Bad Habit (Bad Love 1)

Even hearing that name has my blood boiling, but he keeps speaking.

“I didn’t want him to know you so much as existed. And, hell, for the first few years, he didn’t.”

I give a heavy sigh, aiming for bored. “Is this going to be a thing? You’re dying, so now you’re trying to absolve yourself of all your sins and guilt?” I roll my eyes and sit back, propping one foot on my knee, arms spread over the itchy fabric of the couch. “Save your breath, because I don’t give a fuck about any of it.”

“My father…” he trails off, looking away before continuing. “He was rough with us both. But David was different. He’d always been…off, even from a young age. I don’t remember a time in my life when he was normal.”

I feel my smirk falter. “I said stop.”

“Then, once your mother died—”

“What happened to your window?” I say, nodding my chin in the direction of the boarded-up mess, changing the subject. I’m not talking about David, and I sure as hell am not talking about my mother.

“Ask your little girlfriend.”

My eyebrows pull together in confusion.

“Who?”

Maybe he means Whitley. She’s the one who told me he was hospitalized a few weeks ago and begged me to come home. Her mom is a registered nurse, and even though we don’t exactly live in a small town, it’s hard not to know who my dad is.

“The little blonde girl you used to run around with.”

“Briar?” That doesn’t make sense. How would she know what happened?

He nods and reaches for the beer bottle at his feet, liver be damned. “Threw a brick right through my window. She stood there seething for about ten minutes first. I didn’t think she’d do anything. She was just a little girl. So, I went about my business.”

His business. Also known as drinking enough vodka to kill a horse while watching Skinemax. Most likely in his underwear.

“I about shit my pants when it happened. Got my drunk ass up just in time to see her flip me off.”

“When?”

“Right after you left.” He shrugs. “Before I got my DUI.”

Well, well, well. Briar isn’t such an angel, after all. But I already knew that, didn’t I?

It doesn’t change what she did, but it does have my lips tugging into a reluctant grin. No one has the balls to stand up to John Kelley. Not even me, for a long time, anyway.

I stand and scan the hellhole I used to call home one more time before deciding to leave. I used to fucking hate this place. It made me physically ill to be here, to be around my dad. To face the memory of my mom. Now, I’m just glad I got out, even if I had to go through hell.

“See you around, I guess.”

“Does that mean you’re sticking around?”

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say his voice sounds hopeful.

“For now.”

When I’m sitting in my truck, I scroll through my phone to the one number I haven’t used in years and press call. After three rings, I start to think she’s not going to answer, but on the fourth, she picks up—voice all velvety and thick with sleep.

“Hello?”

“You asked me why I do this to you. The truth is, I don’t fucking know why. But until I figure it out, you’re going to stay away from Jackson, you’re going to stay away from Adrian, and you’re going to stay away from fucking Billy Bob working over at the Circle K.”

“And why should I do that?”

“Because this isn’t finished, Briar. You and I were never just friends.”