The Keys to Jericho (72 page)

Rio gets up and says, “Thank you for the honest conversation.”

Narrowing my eyes, I scowl at him. “Like I had a choice.”

When Rio walks over, he hugs me. “Don’t ever try to get rid of me again. I love you, Jare. And if you complain, I’ll knee you in the balls.”

I laugh, which feels good. “Jesus, Duquesne. I hate you.” I then whisper, “Thanks.”

“You and me. Dinner tomorrow. I’ll text you after work.”

I roll my eyes, but relent. “Okay.”

He slaps my shoulder and steps away as Dash throws his arms around me. “You don’t have to say it, but I know you love me more than Rio.”

“Right. I’m still trying to figure out how to trade you in.”

“You wouldn’t know what to do without me.”

“Celebrate.”

“Ass.”

“Dick.”

He squeezes me harder and rolling my eyes again, I pry him off.

Dad says, “I’ll meet you boys in the truck. Give me a minute.”

As they walk to the kitchen, I say, “And someone better put my damn car back.”

Dad smirks. “It didn’t go anywhere.”

“So you fed me lies?”

“No. Grandma really would’ve called the cops if I had told her to.”

“How nice of her.”

Suddenly, Dad grabs me into a hug, his fingers digging into the back of my shirt. “I’m so proud of you, no matter what you do, or even don’t do. I love you, Jared. Don’t you
ever
forget that. I’m always here for you.”

I nod over his shoulder. “I know that. You’ve been the best.”

He shakes and I want to roll my eyes again, but I end up wiping them instead.

Goddamn it. I’ve turned into such a pussy.

Leaning against the wall of the building, I wait for Rio at our favorite restaurant, even though he’s been a dick the last two times we’ve been here. And late, as usual.

Last night, I went up to my room and collapsed on the bed, sleeping straight through until this morning. No thinking. No obsessing. No drinking. Just sleep, I was so drained.

I didn’t go to the construction today. Dash said Kat didn’t, either. Not surprised. I don’t know if I can go back there. I’m afraid she’ll see right through me.

Crossing my arms, I sigh and close my eyes, ignoring the chattering of people walking past me on the porch. I wish Rio could be on time for once. Another strike against the good pussy doc.

It doesn’t help that I’m still reeling from everything said last night, but I refuse to dwell on any of it. Much. I stayed home, swept out the garage, washed the Nissan, since I’m obviously done with it, and then traded it for my car, washing that, too. I then took off my dirty, wet shirt to shoot some hoops by myself. Anything to keep my mind busy, and my attention away from my phone. I’m rather proud that I didn’t drive over to her apartment. Dash had asked if I wanted him to come over, but the last thing I wanted to do was talk, recapping last night’s clusterfuck.

I just want to forget.

But the pain won’t let me.

“Jared?” My eyes fly open.

Holy fuck. That voice.

Lifting my head from the wall, I see a certain blonde bitch, her obnoxious black shirt and pants even highlighting that.

I don’t bother hiding a scowl. “Oh, Jesus.”

She scans the porch and parking lot. “River told me to meet him here. He didn’t say you’d be here, too.”

“Well, River is going to get his ass kicked.” I wrench my phone out of my pocket and call him, but not surprisingly, he doesn’t answer. Self-righteous asshole.

“Fucking voicemail.”

Liberty punches at her phone screen. “He’s not answering my text, either.”

As she says that, I get a text from Diet Doctor Pussy himself.

-----------------------------------------

Don’t be too mad.

No, you won’t be kicking my ass.

No, Lib did not know about this.

No, I haven’t told anything, but

she can help. Just ask for it.

Make peace with Lib. Talk to her.

Pay for her dinner like the

gentleman that I know you are.

Be nice, Jared.

-----------------------------------------

Her phone also buzzes with a message, and as I shove mine back into my jeans, she warily looks up at me and sighs.

I state, “Your boyfriend is officially on my shit list.”

She grumbles, “Yeah. Mine, too.”

“Well, I’m out of here.”

As I turn to leave, she says, “Jared, wait.” Sighing, I glower at her. “He clearly went to some trouble getting us here. Maybe we should at least have dinner.”

I frown. “Are you serious?”

Liberty nods, and not waiting for a further comment from me, she tucks her arm into mine, leading me into the restaurant. I want to push her off, but at this point, I don’t have the energy.

We’re led to a corner booth, and that irks me, but the bitch happily slides into it. Rolling my eyes, I take the seat across from her, needing this to be over as soon as possible. Nothing is said to each other until after our drinks are brought to the table.

She finally says, “We need to call a truce.”

I look up from my beer. “Why?”

The wench dubiously frowns. “You’re really asking that? River is your best friend and my boyfriend. He’s the common denominator between us. I’m not going anywhere, and I know that neither are you—not geographically speaking. You’ll always be a part of his life. I know this. I accept this, yet you don’t.”

I pull at my hat, while watching the door, beyond ready to leave. “I’m here to eat. Do we have to talk, too?”

“It’s probably a good idea.”

“And I’ll disagree with you.”

She sighs and I aversely look back to her, in time to see her pout. “I’m making an effort here. Why can’t you?”

I sit back, crossing my arms. “I am. I’m going to order something and eat it. Effort made.”

“Why do you hate me so much?”

“Hate is a strong word. Detest is better.”

She plays with her red fingernails. “What did I do to you?”

“Oh, you enjoy keeping Rio all to yourself. He can’t even have a life anymore, let alone friends.”

She raises her eyebrows. “That’s far from the truth! I encourage him to spend time with you and Dash! We see each other at work, so I do understand if he wants to get together with you two. I’m all for it if we don’t have plans.”

I contemplate that, but don’t say more, not in the mood to argue here again.

She sighs. “Can we please,
please
get along? We both love River. It’s important to him that we are more than just civil. He’d like us to be friends.”

I cringe. “I’m pretty sure he still believes in Santa Claus, too.”

“Jared, come on. Effort.”

“Will it get you to talk less?”

“Maybe.”

“Fine. Congratulations. We’re friends.”

She frowns. “I doubt it’s that easy getting the membership card.”

I shrug. “I just revoked Dash’s.”

“Jesus. I hope that’s a joke.”

I mockingly widen my eyes at her. “Call it whatever you want.” Grabbing ahold of my beer, I take a drink to avoid further comment.

Sipping at her Sprite, she shifts in her seat. “Okay. Let’s talk. I like cats. Do you?” I narrow my eyes at her over my bottle and she says, “I definitely take you for a cat person.”

Setting down my beer, I flippantly retort, “Nope. Allergic.”

She puts her elbows on the table, interlacing her fingers. “I need to know your thoughts about Kat.”

“The meowing kind?”

She sighs in exasperation. “No. The kind that you’ve been teaching how to drive.”

“Like Toonses?” I ask with a straight face. I’d laugh if her snooping weren’t pissing me off.

“Oh, my God!” She does laugh. “No! You and Kat! What’s going on? Are you still friends?”

I look to the swordfish on the wall because I’d rather look at a dead fish than her. “Why?”

“You’re both my friends. Right?”

I roll my eyes. “You’re really abusing that membership.”

“I know she told you how she really feels about you, and that you had a big fight.”

I lean forward, reaching for my wallet in my ass pocket. “Not surprised she’d blab to you. Well,
I’m
not talking about this. I’m done here.”

“Oh, no. You’re not leaving.”

I glare at her as I toss my wallet onto the table. “Fucking watch me.” The bitch snatches it and my eyes fly to her face. “What the hell?”

She slips my wallet into her purse and says, “Jared, I’m not judging you. Actually, I want to help you.”

In disbelief of her tenacity, I shake my head. “You just stole my damn wallet. What is it with people stealing my shit?”

She chooses to ignore me. “Yeah. Let’s be honest here. I know you have feelings for Kat. You can’t fool anyone, except maybe Kat. The funny thing is that you two are a perfect match. You’re both private to different degrees, cynical, and oblivious to each other’s feelings. You complement one another so well. Two peas in a pod. Yin and Yang. Where you leave off, she begins. That sort of thing.”

“Am I going to throw up my dinner before I even eat it?”

Again, I’m disregarded. “What about when you start living in Philadelphia? Are you going to see her every weekend?”

I sigh, trapped into this situation, but I truthfully say, “I’d like to.”

“What would you like to see happening from the result of that?”

Picking up my beer, taking a drink as an answer, she then asks, “Just being together, right?”

Putting down the bottle, I answer her with a blank stare, but she keeps pushing. “Would you consider her to be your girlfriend?”

To get her to hopefully shut up, I finally concede, “Yes.”

“At the beach house, you wanted nothing to do with her being your girlfriend. That’s a change from the way you used to feel about that, isn’t it?”

Through my teeth, I reply, “Yeah.”

“That’s a huge step in the right direction.” She weirdly grins. “I think you’re doing great. We just have to get you two together, for good this time.”

“I’m done talking about this.”

“You should talk to me, though. River did tell me you could use some guidance. A female prospective.”

I scowl. “What the fuck? That boyfriend of yours is—”

She cheerfully finishes, “Is pretty special, don’t you think?”

“Shit. If being a meddlesome know-it-all who spends his day digging around in indiscriminate pussy, while spouting his psychobabble bullshit is special, then yeah, he wins
that award.”

“You can be a real dick, Jerry.”

“I’ve heard that, Libby.”

She heavily sighs. “Look. Do you want my help or not?”

“Your help? I’m just trying to make it through this dinner without stabbing you in the throat with my fork.”

“I know what you’re all about. Trust me, and no, River hasn’t told me anything. I know what I see.”

“Uh-huh.” I pick up my bottle and take a swig, plotting Rio’s painful and slow death.

She leans forward and says, “You have no idea what the hell you’re doing with Kat. You want her. So much that it’s ripping you to shreds bit by bit, yet you won’t do a damn thing about it. You were suffering in silence, but now it’s spilling over to everyone else. You won’t stop her from leaving because you’re apprehensive of baring your soul to her, and not being worthy of her love. You want to love her, but you don’t know how. You’re scared she won’t love you back.” She grins at my horror. “Did I get that right?”

In an astonished daze, I lower my beer and mutter, “Goddamn it.”

“That’s what I thought. Now, do you want my fucking help or not?”

I idly scratch my ragged beard. “Christ. Why do I feel like I’m making a deal with Satan?”