So fucking lame.I hope his whole damn mouth rots. But I can’t stop myself from listening to them. Of course she tasted sweet. And I bet she was tight too. She is everything a man could want. A man. Not some shithead like Adam.
“You going to go for another round tonight?” one of them asks.
“Hey, I’ll pay you twenty bucks to ditch her at the movies and let me go in your place.”
There’s a pause. I even stop what I’m doing to listen. What is this fucker’s angle?
Adam’s voice is starting to slur. Either he’s still drunk from last night or already started drinking again this morning. Maybe both. “Why would I do that?”
“Forty bucks. And a bag of weed.”
Adam laughs. “You really want a taste, huh? Let me think about it.”
How? How can he even consider doing that to her? She’ll be vulnerable and hurt when he doesn’t show, especially after the night they shared. I slam the truck hood and then begin to put away my tools. Before I climb into the truck, Adam calls out to me. I turn around and stare at him and his group of five buddies. They’re all drinking and smoking weed.
“What’s a date with Sugar worth to you?”
I narrow my eyes and then shake my head. “How about you sober up and go find a job? Make all our lives a little easier.”
“Seems I might’ve found one.”
I ignore him. He seriously can’t be implying he would pimp out his new girlfriend. But with Adam, I’ve learned to expect the worse.
* * *
I hiss as the water runs over my cracked knuckles and scraped hands. Blood and dirt flow down the drain. My body aches, and I feel more like an old man than someone in their twenties. I’ve been on my feet since this morning. I’m sure as soon as I lie down, I won’t move a muscle until tomorrow, when I’ll have to start it all over again. The thought alone has my feet feeling even heavier. Even my eyelids feel heavy. Do I even need to shower tonight? Maybe I should do it in the morning. Might help wake me up.
“Ash!”
I open the bathroom door and poke my head out. “In here, Zuri.”
Zuri walks up to the door and then leans against the wall. “You still have time to make it to the movie.”
“What?”
“I know you heard Adam this morning. He’s passed out in his room. I’m pretty sure he made that deal.”
Son of a “I…” I don’t have any words. And poor Zuri had to hear what a scumbag her brother really is. I’m torn between wanting to explain to her how wrong all of this is and beating the shit out of Adam. Instead, I nod and close the door. Looks like I will need a shower after all.
When I’m finished, I hurry out of the bathroom, still stuffing the only button-up I own into my jeans. Zuri gives me a knowing smirk. “Don’t stay up too late,” I remind her as I continue toward the back door.
My dad’s truck is surprisingly parked for once at our house. I’m impressed it didn’t get towed, but at the same time, I’m annoyed he drove drunk. Since he’s going to be out of it for a while, I decide it’s mine for tonight. I have ten minutes to make it to the movies. Hopefully none of those dickheads have made a move on Sugar yet.