"This is about you and Kerri," I cut her off angrily as I yank the new shirt on. "I don't want to hear about how much you hate her, Tar. You can't understand her and that's fine. I love you, but she's a part of my life too. I'm handling a situation, and I need you to just let me do that without yelling at me, or telling me that I'm an asshole."
"You are an asshole if you're going to come home with blood stains on your shirt and a fat lip. Fighting, Trace? Seriously? I thought you were past the high school era of your life. I thought you were professional."
"If you heard what he said about you, you wouldn't be so quick to say all of that," I nod. "Just drop it. The day is done, and all I want to do is press some more ice on my face and fall asleep." I lay back down on the bed and stare up at the ceiling. "Maybe you guys can go someplace else so I can get some peace and quiet, okay baby?"
"Were you really with your sister like you said?"
I sigh heavily. I guess I should have expected that seeing as how she knows I didn't tell her I was at the station earlier. "Yeah, I was." I manage to keep my tone serious as I look over at her with a stone cold expression on my face. "Why would you even ask me that?"
She crosses her arms. "Kerri randomly disappeared from work today, but David didn't seem to give a shit."
"So that means I was with her?" I scoff, praying to the high heavens that she'll drop the subject in a minute or two.
"I dunno." She looks at the floor.
"Maybe you should trust me," I mutter. "For once."
"I trust you."
I let out a sad laugh and pinch the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger. "You're always questioning me like I'm going to turn around and sleep with some other girl. If I was going to do that, I would just break up with you. Can we please drop this whole thing? For my sanity, Tar."
She lets out a disgruntled sigh. "I guess if you want to avoid the subject I'll try my best to do it too. Maybe you should call me when you decide to talk about what's going on, instead of hiding it all from me."
"Come on Tarin..."
The door opens and slams shut loudly.
I stare up at the ceiling again, listening as Tarin's friends try to coax information out of her. She just tells them to leave it alone, and says that they should go have dinner. I'm thankful. I need to think, and get my head together without her standing here asking me twenty questions like I'm some sort of manipulative asshole. That's David's personality, not mine. I swear, between her and Kerri I could probably commit myself. I laugh a little bit, suddenly wishing I was Justin for a minute or two. Somehow, someway, he's able to brush off the fact that he nearly killed one of his best friends, and focus on falling in love with another woman. If I was that shallow, I think my life might be that much easer.
But I'm not. My heart is too big, and in the end...
In the end I feel like it's going to get the best of me.
Story Tags: justinandtrace
