Page 39 of Open for Negotiation
She leaves me sitting alone on my front steps, walking ten paces forwarded then turning back.
“How long have you been fucking her?” she asks, pointing her finger at my phone that is still on the ground.
Boundaries. I have to establish boundaries.
“What I do or don’t do with my private life isn’t your concern or business anymore, Miranda. This is a line you keep trying to cross and you can’t. I don’t relish being an asshole to you, even if you deserve it sometimes, so please stop what you’re doing and go get help. I know you won’t take it from me, so please find someone else who you trust.”
“See. You didn’t deny it. I fucking knew it.” She begins to laugh.
“Out of everything I just said, that’s the point you grasp on to? You have to see how frustrating that is for me? I’m trying to get you help.”
She doesn’t even let me finish. She whips around and charges off down the sidewalk to where, I’m assuming, she left her car.
I don’t call for her to come back, I don’t even try because I know that it’s useless. I don’t know what to do for her anymore. She can only help herself.
I scoop up my phone and head into my house, making sure to lock up behind me, setting my newly established alarm code.
After a shower and a bite to eat, I sink into my sofa with a bottle of beer in hand. I take a swig from the glass, savoring the hoppy, herby bite of the liquid, praying the alcohol will seep into my veins and temper the thoughts that are rolling through my head at warp speed.
After taking another long pull from the bottle, I place it on the coffee table and open up my call log in my cell phone, not even hesitating a second before dialing Scarlett back.
It rings three or four times before her sultry, soft voice graces my ears.
“Hello?”
“Hi, I’m sorry it took me a bit to return your call.”
“No, no, it’s okay. I was just calling to check on you.” I can hear her shuffling around on her end, so I check the time.
Fuck, it’s late.
“Shit, did I wake you up? I didn’t even look at the time before I called.”
“I had lain down to read a book, but I guess I fell asleep. You don’t have to apologize.”
“A book, huh? What are you reading?”
“Don’t try to change the subject. I called to check on you and make sure you were okay. Answer my question honestly, then I’ll tell you all about the book I’m reading.”
I chuckle then grab my beer to take another sip. “Well, I spent a couple hours at the gym rage exercising and now I’m home having a beer, so I’d say I’m okay.”
“Rage exercising sounds like a nightmare to me. I don’t even like normal, regular exercising.”
“Unless it’s with me,” I tease and smile when I hear her intake of breath.
“You’re trying to change the subject again. I appreciate and respect your tactics, but it won’t work with me.”
“I could try harder.”
“Behave, talk to me, then we’ll discuss extracurricular activities.”
Her voice makes my skin prickle in the best way. You know that feeling when you wake up in the middle of the night because you feel like you’re falling?
That’s what I feel when Scarlett says shit like that.
“God, you’re killing me, here.”
“Tick tock, Mr. Duke. I’m pretty sleepy over here. I could just go to sleep.” I can tell without even seeing her that she’s smiling, so begrudgingly, or not so begrudgingly because I have a very hard time saying no to her.
