Sawyer groaned. “You stupid fucking twat, Matt.”
“Pointing out the obvious. Great advice, dude.”
“I think you need it pointing out. A, you weren’t even together back then. B, you didn’t even fucking screw her, and C, Alex knows you’re a moron and he loves you anyway. I can’t believe I’m having to tell you this again. Get up, take a fucking bath, and go talk to him. And for the love of Christ don’t give that skank any more money.”
“She’s not a bad person,” I argued, causing Sawyer to jerk his neck back in disbelief. “I thought she was at first. She was already pregnant when we met and she came to that club with the sole purpose of finding someone to pin the baby on, extort money from, but-”
“But what? Because from here she sounds like a twisted piece of trash.”
“She’s young. She’s got nothing. She’s just scared, Saw.”
“She’s not your responsibility.”
“No, but she could’ve been. I feel bad for her and I can’t just switch that off. You should see where she’s living. It’s nothing more than a damp, mold-infested box, and here I am,” I motioned my hand across the room, “With all this. She might have gone about it the wrong way, but no baby should have to live like that.”
“They shouldn’t, but they do, and it’s not your job to save them all.”
A resounding silence followed. I tipped my head back, massaging my temples.
“I gotta go do something,” Sawyer announced, standing from his chair. “I’ll be back in an hour and by the time I get here you’re going to be clean, alert, and will have shaved that damn scruff off your face. You hear me?”
“Yes, Dad,” I grumbled. He made a valid point. I could smell my putrid armpits every time I moved.
“And by the way,” he added, hovering by the door. “Your dog’s peeing on your rug.”
For fuck’s sake. I swear if he wasn’t so damn cute I’d have smothered him by now.
Something unbelievable happened while I was taking a bath. No matter how vigorously I rubbed the soapy lather into my cock, it refused to grow by even a millimeter. Then, as if I wasn’t frustrated enough, I ripped a chunk out of my face with a razor blade. I was in an all out bad mood by the time I heard Sawyer arrive back.
“Yo, Matt! You up there?” Sawyer called up the stairs.
“My life is over, dude,” I said, jogging down the stairs. “My dick is brok-” I cut myself off, my breath catching in my throat, when I saw Alex sitting on my couch.
“Sit down,” Sawyer ordered, his voice scarily authoritative. Looking to the floor like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, I did as I was told. I perched on the edge of the same couch as Alex, leaving a seat between us, and Sawyer stood in front, towering over us.
“Alex,” Sawyer began. “I’d like to introduce you to my friend Matt. There’s a reason I call him Matt the twat, and that reason is, he’s an idiot.”
I rolled my eyes, opening my mouth to protest and snapping it closed again when Sawyer raised his hand.
“He’s immature, he’s got the attention span of a gnat, the logic of a potato, and he has no idea how to be in a relationship.”
“Are you here solely to insult me?” I interrupted.
“Shut your mouth. I’m not finished.” Sawyer’s gaze shifted back to Alex. “But under all those things, he’s a good guy. A guy with the best intentions, but who happens to fuck them up a lot. And he has. He’s fucked up, but probably not as bad as you think. The place you guys are at right now? It’s unnecessary. Normal adults would’ve talked this through before it escalated to this point. But Matt’s not a normal adult. He’s still learning.”
“Do you even have a fucking point here?” I snapped. I couldn’t wholly disagree with him, but there was only so many times I was prepared to hear what a moron I was before I rammed my fist into his nose.
“My point is that you two love each other and the only issue you have is that you don’t talk. It’s like you’re so scared of losing each other that you keep shit hidden in case you push each other away. When, really, that is what’s keeping you apart. I’m going to leave now, and you two are gonna grow up, man up and fucking talk. Don’t make me come back here or I will hurt somebody.”
Stunned into silence, I stared at my knees when Sawyer left us alone. It didn’t go unnoticed that Alex hadn’t uttered a single word the whole time he’d been here and I knew I’d have to make the first move.
I was wrong.
“For the record I don’t think you’re an idiot.”