I’d been able to juice up my phone on the way here since Ares had a charger in his car, and Callum had left me a couple messages. He mentioned basically the same thing Ares had told me at the hospital, so I hadn’t bothered calling him back. It was late, so I left him a text I’d call him in the morning.
“Did he now?” Ares’s gaze bored over the room. He studied the light fixtures and cabinets before finding my eyes. “Any reason why the dude left you hanging tonight?” He shrugged. “He’s supposed to be your guardian, right? Where was he and why did I have to tell you what was going on with your brother?”
I frowned. “He didn’t leave me hanging.”
“He did.” Ares took a step, and I didn’t get the attitude change. “And where does he go anyway? He just leaves you guys here? All alone and shit.”
“Because he’s not our dad,” I stated, not that I had to explain it to him. I braced my arms. “And he didn’t leave me hanging. He tried to call me, but my phone died.”
“Hmm,” Ares grunted, like an actual grunt. He stood tall. “Well, where is he? Is he coming?”
His phone message said he’d try. I didn’t know where he was right now, but I assumed on business. He always was when he wasn’t here.
But again, I didn’t need to tell him that. I wet my lips. “You know what? Thanks for tonight. Thanks for taking me home, but I’m probably good at this point.”
That was my nice way of saying he needed to go home, and there went our record for not arguing. He just couldn’t help but be himself.
I left him standing in the middle of the kitchen, opening the cabinets for some hard liquor. I needed a shot, and he laughed behind me.
“You’re getting tanked this late?”
“Doesn’t hurt the situation.” Things were already fucked. I pulled out the bourbon.
“Going straight for the hard stuff, I see.”
I turned to find him smirking.
He leaned back against the counter. “Wouldn’t have taken you for a bourbon drinker, little. Maybe one of those fuzzy pink drinks.” His eyebrow arched. “Those ones with the sugar crystals on the top.”
I flipped him off, and that got me another smirk. It pissed me off enough that I grabbed two glasses instead of the one. The first I poured my shot, and the second I decided to fill with some milk from the fridge.
I got it nice and high, Ares watching me the whole time. His lips thinned. “What are you doing?”
“Pouring a glass for the big boy,” I said, then pushed it to him. “How’s that for your fuzzy pink drinks?”
I’d give it to Ares. He took it and actually lifted his glass to me. “Salut.”
I said it back, completely aware I didn’t know what the word meant. I tossed back my shot the same time he drank his milk.
And the fucker managed to make a competition out of it.
He chugged back his milk with greedy gulps, taking it down just as easily and effortlessly as I did with my small shot. I growled, starting to fill my glass again.
“Okay, little. Slow down.” He raised a hand. “This isn’t a competition.”
I didn’t listen, taking another shot. The burn triggered a coughing fit, and Ares pushed off the counter.
“That’s enough,” he said. He slid the whiskey down the counter. “Why the fuck are you always at me?”
My head shot back. “I think that’s the other way around.” He’d been attacking me from day one, attacking me now. “You come in here jumping down my throat when I’m going through all this shit. My brother could be fucking dying right now, and here I am with you when all I want… All I want…”
His lips parted. “What?”
I didn’t know what. I just knew I was scared, and I felt so alone. I’d felt it for so long, and the only time I had a shred of not feeling that way it’d been taken away. Trampled all over.
And by his fucking friend.
I didn’t want to admit that now, that what I felt not long ago might have been real. Especially in front of Ares. He wouldn’t care. Instead, I swallowed, Ares looking at me from across the kitchen.