“You own it.”

“Soph owns it.”

“Place this on those broken bones and shut the fuck up, you little drunken shit.”

“A popsicle?”

“It’s fucking cold isn’t it? Damn it, you’re like a three-year-old. I’m trying to take care of you so I can get back to my job. I don’t like to leave Hollis by himself on such a busy night, just like you never leave your family there, but for some reason you decided to wander the streets and have a fuck behind the building instead of your usual spot indoors. Now tell me what’s going on so I can help.”

“Life is the same as it ever was,” I reply, thinking about the music. I open the popsicle and take a bite while continuing to use it on my hand. Haverty gets one as well, and we sit opposite one another in front of an unlit fireplace. Two grown men, listening to 80s music, eating frozen sugar water.

“I feel so badass right now and slightly better after vomiting.”

“Speak, Cove. No more clowning around. I’m concerned, and you need to bring me out of the dark so I can do my job, then we can go back to being friends. My mood has changed because I feel like I failed you. I don’t want to see you hurt... Sophia either. You guys are like family to me, even when you’re at your worst. Now open your god-damn-fucking-asinine-vagina-sucking-mouth and spill your guts.”

I set the popsicle stick on the coffee table between us and he immediately picks it up and rinses both his and mine in the sink. He comes back with the two sticks dried off, a roll of medical tape, and takes my hand in his.

“Stretch your fingers as straight as you can get ‘em.” He takes hold and quickly sets them in place as I scream my brains out.

“FUCK! Aww! You Bastard!” I wish I could cry in front of him, ‘cause I sure as hell can’t handle this pain for much longer. I need some morphine, or codeine, or pot, or something.

“Hold still.” He lines the sticks along each side of my fingers and wraps them up. “Good as new.”

I look at the homemade splints and exhale. “Not bad buddy. Damn, that hurts. Fuck... you’re right, I’m sorry,” I say with a pant and a sweat.

The room spins; I believe from the pain, but maybe the alcohol is finally taking me down, or it’s a combination of the two. “I’m gonna wake up tomorrow morning and regret this entire evening,” I say.

“Tomorrow? You mean you have to wait that long?”

“True. I’m already ashamed, you know that.”

“I’m sure you’ll make it up to Sophia when you see her. Buy her some chocolates or something.”

“Yeah, fool me once and only once with that chocolate prank,” I laugh, a sense of relief taking over my body now that I’m in my own home. Now, I can pass out. Yep, just fine to do so now that I’m on my own sofa.

“Well, for now you can start by telling me what I need to know.”

I nod and lean against the sofa with my arm up on the back, my foot resting on my upper thigh, and seeing double of Haverty. “Let me start by telling you about a man named David, someone you’ve heard very little about,” I grip the sofa, still furious, and dealing with throbbing fingers and a heavy heart. “He’s a great Uncle of mine. Then when we’re finished discussing my mother’s side of the family, I’ll let you in on one of my father’s dirty little secrets.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

My head pounds as I attempt to rise from the sofa. I must’ve passed out and can’t remember Haverty leaving last night. What the hell time is it?

The clock in our kitchen reads nine as I frantically search the cabinets looking for some painkillers. My entire body’s sore and Hav was right, my fingers look like eggplants. When did I get undressed anyway? I hope he didn’t take off my clothes before he left. At least my boxers are still on. And where the fuck is my wife?

“Sophia,” I call out to a still penthouse. “You awake?” She’s never threatened to leave me. Christ, what the fuck did I do last night? “Sophia,” I yell on my way up the stairs, only to walk into an empty bedroom. What the fuck?

I find my phone in my jacket pocket and try her cell, but it goes to voicemail. Damn, I hate apologizing over the phone anyway and decide it’d be better to hang up. I try Haverty and he answers on his usual first ring.

“Feeling better?” he asks.

“Where’s Sophia?”

“She should be at home, unless she couldn’t stand the sight of you and decided to sleep at your parent’s place.”

“No, she can’t stand the sight of my father either. Did you bring her home last night?”

“Yeah, around three. Did you check all the rooms?”

“I’m doing that right now.”

“Need me to come over?”

“No... maybe... I’ll call you back if I can’t find her.” I toss my cell on the kitchen counter and check the pool and the terrace before heading over to my parent’s loft. My head is pounding and I regret the entire fucking night. Damn it, what’s gonna get me to stop drinking like a pussy and mistreating the people I love? And how many times can I have these same thoughts? Soph said it was okay to drink last night since I had a rough day, but fuck... I should be man enough to put all that shit aside and not drown myself in fucking whiskey. She’s right about going to rehab. She keeps mentioning it, and yet there I was last night, a complete mess, and falling head over heels for the woman because she gave me the okay to drink.

I approach my parent’s door and fix my dick so it’s not hanging out of my boxers. My mother’s heard enough about my sex life this week; she doesn’t need to see the thing as well.

As luck would have it my father answers the door, with his hair out of place and an expression of regret on his face. Looks like I wasn’t the only one who had a bad night. He peers at my fingers and reaches for me to come inside, but I step back.

“Sophia here? She spend the night with you guys?”

“No. Didn’t she come home?”

I walk away, still feeling deceived by him, and needing to find my wife immediately. My father catches up as I wait for the elevator.

“Haverty said he dropped her off at three,” I whisper.

“Check the lobby where she would’ve come in, then the garage to see if the car’s gone. What happened to your fingers?”

I refuse to look into his eyes and ignore his last question. I’ll have it out with him soon, but not now. Sophia’s more important than my father’s lies. He unbuttons his shirt, leaving his undershirt on, and hands it to me.

“I don’t need it,” I whisper.

“Cove, you’re wearing only boxers and you have a spot on your stomach that looks like dried cum. If anyone were to get into this elevator with us...”

“Alright,” I say, taking the shirt from him. “We need to talk soon.”

He nods and waits a few seconds before he responds. “I’m sorry, but you have to know I’m worried about you. You don’t look healthy... it’s unlike you to walk around in public, half naked, smelling so foul. And how’d you get that mark on your cheek?”

“Save it. An attempt at an apology isn’t going to make things better, and neither will a change of focus onto me. I’m not sure anything will,” I pause as the elevator opens. “Oh Jesus.”

Sophia’s sprawled out on one of the lobby sofas; she probably passed out, but thankfully she’s still fully clothed.

“Soph,” I whisper, with a light brush on her shoulder. Her eyes flutter open and she smiles for a brief moment, only to scowl after remembering what I dick I’ve been. I try to help her up, but she pulls her arm away and rises on her own.

“Did you pass out?” I question.

“No,” she responds, staggering half asleep to the elevator. “I didn’t drink a drop last night.”

“Look, I know you’re pissed at me, but you didn’t have to fucking sleep in the lobby. At least go to my parent’s or to Haverty’s next time.”

“I didn’t, you asshole. I fell asleep in our bed.”