At first I can't find Julie, but then I see her. It’s nice to see her smiling and having fun. It’s been so many years since I last saw her happy. I turn back to my table and sigh a breath of relief when I turn and realize Jett is gone. Julie is dancing and enjoying herself, so I go to the bar and order another rum and coke. From across the club, I can see Jett shooting pool with some other guys. Every so often, I feel someone's eyes on me, and I'm pretty sure it's him.
As the night winds down, I go looking for Julie and find her making out with the strange guy in a booth. I huff an impatient sigh and wait for her to finish.
“Oh, go ahead and go home, I’ve got a ride,” she says with a giggle.
“I need your keys.”
She passes them to me without ever breaking eye contact from the member she’s about to shack up with.
“Call me in the morning, ok?” She nods and goes back to sucking his face off. As I sit in the car, I laugh at the shitty situation. She dragged me out with her and then left me all alone after five minutes. Typical. I dig into my purse and fish my phone out. I scan through pictures from high school. There are a million of Jett and I, so how could I forget his face? It’s certainly not as boyish as it once was. He was hot then, but now, he’s downright panty melting. My heart stops beating when I see that I have seven text messages from Ty. “Oh shit,” I think to myself as I put the car in drive.
As I walk up to the front door, my heart is hammering loudly in my ears because I'm afraid. Quickly slipping off my shoes, I open the door, slowly, and to my surprise, there is Ty, sitting in the chair, a dozen roses in hand.
“I love you,” he says, getting up. He comes over, slipping his hands down to my hips and kissing my cheek. Wrapping my arms around him, I stand on my tip toes and place my lips on his.
“How was your evening? How’s Ella?” I ask impatiently for an update.
“She’s fine, sleeping. You can check on her if you want.”
I grab the flowers and put them in a vase. Then I watch as Ty heads to bed and I slip into Ella’s room. I climb into her twin bed with her and snuggle in.
“Mama?”
“Yes, baby?”
“You look sad. Why you sad, Mama?”
“I’m not sad, baby, just thinking, go back to sleep.” She snuggles in closer and we both shut our eyes. Except I know I’m the only one who dreams of Jett Stewart. Her father.
13
Jett
Fuck, I’m hungover. The brothers know how to party like no crew I’ve ever been around. I remember doing body shots with five, no six girls, and then there was… Cami. Oh shit, that’s right, Camryn was here. She was in the clubhouse, with me. And I didn’t do shit about it. She escaped right after I found her.
“Wilson, where the hell are you?” I ask, putting one foot on the floor and grabbing my head. Damn, I have the spins. And I slept on a couch?
“Wilson?” Is he even here? Then I hear some bottles crash near the pool table. He’s lying on top of it with a half-naked girl. She has nice tits, and I don’t avert my eyes as she falls back to sleep.
“What? Stewart, what the hell? I was sleeping!”
There’s guys and women passed out all over the clubhouse, but no members. Just prospects and club whores; everyone else has a room, or a place to sleep. We’ll have to clean this shit up and send the nonmembers home.
“I'm going to make some coffee,” a broad says as she passes us. She has her clothes on, but she’s a cute little thing.
“Wilson, tell me why in the hell Camryn Ruiz was here last night. And why didn’t you tell me she was coming? I thought she moved away!”
“What?” he says, still scratching his head. “Wait, rum and coke? She went to high school with us, didn’t she? I kinda remember her.”
“You kinda remember your name?” He was so drunk, I’m not sure.
“Yes, dumbass. Now the girl, I remember her. Julie brought her, oh that girl, fine piece of ass. I’ve fucked her a couple times.”
“Camryn?” My blood is boiling. I’ll kill him if he laid a hand on her.
“No, hell no, not rum and coke. Last night was the first time I’ve seen her since graduation. You know she moved in with some low life, that’s what Sara said.”
“Yeah, about Sara, does she know about this place? Your extracurricular activities?” Just as I ask him, the girl with the coffee reemerges and hands us each a mug. It’s piping hot, and I immediately begin drinking it. I have to sober up. I have to find Cami.