"I mean," I said, "that you have no idea what it's like to be me. Wanna know what'll happen ifyoulose your keys? Your parents will buy you new ones. Wanna know what happens tomewhen I lose my keys? I get locked out." My voice rose. "And I don't have a single fucking person I can call."
"Yeah? That's funny," she said, "because actually, you've calledmeplenty of times.Andmy parents. Or do you pretendthoseare yours too?"
I felt my face grow hot. "That's unfair, and you know it."
"Whatever." She started walking toward the door. "You know what? Fuck the dorm keys. You're right. I'll just have my rich Mommy and Daddy bail me out like they always do."
"Erika, c'mon. I'm sorry, alright?"
"Why should you be sorry? You're exactly right. I wouldn’t know a real problem if it bit me on the ass."
"C'mon. I never said that."
"Whatever. I'm just saying, so what if you're just the house-sitter? It's not like you're Hitler, for God's sake."
"I never said I was."
"And if you like this guy enough to let him stick his dick in you, then you sure as shit should like him enough to be honest with him."
With that, she opened the front door and stalked out toward her car.
"Oh yeah?" I yelled out the open doorway. "Tell that to the guy who thinks you're a stripper!"
Chapter 28
After Erika peeled out of the driveway, I slammed the door, stumbled back to bed, and cried myself to sleep. By the time I woke, it was late afternoon.
Lawton aside, the argument with Erika haunted my thoughts. We'd argued before, but never like that. It was my fault. I just knew it. I'd been crabby from the moment she showed up. It was no wonder we'd gotten into a huge, screaming fight.
I pulled out my cell phone and gave her a call. It went straight to voicemail, and I didn't leave a message. When I apologized, I wanted to do it directly.
About Lawton, maybe she was right. Maybe she wasn't. But I had no right to snap at her just because she'd given me an honest opinion. And in truth, I loved that poster. She'd made it herself. She'd come all the way down from college just to give it to me.
If anyone was spoiled, it was me.
Heading out the front door to walk Chucky, I stopped short at the sight of my car in the driveway. I vaguely recalled noticing it earlier, but with everything else going on, I hadn't done more than wonder.
After the walk, I got Chucky settled in the house and returned to the driveway alone. Holding my breath, I settled myself into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition. It started on the first try.
This had to be Lawton's doing. Other than the busboy who'd given me a ride home, Lawton was the only one who knew about my car troubles.
I turned off the car and dialed Lawton's cell phone.
When he answered, I said, "So, I've got this mysterious car in the driveway."
"Yeah?" he said. "How mysterious?"
"Well, itlookslike mine. But apparently, it can drive all by itself."
"Hmm."
"Even when it's broken down."
"Or maybe," he said, "it was just a dead battery."
"Aha!" I said. "You went and got it, didn't you?"
"It depends," he said. "If I did, is that a good thing? Or a bad thing?"
