I sat in my car, feeling numb. Yeah sure, I know Ina doesn't give a damn about me anymore. But she should have had the decency not to fuck my twin brother, shouldn't she? I felt like someone clawed a hole in my chest. I pressed my forehead against the wheel, trying to figure out a way to breathe. Tears slid down my nose, finally dropping on my dress.
When I got home I took a shower and put on an oversized shirt and cutoffs. Then I went back downstairs and waited for Warren. At 2:14 a.m., I heard his car pull up in the driveway. I tensed up, but I had already decided on confronting him.
The door opened and his eyes zeroed in on me. “Hiya, sis. Heard you had fun with Pomelo King. Was she good? Ya know, she did the team a week ago...”
“Was Ina good?” I asked flatly.
He smiled. “Yeah, she was.”
He never saw my fist coming. He was way taller than me, but I got his jaw pretty hard. He stumbled back, a flare of rage and amusement flickering in his eyes before a calm, calculated look settled on his face again.
“Fuck you, you self-righteous bitch,” he said coolly, his hand massaging his face. “You get to fuck Pomelo but you expect Ina to be celibate?”
“Fuck you, too, you fucking snake. I didn’t sleep with that blonde bitch. You knew how I still felt about Ina...”
"She was the one who started it.”
“Don’t lie to me you bastard, your own fucking monkey went to get me!”
“If you want her, why don’t you fucking grow some balls and tell her you still love her? Oh right, you have no balls because...” Warren paused, his eyes growing colder, his lip curling.
“Say it,” I hissed, glaring at him, clenching up my hand.
“You’re a girl,” he smirked.
This time he was ready. He caught my arm before my fist could collide with his face again. He threw me on the couch and started up the stairs.
“Stay out of my way, Justin,” he called over his shoulder before slamming his door shut.
***
I shifted gears and drove aimlessly, passing by the sleazy bars of Downtown. I had bought a bottle of Wild Turkey and was now currently drinking out of it. Pretty stupid of me, I know, but I felt stupid. So I continued to drive and drink as I thought about what Warren said. Ina started it, he told me. I snorted. Ina was anything but a slut. It took me half a year to get her to sleep with me. Still, people change… What if she really did? The only way to find out was to ask her. And to ask her, I would have to go to her house.
But could I face her? After all, I was not entirely without fault. I never should have kissed Pomelo. I would have to explain. But why should I explain myself? She was not my girlfriend anymore. Her having sex with Warren was proof enough. But why should she explain to me? I was not her girlfriend anymore. My head started pounding with an imminent headache. Why the fuck was I arguing with myself?
'Go to her,' a small voice in my brain said.
With every mouthful of whiskey, that idea became more appealing. Finally I gave in and in ten minutes I was in front of her house. I dug in my pocket for my phone and saw that it was already 3 a.m. I decided I didn’t care and dialed her up.
After five rings she answered, her voice sleepy. “Justin?”
“I’m outside your house.”
“What?!” I could tell she’s fully awake now. A light went on in her window. The curtains shifted and I saw her looking down in my direction. On the phone came her hiss, “Go away!”
“I won’t.”
“Are you drunk? Are you stoned? Go away, Justin! My dad will kill me!”
“You get down here or I’ll pound on this horn ‘til everybody in your fucking neighborhood is awake, Ina,” I said calmly, no slur despite the whiskey. I was proud of myself.
“If you don’t leave, I’ll kill you myself,” she muttered.
I gave a light tap on my horn. Not loud enough to wake anyone, but loud enough to let her know I’m serious.
“Need any more encouragements?” I asked her lightly.
She didn’t reply, but I could hear her cursing under her breath. A minute later, a figure clad in a terry cloth bathrobe snuck out of the door and crossed the street. I leaned over and unlocked the passenger side door. She slipped in and glared at me.
“What do you want?” she spat.
'If you want her, why don’t you fucking grow some balls and tell her you still love her?' Warren’s voice rang clear in my mind.
“Did you...did you have a good time with Warren?” I looked at her, pulling at the hem of my shirt unconsciously. Why the hell was I nervous?
She didn’t answer for a while then she replied, “Yes, I did.”
It was like someone buried a red-hot knife in my gut and twisted it. “Um..okay,” I managed to strangle out.
“It was just sex, Carson.