Looking for Trouble(5)

“You came here to deliver a letter to me, from the man who fucking devastated me, and just so happened to pick me out of all the men in the bar. You were determined; Christ, you were so fucking determined to have me specifically, and I’m supposed to believe you didn’t know who I was?”

“I wanted you because you’re Gorgeous McHottie! Not because of this!” Dylan shook his head. His stomach cramped up. He was always fucking up. Why did he always fuck up? “I know it sounds crazy. I can’t believe it myself. But I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know. My dad…it was his dying wish that I bring you this letter.” Dylan managed to scramble off the bed. He saw the envelope lying on the floor, where it had apparently fallen out of his pants pocket. “I’m sorry this happened, but please…take it…for my dad.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he could tell they were the wrong ones. Clayton’s eyes went even harder, anger pulsating off him. “I don’t want that. You stay the fuck away from me.”

He grabbed his shirt, phone and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Dylan ran to the bathroom, heaved, vomited, emptied his stomach, then cried.

I’m sorry, Dad. Fuck, I’m so sorry.





CHAPTER FOUR




Clay


“I hate him.” With his back to Clay, Mike stared out the window of their treehouse. Clay felt a twist in his stomach because he didn’t know what to do. He hated it when Mike felt bad about something. They were best friends. Had been since the first day of kindergarten, and it always made him feel like dirt if Mike was hurting.

“He’s a jerk. He doesn’t deserve to have a son like you.” Clay and his father didn’t always get along, but he knew his dad loved him. He didn’t ever have to worry about his father forgetting his birthday.

There was a long pause before Mike replied. The whole time, Clay’s heart beat a million miles a minute, ran hard in his chest like it was pushing to win some kind of race. Had he said the wrong thing? Screwed up somehow?

“Do you really think so?” Mike asked in a soft, broken voice that made Clay wince. He sounded…insecure. Like he didn’t know how great he was. He was Clay’s best friend in the whole wide world. Did he really not know how cool he was?

“Of course. You’re better than he’ll ever be. He probably knows it, knows he doesn’t deserve you, which is why he didn’t show.”

Mike’s parents had divorced two years before. Mike was the only person Clay knew with divorced parents. That just didn’t happen, or at least it didn’t happen in Bailey Springs.

Mike’s father had moved to Raleigh, which wasn’t that far away, but he still rarely saw Mike. Half the time, he made promises he didn’t keep. This time he was supposed to take Mike and Clay camping. Clay had had to beg his parents to let him go, because they didn’t trust Mike’s dad…and it looked like they were right. They’d sat at Mike’s for hours, all packed, waiting for him to show. Mike’s mom offered to take them, but Mike had said no, that he just wanted to stay in the treehouse at Clay’s instead.

“I’ll never treat my own kids the way he treats me. I’ll be the best dad in the world. No matter what, I’ll always be there for them.”

Clay wrinkled his nose and walked over to the window where Mike stood. “Ew. You want kids? Gross. Are you going to marry April and have lots of babies with her?” he teased, though it was only partially a joke. He hadn’t gotten to the point where he was into girls yet, and he definitely didn’t think he’d ever want kids. Mike was different, though. He was already into girls and thought about stuff like that.

Mike chuckled and elbowed him. “Shut up. I don’t like her.” April was their other best friend. She was cool. She liked fishing and camping and had helped them build the treehouse.

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Thanks, Clay.”

Clay frowned. “What are you thanking me for?”

There was another pause before Mike shrugged. “I don’t know… I guess because you always make me feel better. You’re the best friend I’ll ever have. One day we’ll leave Bailey Springs together—me, you, and April. My dad won’t matter. I won’t need him. I don’t need him now. Not when I have you guys.”

Clay felt a swell of pride in his chest at that. “That’s what friends are for,” he replied, unsure what else to say.

“I have an idea!” Mike walked away from the window, to the trunk where they kept their supplies. He opened it and pulled out Clay’s pocketknife.

“What the hell?” Clay asked when Mike opened it and sliced his hand.

“It’s a pact. It’s how we prove we’re really going to be best friends forever.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for April?” Clay asked.

“No, not for this. This pact will be just for us.”

He took the knife from Mike, sliced his hand too, and then they shook, mixing their blood.

“Now we’re blood brothers,” Mike said.

“Blood brothers,” Clay repeated.

“Friends forever.”

Clay sat in his truck, hands fisted tightly on the steering wheel. Mike Sutton… The kid was Mike fucking Sutton’s son. His best friend from kindergarten through their senior year in high school. The person he’d always thought would be there. The one he was going to leave Bailey Springs with. But none of that happened, had it? Their friendship had ended in anger, and the splinters it left in Clay’s heart had never healed. A pain that at one time, he hadn’t thought he would ever be able to come back from. Christ, he’d had a lot of that. Pain. Loss.