Page 85 of I Could Never
“What’s wrong? You never call me, Josh.”
“I think you were right,” I told him. “About Carly and me.” I tugged on my hair.
“What about Carly?”
“My inability to keep my dick in my pants. I’m a ticking time bomb. I fucked up royally tonight—crossed the line and said some shit I shouldn’t have. The longer we’re here in Woodsboro, the harder this is going to be.”
“What did you say to her?”
Exactlywhat I’d been thinking in the heat of the moment. “You don’t want to know.”
“I think that means it’sdefinitelysomething I’d want to know.”
“It doesn’t matter what I said. Just know that I’m losing it.”
“Hang on,” I heard him say to someone. Then the noise seemed to fade away. “Sorry. I stepped outside so I can hear you better.” He sighed. “Anyway, I know you have this self-imposed rule about not being able to cross the line with Brad’s girl, but you need to think about it from a different perspective. There’s no one around to hurt anymore.”
The reality of Brad being gone forever always hit in waves. A part of me still hadn’t truly grasped that. Michael had just cut to the chase, and it felt like a knife.
“This isn’t just about what Brad might think,” I said when I could take a full breath again. “It’s about my own guilt, regardless of how he’d feel.”
“I get it. And I can’t take that away, but—”
“She’s out on a date tonight,” I blurted.
“Well, that’s fucking stupid. You let her go?”
“What do you meanlether? I don’t own her. We’re not together.” I sighed. “Where are you anyway?”
“The Bar. Vanessa and I are having date night.”
“Shit.”
“Why?”
“That’s where she is.”
Carly had never met Michael, so she would have no idea who he was.
“You’re kidding. Hang on. I’ll go back in and scope out the place. What does she look like again?”
“I don’t want you spying on her…”
He ignored me. “Long blonde hair?”
“Yeah…” I paced and chewed my lip, waiting for him to say something.
“Holy crap. I think I see her. She’s wearing a black dress, right? And she’s with a dude and another couple. There’s only one pretty blonde in the place. Has to be her.”
There was no sense in denying it. “Yeah, that’s her.”
“Hang on,” he said.
I could hear the muffled sound of him talking to his wife.
“Sorry, I wanted to fill Vanessa in.”
“Please don’t go up to Carly.”