“It is, when used to describe you.”
“You really hate men, don’t you? Not sure I’d like to be your ex,” I deadpan.
“Go to hell.”
“Andi’s already kicked me out of her bed. Isn’t that hell enough?”
“Really?” She seems genuinely surprised, and scrunches her eyebrows in protest. She’s given me more info in that one word question than she realizes.
“Yeah.” I clear my throat and stand up from the stool. “Anyway, I’ll see you around, Haley.”
“Sure. Bye, Colby.” She smirks when I look at her, confused. “I’ll always call you, Colby. It’ll remind you of where you came from, and how you hurt my sister.”
“Ah,” I say, and leave the kitchen.
When I’m standing on Andi’s porch, I realize Mac drove us here, and I have no way home. I’m also at least an hour away from the city. There’s no way an Uber will be out here in a decent time.
I drop my location to Levins, and then call him to wake him up. He left the bar last night with a girl, so I doubt he is up. Surprisingly, right before I’m about to hang up, he picks up. “You’re up early,” he grunts.
“Yup, I got kicked out. Can you come get me?”
“Get a cab.”
“I’m in the middle of the country. There’s nothing available. Please. I’ll buy us breakfast.”
“I’m balls deep, right now.”
“Must not be a good tail if you picked up the phone.”
Levins lets out a huff. “Fine. I’ll text you when I’m on my way.”
He hangs up the phone without saying goodbye. I rest on the bench swing at the end of the porch to wait. It’s a nice, oversized cushioned bench, so I’m able to sprawl out and sleep on my stomach. There are even a ton of pillows and a throw blanket.
Andi has really gone out of her way to make this place a home. Meanwhile, my two-bedroom house is a mess. I bought a fixer upper for cheap without ever having a single handy job in my life.The toilet bowl runs if you don’t jiggle the handle. I haven’t changed the smoke detector batteries since I moved in, and the kitchen needs a major update. I do a good job of cleaning, but I’m a horrible homemaker.
I drift off to sleep a few moments later, and wake when Andi opens the front door. I lay still when I hear her talking, and pretend to be asleep.
“It’s ridiculous to think that you find him even remotely attractive. But if you’re telling me you want to date my brother, then I will support that decision.”
“That’s disgusting and not what I said,” Haley snorts.
“You said he was a good kisser.”
There’s silence as she locks the door, and then I hear them whispering. It’s too low for me to catch the conversation. “Colby.” Haley’s voice is in my ear and I shoot up, pretending I was still asleep. “You good?”
“Sorry,” I say, standing up. “I was waiting for my ride. I didn’t mean to impose.” I turn to Andi, who is frozen by the door. “I’ll… I can wait somewhere else.”
“It’s fine. I forgot we all drove together. Is your car at the bar? We can take you,” Andi says, heading for her car.
“There he is.” I point to the car driving up the way. Levins’ car comes to a stop beside Andi’s in the driveway, and we all walk towards the vehicles together.
“I’ll see you, Dom,” Andi calls, as she climbs into her truck. I wave, and climb into the passenger side of Levins’ car and bury myself in the seat, ignoring the smug look on his face.
“I don’t understand,” he laughs, and shakes his head.
“What?”
“You’re so fucking old! How do you manage to get these young, good-looking girls? And one that should hate you, at that. And here I am, picking you up, and there’s two of them.”
There’s a lot to unpack in that statement. “First off, thirty-nine is not old. Andi is thirty-one, she is older than you. Second, I would never fuck Haley. Third, never say my woman is hot again. In fact, if I catch you looking at her ass, I’ll throat jab you.”
Levins continues to laugh as he puts his car in reverse, and follows Andi down the long driveway, away from her house.
I ignore him as he asks questions about her, because they are questions that I don’t have answers to.