AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Didn’t you hear me trying to get in?” I snapped, swinging my hand in the direction of the door. “You just sat there!”
Ken gave me that look. That condescending fucking look that said, I’m going to speak to you in small words now because you’re clearly emotional and beyond all reason. “You have a key. I didn’t think you—”
“Whatever!” I cut him off as I made my way into the kitchen to drop my purse on the counter. Leaning over Ken’s stainless-steel sink, I alternated between drinking the water straight from the tap and splashing it on my face. When I shut off the faucet and dried myself off, I turned around to find the kitchen empty.
Stomping back into the living room, I glared at the motherfucker in the brown leather armchair. He looked fresh-faced and well rested in a Peachtree Road Race T-shirt and a pair of running shorts. He looked like a bastard who didn’t give two shits that his girlfriend had been up all night, pacing hospital floors and worrying that her mother might not ever speak or walk again.
“So, this is it? We’re doing this again?” I fumed, clamping my hands down onto my jutting hip bones.
“Doing what?” Ken furrowed his angular brows at me as if he had absolutely no idea what I could possibly be upset about.
“We’re playing the game where I feel really fucking sad about something”—my face crumpled—“and you stay as far away from me as you can get until it goes away.” My voice broke. The levees broke. The dam that had been holding back my emotions for my mother’s sake broke, and there was no one there to help me put it back together.
I stood in the middle of Ken’s living room and cried while he tried to figure out what the fuck to do about it.
“Brooke…”
“Shut up!” I yelled, burying my face in my hands.
Not only did Ken shut up, he stood up and walked right out of the fucking room.
My cries morphed from a silent sob to a keening wail as soon as he was gone. I curled up on the couch, pulling my knees to my chest, and hugged myself until I fell asleep.
I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. It was still light outside, but Ken was nowhere to be seen.
Stumbling into the kitchen, I answered on what had to be the hundredth chime.
“Scooter! Your mom’s awake, and she’s talking up a storm. She sounds like a drunken pirate though.” My dad chuckled as my mom slurred something inappropriate in the background. “But the doctors say she’ll be back to normal in a few days.”
“That’s great, Dad.” I meant it, but I sure as fuck didn’t sound like it.
“You okay, Scooter?”
“Yeah. Sorry. You woke me up, so I’m a little out of it.”
“Well, go let Ringo out, then get your ass up here with some pizza. Your mom told a nurse that their food tastes like dog shit.” He chuckled again.
“Okay.” I yawned. “See you soon.”
Dropping my phone into my purse, I noticed a note scrawled on a pad of paper next to it on the counter.
Brooke,
I have to go to work. Sorry about your mom. I hope she’s okay.
Ken
Picking up the pen lying perfectly parallel to the pad of paper, I flipped the page and wrote a note of my own.
Dear Ken,
Go fuck yourself.
And your little chair, too.
BB
Then, I ripped both pages out of the notebook, wadded them up, and threw them in the recycle bin out in the garage.
