The Destiny of Violet & Luke (The Coincidence, #3)(27)

“Just don’t get too crazy with your dance moves,” he says, withdrawing his hand and winking at me. Then he circles the corner of the kitchen counter. “There’s a party in Fairtown,” he tells me, carrying on the conversation as if nothing happened as he digs through his cupboards for something. “You should hit it up. That town’s full of potheads.”

I swallow the anger down and force my voice to come out as upbeat as a cheerleader on crack. “Okay, sounds good.” With my back turned to him, I squeeze my eyes shut, reminding myself to breathe, reminding myself that he’s all I got and when faced with the choice of being entirely alone or taking this, I choose this.





Chapter 5



Luke



I have a beer in my hand and a few shots in my system, building my safety net for the night. Without them, I’d feel like I was helplessly falling nowhere. I know it’s a dangerous road I’m headed down, especially because I’m a diabetic. There have been a few instances where I pushed my body’s limits and doctors have told me that if I don’t stop, I could end up dead. The problem is that living without alcohol is a life I can’t live.

It’s Saturday night and I’m checking my computer for listing of apartments for rent. As usual, nothing turns up, nothing affordable anyway. It’s the wrong time of year, summer break approaching, and all the college students are looking for places to live so they fill up quickly. If I had more money saved up, it’d be easier, but I don’t. I’m starting to debate whether I can look past my resentment toward my father and ask him if I can come live with him or at least stay at the beach house. But the idea of asking him for help, when I got so little of it growing up, makes me feel weak. I want him to have to work to be my father. I don’t know for sure how much he knows about what went on, but what I do know is that for years there wasn’t enough contact from him for me to even tell him. The only thing I can do is let the memories haunt my head, which they do pretty much every night when I close my eyes, unless I’m drunk. When I’m drunk, nothing is in my head.

I get a text as I’m shutting the computer. I pick my phone up off the desk and swipe my finger over the screen. It’s from Seth, Callie’s best friend. I sometimes hang out with him and his boyfriend Greyson, since they both like to party as much as I do.


Seth: R u going out tonight?





Me: Aren’t I always?





Seth: Where u headed?





Me: Probably to the Red Ink up on 6th street. Why? You got something planned?





Seth. Not yet. Red Ink, huh? You must be looking for a skank tonight.





Me: Tonight? Don’t you mean always?





Seth: You know, rumor has it you’ve been hanging out with the biggest skank on campus.





Luke: What? Who?





Seth: A bitchy roommate with a dragon tattoo on her neck. Goes by the name of Violet.





I scratch at my head, wondering where the hell he heard that from, but then it clicks.


Luke: Did Callie tell you that?





Seth: Well, she didn’t use those words per se since Callie would never use those words, but she said she saw you helping Violet around campus… what’s that about?





Luke: Nothing. I was just being a nice guy.





Seth: Since when r u a nice guy.





He has a point. I’m not usually a nice guy, but for some reason Violet momentarily brought it out of me. I’m not feeling like a nice guy right now though. I feel pissed off about my living situation and all I want to do is get trashed out of my mind and go find a girl to f*ck so I can get rid of this feeling, like I’m falling into a bottomless pit.


Luke: I thought I’d try something different for a little bit.





Seth. How’s that going for you?





Luke: I think I’m deciding to quit it before it becomes a habit.





Seth: Good for u. U gonna do it cold turkey?





I shake my head. This could go on forever.


Luke: I’m headed out. R u and Greyson down or not?





Seth. Yeah, as long as we can get a cab. Neither one of us wants to be DD tonight and I’m doubting u do either, since u never offer.





Luke: Sounds good. Callie and Kayden coming?





Seth: They went out somewhere… I think up to that rock. They’re becoming obsessed with it and each other, lol.





Luke: Yeah… meet u out in front of my dorm in ten?





Seth: Sounds good :)





I check my insulin levels and grab my glucose tablets, just in case, then put my phone into my pocket and grab my key card and wallet. I toss my empty beer bottle into the trash and get another one out of the mini fridge, ready to get the hell out of here and start drinking even heavier. That’s what I love about spring and summer, when footballs not really going on and I’m free to get trashed as much as I like without having to worry about practice. It makes the noise and memories in my head just a little more bearable. It makes breathing bearable. Life bearable.