“Okay, sure,” I respond, my rough exterior softening.
I unlock the front door and lead her into the house. She shifts on her feet uncomfortably behind me, so I go and sit down on my sofa, motioning for her to take the cushion next to me.
She does and then she takes a deep breath. Her floral scent makes me want to reach out and take her in my arms. I notice her shaking slightly and rest my hand on her back in concern.
“Are you okay?” I ask her and she meets my eyes. Her own are lined with tears, and she shakes her head no. “Tell me what’s going on,” I say in a low voice.
“Everything is a mess right now. Literally everything. I ruined our friendship by kissing you. I just found out my best friend is moving. Jane is dying, and Tripp's selling the bar. How much can one person handle? I feel like I’m breaking.”
At that confession, tears begin to stream down her face, and I reach out and wipe them away. “Please don’t cry,” I tell her.
“And you’re also related to Dennis!” she continues, blubbering out and pointing an accusatory finger at me.
“Wait, what?” I visibly shrink back. “You know Dennis?”
“Yes!” she continues to exclaim. “He’s my best friend Ivy’s horrible ex.”
I stare at her in shock and confusion. “Ivy is your best friend?”
“Yes! And now she’s moving, and I'm convinced that the main reason for it is so she can get away from him.” She continues to cry, her eyes spilling with tears. It breaks my heart to see her crumbling like this. I never even thought to mention that I retrieved Dennis’s boxes from the apartment below hers.
Before I can ask her another question, like summoning the devil, Dennis bursts in through my front door and shouts, “Hey, shitbag! I’m back!”
Chapter 42
Olive
I’m a sobbing mess on Hunter’s couch when my archenemy walks through the front door. IhateDennis, and I know he can’t stand me, either. Ivy learned to keep her relationship completely separate from her friendship with me because we couldn’t get along. I tried to at first, for her sake, but it was pointless. He treated her horribly in front of me and I couldn’t sit by and witness the mistreatment, so I was always calling him out on his crap, which he hated.
“Olive!” Dennis shouts, shock on his face. “You know Cuz?”
I look over at Hunter as he says, “I’ve been holding your crap here for a while, man. Where have you been?” His expression is annoyed, which brings me a little bit of happiness, knowing that he isn’t welcoming Dennis with open arms.
“I went to Vegas with some of the boys.Wild time,” he responds, his eyes wide, strung out.
“Okay, well a heads-up would have been nice. I was getting to the point where I was going to sell your stuff. I’m not a storage facility,” Hunter tells him. “You need to grow up.”
My head bounces back and forth from one guy to the other as they continue to argue. Feeling uncomfortable and like I would rather be anywhere else in the world than in the presence ofDennis right now, I stand and mumble that I’m going to the bathroom.
“Down the hall to the right,” Hunter tells me, kindness in his eyes. I can almost read an apology in them for his cousin showing up.
Once I find the bathroom, I splash chilly water on my face and stare at myself in the mirror. My eyes are swollen and puffy from tears, my cheeks flushed. Dennis probably loves seeing me like this. His ex’s “evil” best friend in obvious distress.
I stare at myself for a second longer, cursing myself silently for coming here this morning. What was I thinking? That I would show up at his door and cry in Hunter’s lap, then somehow everything would work out? I feel pathetic for leaning on him like this. I don’t even know why I continue to spill my guts out to him. It’s a level of vulnerability that I can’t seem to hide when he’s nearby. He brings out a different side of me, a soft and intimate one.
Realizing I've been in here awhile, I click off the light and head back into the hall, where I hear Hunter and Dennis still arguing. This time, it’s about me.
“Don’t talk about her like that,” Hunter commands. His tone is full of aggression.
“I’m just telling you, she’s a huge bitch. She ruined my relationship,” Dennis throws back.
“The only person that ruined your relationship isyou,” Hunter snaps.
I peer around the corner to see Hunter standing in front of Dennis now, his face laced with fury. The argument grows more tense by the second. Dennis is tall but Hunter still towers over him.
“I’m just trying to warn you, man.” Dennis lifts his arms, shrugging. “No pussy is worth the mouth on that bitch.”
At that, Hunter punches him in the face,hard. I let out an uncontrollable gasp as Dennis wobbles backwards. He stumbles into the wall and wipes the back of his hand against his bloody nose and mouth. When Dennis sees red smeared across his hand, he laughs and almost looks manic. I realize he is definitely on something right now, and I know whatever it is, it’s not legal.
