My father leaves, slamming my bedroom door. I jump at the sound even though I was expecting it. I’m so fucked. My life as I know it is over as far as Kimberly is concerned. She’ll never listen to me when I tell her that I didn’t fall off the wagon. God, what the fuck happened last night?
Stomping back into my room, I try to rouse Aspen. At first she doesn’t budge, but she wakes up fast when I start pulling her off my bed. She smiles and reaches for me, but I bat away her hand.
“Asshole, what’s your problem?”
“How the fuck did you end up here?”
“You brought me home.”
“Bullshit. The last thing I remember is showing up at the after-party with my girlfriend. You’re not my girlfriend, and for some fucked-up reason she’s not here. What did you do to me?”
“Nothing you didn’t want done.” Aspen sighs and pulls her hair into a bun.
I sit down in the chair, careful to move Kim’s dress. The smell of her perfume washes over me, reminding me of what we did in the car.
“Aspen, I need you to be serious with me because I’m about to lose my shit. I worked my ass off in rehab to get clean and found a nice woman that I want to spend my time with, yet somehow you end up in my bed and I don’t remember how it happened. You can tell me the truth, or I’m going to call the cops and tell them I have an intruder in my house. And I’m willing to bet that once they search your bag, you’ll be spending the night in jail.”
She looks around my room, likely contemplating her exit, but there isn’t one. I won’t let her leave without the truth.
“I’m waiting.”
“Why couldn’t you just love me, huh?”
“Because I never saw you like that. Tell me what happened last night.”
She picks at her skin, making her fingers bleed. That’s something Kim would never do. Aspen’s sunken eyes and stringy hair are a far cry from the beauty that Kimberly has.
“I saw you come in with her, and when she left I came over to talk to you. You were drinking water, like a good boy, and I was pissed. You fucking hung me out to dry and with no place to live, so I thought I’d have a little fun.”
“What kind of fun?”
She shrugs as if this is no big deal. To her it probably isn’t, but to me, it’s my life. “I put a little GHB in your water when you weren’t looking. I didn’t think it’d work, but as soon as she came back you wanted nothing to do with her.”
I fight back the tears as my heart breaks, not only for myself but for Kimberly. “What happened between us?”
“Nothing.”
“No sex?”
“Nope. I tried, but you passed out.”
I sit there, unable to look at her, as my stomach rolls. I can’t even imagine what Kimberly is feeling right now. If it’s half of what I am, it’s crippling. “You’re a fucking bitch, Aspen. I used to feel sorry for you, but now I feel nothing but hatred. Get the fuck out of my house and my life. Don’t come around, don’t show up at any VeeP events. If you think I’m going to be there, don’t go. If I see you, I will ruin you.”
She calmly gathers her things and exits my room. I should walk her out, make sure she leaves, but the only thing I want to do is get to Kimberly before it’s too late.
I dress quickly in shorts and T-shirt, slipping on my shoes and grabbing the essentials. I run into my dad at the bottom of the stairs as he’s shutting the front door.
“Where are you going?”
“To San Diego.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“I appreciate the concern, but I have to go.”
He doesn’t try to stop me, for which I’m thankful.
I punch the code into the panel and the garage door opens. In my bay is my car and my motorcycle. The car is the smart choice, but right now I don’t want to be smart. I want to be reckless and stupid. And I want to get there faster. My mind is made up when I see my helmet hanging from a peg on the wall. I slip it on over my head and straddle my bike. It’s been far too long since I’ve ridden, and the roar of the engine excites me.