Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Me? I hated the attention at all times. Like seriously fucking despised it. Having people I’d never set eyes on before approach me, toss my name about and try and talk to me like they knew me made me uncomfortable. I was in no way unsociable, I just preferred to meet people for myself rather than them shoving themselves right up in my face. Suddenly, because people knew my name, they thought it acceptable to touch me, hug me, stand so close while talking to me I was considering wearing a condom full time to protect myself against accidental penetration.
“That was Neil,” Sawyer said, lowering the phone from his ear and interrupting my internal rant. “Time to go, guys.”
Matt was already in the back of the car and I climbed in next to him. Before the driver brought the engine to life, we sat in such deep silence I could almost hear his heart sink into his stomach.
“We’re all here for you, buddy,” I said, laying a reassuring hand on his knee and squeezing lightly.
Nodding weakly, he forced a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks.”
Matt sighed heavily, bracing himself on the back of the door after watching the last guest drive away. We were back at his place after what I imagined to be the longest day of his life.
“It was a beautiful service,” I said, loosening my tie as I relaxed back onto the couch.
“It was a funeral,” Matt snapped. “Boring and depressing.”
“I’m sorry.” Sorry for my dumbass comment, sorry he’d lost his mom, sorry I couldn’t take his pain away.
“No, no.” Matt shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day. I shouldn’t have snapped. Truth is, today would’ve been impossible without you.”
I offered a small, understanding smile before nodding when Matt held up a bottle of vodka he’d just removed from the liquor cabinet. He meandered toward me, taking a swig of the emotion numbing liquid straight from the bottle before passing it to me.
“What are we? Fifteen?” I joked before pulling a generous sip.
“Exhausted, that’s what we are.” Sighing in agreement, I took another gulp before handing the bottle back to Matt, who was now sitting next to me. “Thank you for everything today. Especially for mingling on my behalf.”
“I said I was here for you and I meant it. Although, you do owe me for forcing me to talk to Adam. The way he looked at me…”
Matt grinned like he knew exactly what I was talking about. “Like you disgusted him?”
“Pretty much. Let me guess, homophobe, right?”
“He’s a fucking everything-phobe. If you don’t live your life exactly the way he does, you’re destined to burn in hell. I don’t know how Ashley doesn’t see it. We used to be so similar.”
“That’s probably for the best. One version of you is about all the world can handle.”
“Screw you.” Matt laughed, his first genuine one of the day as he tugged on the cushion wedged behind his back. I knew from the mischievous spark in his blue eyes he planned to use it as a weapon, so I jerked back, accidentally throwing him off balance and causing him to drop the vodka bottle.
It ricocheted off the edge of the coffee table before shattering into pieces and raining onto the floor. “Shit,” I muttered. “Sorry.”
We both bent down to clean up the mess at the same time, bumping heads on the way.
Matt rubbed at his forehead. “Holy fuck, I think you cracked my skull!”
“Dramatic much?” Snickering, I started to pick up the shards of glass, collecting them in the palm of my free hand. “Shit!” I dragged in a sharp breath through gritted teeth, wincing at the sting of the fresh cut on my finger.
Concern clouding his eyes, Matt reached out to take my hand but I snatched it away. “You’re bleeding,” he noted. “Let me take a look at it.”
“I got it,” I snapped, before quickly picking up the piece of glass that was stained with my blood.
“Fine,” Matt said, holding up his hands in the air. “No need to go all Norman Bates on my ass. Jesus.”
“Sorry,” I replied in a softer tone. “Why don’t you get another bottle while I finish here?”
“Sure,” he agreed, getting to his feet. “Do you need a band aid?”
“That’d be great. Thanks.”
Matt’s eyes narrowed as the cogs began to whir in his brain. “Um, do you know where I keep the band aids?”
Shaking my head, I laughed. “There’re some in the main bathroom. In the cabinet above the sink.”
When Matt disappeared, I swiftly gathered the rest of the broken glass and put it in the trash which I took straight outside. My finger had stopped bleeding by the time I got back inside so I rinsed it under the faucet in the kitchen before running the vacuum around the main living space to eliminate any tiny stray fragments I might’ve missed.