Good Girl

“What’s gotten into you?” Eric asks as I glare into my beer glass.

“Does something have to be up?” I reply.

He lets out a laugh like he knows me better than I know myself. Like the fact that we’re brothers gives him the ability to read me better than anyone else.

“You were fine till you walked in here.” Tim says. There’s a woman hanging off his arm but he’s already ignoring her, his eyes fixed to his phone while he plays some slots game.

And then he spots her. But of course he fucking does.

“Jesus, is that Eden?” He says.

I nod. Not looking. Because I know, if I do, I won’t look away. That dress she’s in is far too mature, far too revealing. I doubt any full bloodied man in this place hasn’t stared at her, hasn’t imagined fucking her by now.

I clench my fists. It shouldn’t matter, I tell myself. It doesn’t matter. The girl can wear what she wants. Do what she wants. She’s an adult. She’s entitled to have a little down time every now and then. It doesn’t matter that she’s even in this bar. She’s not my kid anyway. Not really.

“Should she be here?” Eric asks. His daughter, my niece, has just gone to med school and the tales he tells of what she gets up to. He gets it. I know he gets it.

“She’s an adult.” I state. “She’s of age.”

“Fucking hell mate, how do you live with that?” Timothy groans.

“What?” I snap.

Eric narrows his eyes half glaring at Tim. “The fuck?” He mutters.

“Look at her.” Tim says and I do, against my better judgement I turn my head and I know I’m staring, lusting after her too.

She’s dancing. The whole group of them are. The dancefloor is packed, heaving, everyone is enjoying their Friday night but the only person I see is Eden, and fuck me the way she moves her body. The way her ass looks as she rolls her hips.

“The fuck are you doing?” I growl at Timothy. He’s been staring too. Staring at my stepdaughter.

“Sorry mate but if she dresses like that what do you expect?”

“She’s twenty one.” I growl.

“She’s legal.” Tim jokes and I swear I might just hit him.

“She’s his stepdaughter.” Eric says as I slam my fist onto the counter. Shame I couldn’t remember that two months ago when I was eagerly getting my cock out for her.

“Yeah and where’s your wife right now?” Tim asks. “Because that’s her kid there and I see you doing more for her than that woman ever does.”

“Leave it alone.” I mutter. He’s always making comments about Terri. About how she isn’t much of a wife, about how she’s only after my money and though a part of me wonders if he might be right, I still married her, I still care for her on some level, and besides it’s not just her, Eden is part of the package, and I won’t let her down.

I glance back, stealing another look at her. She’s with that useless flop of a boy she’s been dating. They’re arguing. Obviously arguing. I smirk because it makes me happy to see her putting him in his place. He grabs her, grabs her ass and she slaps him, pulling away.

I go to get up, to intervene, but Eric’s already seen me move and he’s holding me back.

“Not your place.” He mutters.

And then she’s storming off, grabbing her bag, leaving the bar with her friend Katie hot on her tails.

“See?” Eric says. “She’s probably already heading back home for a cup of hot milk and bed.”

I roll my eyes. I doubt Eden’s doing that but right now I have to let it go because I’m acting suspiciously.

“Where is Terri anyway?” Tim asks as I down my beer and order us all another.

“Brussels. She’s got some big project she’s delivering.” I state. I should be more proud of her really. She’s a successful woman, she’s got a good job, she works hard.

He snorts like he doesn’t believe it. Like she’s lying or something but that’s Timothy. I don’t know why he hates Terri so much but he does. He acts like she’s a gold digger, but she was the one who chose to go back to work, even when I offered to give her enough money to stay at home. She insisted. And she puts in the hours, puts in the overtime. My wife works hard.

And that thought makes me feel even more guilty. About what I did. About what an absolute jerk I was. She didn’t deserve it. She didn’t deserve to be betrayed like that. And Eden? She didn’t deserve it either, no matter how into it she was at the time.

It was my fuck up. My mistake.

I know it. I’m owning it, at least to myself.

And yet even now, even in this moment, I can’t get the thought of Eden’s needy cunt out of my head.