“I live the—”
“You live the life you think you need to be living. You always have. Aren't you tired of being someone you're not?” He held up my brown hair, twirling it around his finger, taking in my appearance. “You’re scared to be alone, Briggs. Waiting for happiness to come to you. You want something then go after it, and if you can’t get it, you fucking fight for it. Why are you with Esteban? I remember very clearly asking you if you loved him. I’m fucking certain you said no. Tell me, are you with him because he stole your goddamn virtue?”
“He didn’t steal it. I gave it to him.”
“And here you are... still giving it to him. What about you? What can he give you?”
“I… well, there’s…”
He snidely grinned. “People make mistakes, peladita. No one is perfect, and sometimes it takes someone to get lost, to finally find their fucking way back. From what I hear, absence makes the heart grow fonder, Daisy,” he said, walking to the front door.
“I’ll make sure to tell Esteban you said hello.”
“And I’ll make sure not to accidentally shoot the motherfucker in the goddamn face. Then we both can pretend that we fucking love him.”
Without another word, he left me there with thoughts of a love I once had.
Austin.
Chapter 41
<>Austin<>
“Half-Pint, I’m not going to tell you again. Stop setting me up on these fucking dates! I don’t want to date anyone. This may come as a shock to you, but I actually want to be single. I don’t need a girl. I’m happy being by myself.”
She sighed. “She was a nice girl, Austin.”
“I wouldn’t know. I spent the entire fucking time counting down the minutes before I could pay the bill and leave.”
“You’re so frustrating!”
“Mind your own damn business.”
“I don’t know how to do that,” she gritted out, making me laugh. “It’s been almost three years, Austin. Three years.”
“I can read a calendar, Alex. I’m fully fucking aware of how many years have gone by.”
She rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips.
“Baby, give Austin a break,” Lucas said, coming to my defense. Slapping her ass for good measure.
“Half-Pint, he’s still getting fuckin’ *, and he doesn’t have to deal with the emotional bullshit. Man’s onto somethin’,” Dylan added, making Aubrey reach over and slap him on the back of the head. “Suga’, you have a wonder *, and I fuckin’ love you.”
“You’re so romantic,” Aubrey sarcastically stated, shaking her head.
“It’s a known fact that women are crazy. I’m only speaking the truth here. Austin has always been a master of getting laid. I taught him everything he knows. Alex, leave the man be.”
Alex threw her hands in the air, giving up.
“Austin, make sure you make up for the lack of sex Dylan won’t be getting until further notice,” Aubrey chastised, only looking at him.
“Until further notice? You mean until tonight when I put my tongue up your pus—”
Aubrey immediately placed her hand over his mouth. I laughed so hard that my head fell back. He was such a fucking asshole, but it felt good to laugh with all of them again.
“Oh my God, Dylan.” She let go of his mouth. “I’m sorry my husband has no filter.”
“It’s part of my fuckin’ charm, and you fuckin’ love it,” Dylan reminded, pulling her to him by the nook of her neck, kissing her lips.
That was my cue to get up and man the food on the barbeque.
We were all hanging out at Lucas and Alex’s house. Shooting the shit like old times, grilling out with all the boys and their wives. I had become the seventh wheel. Which was what gave Half-Pint so much initiative to try to find me a girl. It didn’t matter how many times I told her I didn’t want one. She was a persistent little shit.
I already had my girl.
My soul mate.
I hadn’t been with anyone since. I’d fucked enough girls to last me a lifetime. None of them would have been Briggs, so it didn’t matter anymore.
It had been almost three years since I last saw Briggs. Almost three years since I OD’d. Almost three years since my life started over, and I was in recovery. I was given the greatest gift.
Life.
My second chance.