Fake Love - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,65
an actual mother.
Remember, her only interest in me was my interest in getting revenge on Noah, Easton, and Xavier.
“We’re fine,” I said.
“No running and passing out?”
“That’s just so funny,” I said.
“I should be lecturing you on drinking, drugs, and sex,” my mother said.
“You would be the expert there, right?” I asked.
My mother froze in place. “So you remember how to be a smart ass, huh?”
“I don’t think you could ever forget that,” Gia said.
“True,” my mother said. “What do you think, Gia? Does she have any of her memory back or what?”
What the fuck is she doing?
My face turned red.
“No matter what happens, Winter is awesome,” Gia said.
“Yeah she is,” my mother said. “See you two later.”
“Be safe,” I called out.
My mother disappeared and I looked at Gia.
“You look flustered,” she said.
“Uh… I’m just trying to understand that still. The way she is. Your mother too.”
Gia shrugged her shoulders. “They blame men. Then again, maybe they just like it like this. I really don’t care. It’s better than them bringing men home who pretend to care and then don’t and it gets all messy.”
“Yeah, good point there,” I said. “I think we have enough messy right now as it is.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Gia said.
“Me too,” I said.
“Me three,” a third voice chimed.
Gia was mid drink and she stopped and coughed, spitting vodka down on the steps.
Talon appeared and smiled, knowing he moved like a stealthy ninja.
Wearing his dirty, old Troc clothes.
Looking like a Troc.
Taking pride in being a Troc.
Knowing that being near Bumps was frowned upon, but that I kind of needed him.
Which I didn’t like at all.
“Talon,” Gia said.
He put his right foot up on the second step and leaned forward.
He gently wiped his thumb on the corner of Gia’s mouth.
“You had a little drip there, darling,” he whispered. He then tasted his thumb. “Nasty ass vodka.”
“And what do you drink?” I asked.
“I’m a Troc,” he said. “We can’t afford that expensive shit. You know that, Winter. Right?”
“Oh, right,” I said. “You probably just drink each other’s piss and hope you get drunk off that.”
“Winter, that’s disgusting,” Gia said.
“Why the fuck would I do that?” Talon asked. “How would I get drunk?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why say it?” Talon asked.
“Because I felt like it.”
“That was just dumb to say,” he said.
“Well, fuck you then,” I snapped. “What are you doing here?”
Talon winked at me. “You know why I’m here, right?”
My face burned red hot again.
I looked at Gia.
Her nostrils flared for a second, like she was mad at me.
She must have thought I was blowing her off again for Talon.
Which wasn’t true… in a sense.
Talon looked at Gia. “You want to join us, darling?”
“You’re disgusting too,” Gia said.
“Too?” I asked. “Are you calling me disgusting?”
Gia stood up. “You know what? You two enjoy each other. This is fucked up. All of it. Completely fucked up.”
Gia pushed by Talon and took off.
I lunged forward and ran to catch up.
I was lucky Gia wasn’t really running.
When I grabbed for her hand, she ripped it away.
“Leave me alone, Winter,” she snapped.
“Gia, wait,” I said. “It’s not what you think. I’m not fucking Talon. I swear on my life.”
Gia stopped and looked back at me. “On your life?”
“Gia, what’s going on?”
“So what is he doing here then?” she asked. “He always just sneaks around. Shows up at night. You hurry to get rid of me. I mean, at first, fine, it was kind of cool… for you…”
“Please, Gia,” I said.
“I’m just going home,” she said. “Okay? I’m not going to say anything else. I just want to go home.”
A true best friend would have just spilled it all right there for her. Or would have went with her and told Talon to fuck off for real.
But I wasn’t a true best friend.
I was a friend. I appreciated Gia. I liked her.
But my focus was…
Gia walked away and I just stood there for a few seconds.
She was gone.
Talon was waiting.
This was my new life.
Talon drank from the vodka bottle and smacked his lips together really loud.
“You know, this shit is good,” he said. “I can see why you Bumps enjoy it so much.”
“Do you realize what you just did?”
“What?”
“You can’t just show up like this. I consider Gia a friend, okay? And this is really hard to live through.”
Talon touched his chest. “Oh, my heart aches for you, Winter.”
“You’re a piece of shit. You fucking Troc.”
Talon put the vodka bottle down and stood up. He put his hand out. “Get me my money and