Chapter Six

I sat outside for a while longer until the November night grew unbearably cold. When the chill finally became too much to handle, I tucked my cigarettes back into my purse and walked into the house. Bridget was passed out on the couch and I felt my blood begin to boil upon seeing her. I honestly couldn’t stand the sight of her right now. I wondered why Geno didn’t take her home when he drove Kris? I climbed the stairs quickly and laid down on my bed. I wasn’t really in the mood for crying and feeling sorry for myself so I rolled over on my back and stared at the Tom Brady poster. I really wished for the old days where Bridget and I could play Barbies forever in a pretend fort and how we would cry when it was time to go to bed. But why was I getting all sappy and nostalgic? Bridget was a bitch and our jealousy for one another took over any fond feelings long ago. I got up off the bed and made my way to the kitchen. I needed something to make me feel better. Just as I was reaching for the peanut butter, I heard the front door open. I knew it wasn’t my parents because I passed their room to come downstairs and they were tucked in bed. My mind immediately flashed to ‘crazy serial killer’. I jumped into the hallway, brandishing the peanut butter as a shield and was face to face with Geno.

“Jesus Christ you scared the hell out of me!” I whispered loudly. He grinned and looked at the peanut butter.

“Sorry about that, but you’ve got good protection right there,” he said, pointing at the jar.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. “Wow, this is all strangely déjà vu-y.”

“Yeah I know right? Anyway, I just came back for your sister,” he answered, looking towards the living room.

“Oh, right. Why didn’t you take her when you dropped Kris off?” I asked.

“She tends to say some stupid stuff when she’s drunk and I really didn’t feel like exposing Kris to that,” he said.

“I hear that. By the way, does Kris think I’m a total freak now?” I looked up at him hopefully. Kris really was a sweet guy and I would hate for him to think ill of me.

“Are you kidding me? Not at all! If anything he likes you more now. He feels that your struggle is ‘endearing’,” Geno said, putting air quotes around the word. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Honestly, it’s anything but,” I said. A moment of silence passed between us.

“How are you feeling?” he asked seriously.

“Better. I bounce back easy,” I said, smiling. He gave me a disapproving look.

“Are you sure? I mean she said some pretty messed up things. And if you ever need to talk sometime, you can talk to me. I know we just met, but I know how difficult Bridget can be…,” he continued saying something but I got lost in a daydream. He was leaning up against the wall with one arm, just babbling endlessly and all I could imagine was me running my hands through his hair and pressing my lips roughly against his. I imagined him picking me up and sitting me on the kitchen counter, biting and sucking my neck the whole time. Finally, I imagined him just completely having his way with me on the island. “Can you do that for me, Maddison?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, of course,” I answered quickly, having absolutely no idea what the hell I was supposed to be doing. I stood there as he looked at me expectantly. “You mean right now?”

“Yeah, sort of,” he said smiling. What in the world was I supposed to be doing? If I asked, he would know that I completely spaced out and wasn’t listening to a single word he said.

“Well, uh, how would you like me to do it?” I asked, fishing for a clue.

“Maddison, are you kidding me? There’s only one way to do it,” he said, giving me an odd look.

“So, there’s nothing in particular I should know before I do it?” I questioned.

“No not really, I think all glasses of water are poured the same,” he said. I breathed a huge sigh of relief and walked into the kitchen, retrieving a glass from the cabinet, filling it up, and handing it to him. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” I answered, leaning on the counter. He finished off the glass and I took it back from him. For a brief second, our fingers touched and I wanted to jump out of my skin. I must be absolutely crazy because I thought I saw the beginnings of a smirk on his face as I pulled my hand away. But in a flash it was gone. Yup. I was a dignified crazy. My sister was right in the other room. Nothing was happening tonight. Or probably any other night for that matter. He was with her for a reason, because he wanted to be. But, still.

“I guess I should take Bridget home,” he said looking toward the living room. I wanted to jump on his back and scream ‘No! Stay! Stay with me, in my room, in my bed’ but I restrained myself. Jesus, I was insane.

“Yeah. My parents probably wouldn’t want to come down tomorrow morning and see her drunken self on our couch,” I answered, following him into the living room. I looked at her sleeping form and felt nothing but resentment. Geno was way too good for her. She didn’t deserve him at all. He picked her up, flinging her over one shoulder and turned back to me.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Maddison,” he said. “And don’t give what your sister said a second thought. If it makes you feel better, I thought she was a bitch too.” As he said this, he gently held my hand, massaging the back of it with his thumb. When he released it, I was pretty sure that it would fall off from some type of flesh burn. I watched him walk out of the door and down the pathway, with my sister’s dead weight on his shoulder. And at that moment, that’s exactly what I thought of her as. Dead weight. Holding Geno back from being…being with me.