* * *
“I think it’s my turn to drive,” Duke said, deftly taking the keys I’d unearthed from my purse.
I nodded. “I think you’re right,” I agreed, not slurring my words, but I was almost singing them. A sure sign of a tipsy Polly. Because one of the things I never did when sober was sing. I was considerate of people around me, and wouldn’t subject them to my tone-deaf tunes when sober. So, despite the fact I’d only nursed two beers over the two hours Rain and I had gone over six years of pain—Duke had sat at another table for most of the night, and that meant I had to spill the reasons why, reasons that ended up into the whole story—I was tipsy.
And tipsy meant no way was I driving.
Drunk driving was something I was violently against. Not just because if someone crashed, and killed themselves, it was their families and friends that had to suffer through a preventable death. But because it could kill someone going about their life, completely sober, doing everything right.
The person doing wrong usually walked away.
Duke opened the door for me and he was in the driver’s seat in what seemed like a long blink.
“You know, there’s really no excuse for drunk driving,” I said. “Not with things like Uber. Or, you could just do what I did, get married to an a-hole, divorce him, not see him for a year and then have him accost you in a restaurant so your brother in law gets his security firm to cover you.”
“Agreed. But it is a heck of a long game to play for a free and sober ride home,” Duke said, smile in his voice.
“Yeah, Uber is most likely much easier. And it won’t ruin your life.”
There was a long silence after my words.
“Could you take me somewhere?” I asked.
“You got a hankering for a cheeseburger?” he asked knowingly.
I shook my head. But I did kind of feel like one. Veggie burger, of course. ”No. Do you by any chance know where Heath lives?”
Another pause. Duke was grinning.
“Yeah, I do by chance know.”
* * *
I stared up at the building in awe. “This isn’t where Heath lives now.”
“Well I sure hope it is since I’ve been pickin’ him up for our workouts every Saturday for three years,” Duke said dryly.
I continued to stare. “He’s still here,” I whispered.
I was looking at the same apartment building I’d lost my virginity in years before. The exact same one.
I’d assumed now that Heath was out of the Marines, he would’ve made a home, a real one. I knew Keltan paid his employees well, so Heath could’ve afforded a condo in a nice area, even in L.A.
But he was still here.
I wanted to cry.
But I didn’t.
I turned to Duke. “Thanks for bringing me.”
“Thanks for asking me to bring you,” he said.
I furrowed my brows in question.
“Heath’s a buddy. We don’t talk about shit ‘cause…well, we’re guys, and we don’t talk about shit, but I know he’s hurtin’,” he explained. “Know he’s been hurting. And I know it’s never as simple as it seems on the surface, so I don’t judge you even a little bit for holdin’ back. Understand it, in fact. But I’m thankful you’re here.” He nodded to the building.
“Well, you might be the only one,” I said, sobering instantly at the reality of what I was doing. And being faced with the fact that Heath might not want me here.
That Heath might not be alone.
The mere thought filled my mouth with bile.
He had every right to have someone else in his bed. I’d married someone else, for Christ’s sake.
“Whatever you’re thinkin’ about, you cut the shit right now,” Duke commanded. “He’s gonna be thankful you’re here. You trust me on this. Fucker can’t get out of his own way, ‘cause, well…he’s a fucking guy and we can’t swallow our pride at the best of times. This ain’t the best of times. But I’ve got a feelin’ it might be able to turn into that, you get outta this car and stop overthinking shit.”
Overthinking.
No one in my life would’ve ever accused me of that before.
But that’s what I was doing.
I leaned over to kiss Duke’s clean-shaven cheek. “Thank you.”
“Didn’t do anything, but I’ll take the thanks.” He winked at me. “Now get outta the fucking car, babe.”
I did as I was asked.
But I stopped to lean back in before I closed the door. “Will you stay, just in case he slams the door closed in my face?”
“He won’t.”
“But will you stay, just in case?”
“Sure, babe.”
I decided that I loved Duke.
The walk into the building and the ride up the elevator was strange, because it was familiar and foreign at the same time. I’d unwittingly replayed the night Heath and I first met tonight, well, sans Heath. I wished I’d had more beer since sobriety was coming as fast as the numbers on the elevator climbed.