“Sloane didn’t figure it out tonight,” I say.
His eyes come to me.
“Excuse me?”
“Yes. You heard me right. He was after Raven from day one.”
“She said that?” he sneers, a dark grin twisting his lips.
“He was after her before he could tell anything about her behavior. Besides, this is not about her life. She hasn’t done anything wrong. Why are we talking about her as if she’s the villain?”
“She’s too…”
He stops, persuaded by my glare.
If he wanted to say stupid, that word has never left his lips.
“She doesn't know her interest,” he says. “Whatever you two have going on shouldn’t prompt her to act erratically. A job is a better bet than a sexual thing with her boss.”
His disdain is hardly news to me. I know he doesn’t care about her or me or that we have sex with other people.
At the same time.
He’s not a righteous person, a stoic, a martyr.
He’s never lived an ascetic life.
His overall contempt for people he considers minions and useful tools is hardly a surprise.
“So, yeah… I wouldn’t put much stock in what she says or how she describes her life or judges other people. She obviously doesn’t know much, and of course, she’s interested in making you think it’s everybody else’s fault but hers.”
It takes a second for his words to percolate in my mind before I charge at him and hit him in the face.
He falls back over the table, my grip iron-hard on his neck. Dizzy at first, he pushes back, fighting me, but I hold him down.
“Sloane was after her since day one when no one knew shit about her. When she had barely met these people, your buddy included. He didn’t glean shit from her behavior. He knew about her from you. Now, why did you talk to him about her? I have no idea. Maybe you were chitchatting with him, and he seemed interested in her, and you gave him the green light to do whatever he wanted. People like him don’t need much. He’s battered and sexually assaulted women before.”
I take my hands off him and step back while he pushes to his feet, running his fingers over his neck and through his hair.
I continue.
“I don’t tell you how to run your private business. And so far, you’ve stayed out of mine, but for some reason, you felt compelled to talk to him about her. You knew who he was, yet you recklessly did it anyway, just because. That’s why I’m asking you as nicely as I can. If he goes to jail, so be it. If he doesn’t go to jail, never consider bringing him back, or you’ll regret it.”
With that, I spin around and storm out.