DAYS AND still no word from Antonia. Forcing myself not to go back to the hospital and instead relying on Gaby to keep me informed me is infuriating. I re-read the text from Gaby that Antonia’s mother told her she’s bringing her home today. She can keep me away at the hospital, but she can’t ignore me once she’s home.

I can’t even remember how I got here, but I’m looking out the window of my apartment, half a bottle of Jack coursing its way through my veins and giving my mind a reprieve.

I’m beginning to hate this place. How things can go from good to bad and back again in circles is exhausting. It’s tempting to burn this entire building to the ground and start fresh. If only life was really that simple. Just erase pain to ash and blow it away, so you’re not tainted by it. The empty noise is deafening. Grabbing the remote from the side table, I press the button and breathe in relief when music fills the space, resonating off the walls and surrounding me in its company. It’s not even my music; it’s something Gavin must have left in there. Soft vocals hum through the speakers, caressing my anger and sorrow. Tears spring without warning to my eyes. I don’t understand why I’m here alone and not with my woman.

Fuck this.

Squeezing the neck of the Jack tight in my fist, I make my way down in the elevator to Antonia’s apartment.

The door is open, and there’s a strong smell of disinfectant pungent in the air. There no sign of what happened; someone has been here and cleaned. I hadn’t even thought about that shit until just now. I should have been here and got things ready for her coming home. I’m a selfish prick. Gaby must have been in here or sent someone here. It’s too clean to be Gaby. I love my sister, but she’s not one for cleaning.

Exhaustion washes through every part of me, weakening my legs. I move to the couch and throw myself down. The whiskey splashes around, splashing from the top of the bottle and covering my hand in its elixir.

Closing my eyes and sleeping off the buzz from the liquor is probably best, but I’m too wired to give in to the fatigue.

Staring at the same spot on the ceiling stings my eyes. She’s still not home and it’s been hours. My leg tingles from vibrations coming from my cell in my pocket. I’m not sure I want to see who it is,