to himself than to me.
“Go right ahead, big shot.” I spread my arms wide, inviting him over. “Take a swing at me.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“For real, Jack—what are you waiting for? If I’m such a jerk for stealing your girlfriend, go ahead and punch me.” I poke at my jawline with the tip of my finger. “Right here. Go ahead. Hit me.”
I’m egging him on, the idea of being walloped in the face a welcome feeling in comparison to the one churning inside my gut.
Guilt.
Guilt.
Guilt.
“You don’t have the guts to do it, you puss—”
JB fucking hits me.
Draws back and, with a closed fist, decks me right in the fucking face before I have a chance to react, or duck, or move out of the goddamn way.
I rear back, shocked.
I know I was provoking him, but Jesus Christ, I didn’t think he’d actually have the balls to do it.
Stunned, it takes me a few seconds to move. Then I lunge forward, hands gripping him by the shirt collar. He’s unsteady on his feet, so I shove him against the wall with all the force of a man who has finally hit his breaking point. One who’s had enough bullshit to last a lifetime.
JB’s drunk ass recovers, managing another swing, this time catching me in the eye—which is bound to leave a mark—and I shove him again, locking his arms down with my entire body.
“Enough.”
“You’re not the boss of me,” he retorts.
“Yeah, I am.” He does nothing around here, and he can’t tell me what to do; it’s just taken me this long to realize it.
“I don’t want you seeing that LoveU hoe again,” he slurs.
“What did you just call her?”
“I said,” he repeats slowly, “I. Don’t. Want. You. Seeing. That. LoveU. Hoe.”
That’s what I thought he said. “If you don’t like it, pack up your shit and get out of my house.”
His bloodshot eyes roll. “You don’t own this place.”
“No, but my name is the only one on the leasing agreement. You technically don’t exist.”
“What?” Why does he look so surprised? Did he not know this?
“I’m letting you live here because I’m a nice fucking guy, and you needed a nice fucking place to live, so I let you stay in my nice fucking house.” I give him a jostle so I have his full attention. “Piss me off by hitting me again, and I’ll call the landlord and have you kicked out.”
“You wouldn’t do that. You don’t have the guts.” He’s a bit too cocky in my opinion, so I knock him down a peg.
“Try me.”
His smug smile falters as he tries to readjust himself, attempting to wriggle out of my firm grip.
“Whatever. Let me go.”
“Not until you’re cool with me dating Skylar. And when she comes over, I don’t want you to say a damn thing to her about any of this. Got it?”
His mouth thins into a straight line, refusing to concede.
“Got it?”
“And if I don’t?”
“I just told you what I’ll do—I’ll kick you out.” It’s going to be awkward enough as it is after this. We’ve never been in a fight (mostly because I always bite my tongue), let alone a physical altercation. “And you’re going to be a goddamn gentleman when you see her so she doesn’t feel unwelcome.”
His nostrils flare.
He hates being told what to do, and now I’m the one making the rules.
The long overdue ground rules.
“You’re hurting me,” JB whines.
I relax my hold on him so he can sag a little. “Oh chill out. I am not hurting you, you big baby.”
“Yes you are. You’re bigger than I am, cocksucker.”
It’s about time he recognized that fact.
It’s about time he looked at me with some respect.
JB steps out of my hold, back into the hallway where he should have stayed to begin with.
“Fine,” he says. “I won’t be a dick.”
“Fine. You can stay.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
Me: I told him.
Skylar: New phone, who dis.
Me: Knock it off.
Skylar: Sorry. I’ve always wanted to do that.
Me: You’re responding to me, so I’ll take that as a good sign.
Skylar: You started the conversation with “I told him” so now I’m curious about what that means. It sounds kind of ominous.
Me: I told JB about us.
Skylar: Okayyyy…
Me: Will you let me explain myself?
Skylar: Yes.
Me: Really? I thought for sure you’d tell me to go fuck myself.
Me: Can I come over?
Skylar: Yes.
Me: When?
Skylar: Tomorrow night. 5:00.
Me: See you then.
Skylar
“Abe is coming over. Can you make yourself scarce? We have shit to talk about and I don’t need you eavesdropping.” I hunt my roommate down