Cursed

࿏Chapter Ten ࿏

Hayden

My tongue glides back and forth across the surface of the mango blunt wrap I just rolled. The sun is just starting to set and it's rays highlight the smoke as I light and exhale. Large tendrils of marijuana mixed with tobacco smoke dance around my room. Tonight isn't just a regular night at the Hideaway, not with her there. There's nothing remotely mundane about the way that Rory makes me feel. Last night's texting until two o'clock in the morning proved just that.

I take another drag off the spliff before I grab some jeans off the floor near the bottom of the bed, they pass the sniff test so I pull them on. I yank on a black long sleeved shirt around my neck and head to the bathroom. Normally I wouldn't care so much about my appearance but I've gained new purpose since kissing Rory and I can't let a bad hair day get in the way of kissing her again. I let the water rush over my hands at the sink and drag them back through the dark brown waves of my short hair. I look in the dirty mirror that hangs on by a thread over the sink. My wet fingers trace the snake tattoo that's peeking out over the neckline of my shirt. It's the one tattoo that you can see since my shirt sleeves are covering up the rest. It's not that I don't want Rory to see my tattoos, I want her to see all of me. However, I don't think tattooed guys are really her thing.

A few weeks ago I wouldn't have given a second thought to changing myself for a woman. I am who I am and more often than not I'm called a dick or an asshole. But for whatever strange reason I'm hiding my tattoos and trying to be "someone" for this girl. It makes me a little nervous to be caring so much about this girl's opinion of me.

The only thing that's left is my leather jacket. I glance up at the clock on the microwave. Fuck, I'm late for the tournament. As I rush through the kitchen my hand instinctively shoots out to grab a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels sitting on the counter. I take a shot to calm my nerves and don't even bother to lock up my shitty apartment before I go. The moon is out and casting an eerie glow on the cement as I speed walk to the Hideaway. The drunken crowd is already in full swing and the shouting can be heard far down the alley before I see the brick building that houses the bar.

As I approach the door I see that Gina has turned on the bug lights and they're making zapping noises as flies hit them and fall to their death. There's a nice pile of them on the window sill and I flick my cigarette butt on it before walking through the red door. My entrance is greeted by Billy Idol yelling on the jukebox.

"I'd sell my soul, for you, babe. For money to burn, for you. I'd give you all, and have none, babe. In the midnight hour, she cried more, more, more. With a rebel yell more, more, more."

The pool tournament hasn't started yet. I don't see Rory around either so I straddle a stool at the bar. Eager to get some more liquid courage in me before she gets here.

"Gina, get me a gin and tonic."

"Hayden I'm a little busy, you'll have to wait."

What the hell could she possibly be doing that's more important than getting me drunk. I glance over and see that she's pouring a flight of beers for a group of girls at the table behind me. One of them is giving me an angry look. Do I know that girl? And it dawns on me. She's the one whose face transformed into Rory's when I was fucking her. Now I recognize the blonde bob as she whispers to her girlfriends, while pointing at me with her menacing finger. Oh fuck.

That's when I hear it. The sound of Rory's sweet laughter. At someone who isn't me. I get up, ignoring the blonde girl, and walk to the back patio. I can't believe she's been here the whole time and I didn't know. When I get outside I spot Rory sitting at a picnic table, talking to some random guy I've never seen before. I feel my fingers clenching into fists, as jealousy takes over my body like a wave hitting a rocky cliff. But I decide to be extra cool and shake it off instead.