I smiled, and he slammed the door shut. I wanted to cry, but I wouldn’t. Slamming my hand on the desk, in the same spot as Theo, I cursed under my breath.
My father had to be shady as fuck and now we needed to prove it.
I had an idea.
FOURTEEN
THEO
Why the fuck are some people unlucky in love?
I had the girl, she loved me, why couldn’t it work? Now, with the news of this turtle sanctuary, my anger surfaced. Turtles, really? I could go to the pet store and get her a few. Hell, I’d work three jobs to help her achieve her dream. What I would never allow was for her to marry Dex to get it.
Part of me wondered just how far Penny would go to save some fucking turtles. Sure, don’t get me wrong, turtles are cool and all, but come on.
It was her dream, though, and ultimately her decision. Who was I to judge?
I pulled my phone from my pocket as I left Lopa. Anger, confusion, and other emotions I never felt before, and more importantly, couldn’t identify, warred beneath my fire hot skin.
Fuck, it was hot outside. It was hot inside my mind too. Everything turning into this fiery inferno ready to explode to a rising temperature of molten lava. I got carried away, and what I needed to focus on was this shit with her father.
That needed to end, immediately. I wanted to keep the fucking Lopa. If Penny could have her dream, then why couldn’t I? Maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to give up my dream if she wasn’t going to sacrifice anything for me. It was that selfish thought which had me in turmoil. How could she be so selfish? Fucking turtles.
All I ever wanted was to own a club. But, everything was so confusing now. I didn’t know what to do anymore. So, instead of thinking about it, I headed down Ocean Drive in search of some afternoon solace to keep my anger at bay and something to douse this heat blazing within.
I landed myself on a barstool at The Mango Tropical Cafe and ordered up a drink. You fucking guessed right…Whisky neat, as always.
I tried to swallow the warm liquor, but something wasn’t sitting well with me.
Would Penny throw her life away over some silly turtles? Again, turtles are cute, but fuck.
Love, oh, what a tangled web we weave. I heard the saying before, may have even gotten it wrong, but the meaning was crystal clear.
When you love someone you go to great depths for that person. You move mountains, you write love songs. You weep over poetry written. You don’t fuck them over for turtles. Again, not the turtles fault, I know.
Ah-a, a list was in order. But what about? My life was in shambles. A web of lies and deceit. Ok, maybe not that dramatic, but I was drinking and feeling sorry for myself.
How To Fix This Shit
Run away with Penny
Break Dex’s face
Win the lottery
My head feels fuzzy
All viable options, highly unlikely though. I studied the last option. Was that an option? I was no closer to figuring things out when a hand slapped my shoulder.
“Hey, man,” Xavier said as he sat on the stool next to me.
“Hey.” My voice felt foreign. How many drinks did I have? My vision blurred slightly.
“How many have you had? You don’t look so good.”
“How’d you know I was here?”
“Theo, you called me.” Xavier’s laugh sounded distant, and I tried to focus on my phone. Had I called him?