After the End: Book 3

55. Taking Care

Harry's POV

Even I felt bad about abandoning Naomi like that. She was being nice to me and perfectly accommodating, but I'm a bad person. I already knew that. It wasn't news. I had warned her of that plenty of times. Bad people just get used to feeling bad sometimes. Even though I knew I was fulfilling every negative, manipulative and downright nasty stereotype about myself as an addict, I just kept my head forward and continued on walking.

Wandering through the field to Corys house, I let the summer heat calm me down. The 2 Xanax also helped with that. And the liquor. I was going to have a good night, I could already tell. As long as I could get Cory on board, which I was just a little bit doubtful of. Not too doubtful, but the doubt was definitely still swirling there.

I got about 3/4 of the way through the field before realizing that I severely underestimated how far I'd signed myself up to walk in this stupid little quest of mine. The august heat was killing me. Instead of stopping, I peeled off my bright woman's cardigan and threw it over my shoulder, hoping the fact that I was drenched in sweat wasn't too obvious. I stowed away my tequila bottle and kept walking the rest of the way to the familiar front door past the gravel lot of the house.

Several cars lined the driveway. It was falling into late afternoon so I knew people would be showing up already for her regular Friday night affairs. I noticed Ash had parked in the spot closest to the door, his ugly pick up truck sticking out further into the walkway than anyone else's. It seemed fitting that he'd park like a douche considering everything else about him.

I started to get nervous as I finally made it to the front door. If Cory had Ash there then it was pretty clear she was busy and probably wouldn't be happy to see me considering she'd genuinely cried and begged me to leave the last time I'd been in her house. She was having a party though, obviously and I'd never seen her turn anyone away. She didn't even like Ash and she kept inviting him. And she'd liked me enough to come get me the other night. It's not like she hated me, or at least she put effort into acting like she didn't. Plus, my backpack was full of coke, which was my go to peace offering when she was mad. I hadn't even brought pills beyond a jangling bottle of xannies because I knew she had plenty of her own and if I showed up with an abundance of them, she'd just look at me like I was going to die all night.

I knocked on the door and tried to smile. It would be fine. I just kept telling myself it would be fine. The Xanax was definitely helping.

I was about to knock again, although I was getting just a little hazy to tell how much time had passed when the door swung open and I was face to face with Cory.

She regarded me in the doorway for a moment. She didn't look exactly happy, but I was willing to accept that. I could work with not happy if she wasn't explicitly mad to see me.

I pulled out the tequila bottle and held it up with a smile. "I brought watered down tequila, courtesy of Louis the sensational little bartender."

Cory shook her head like she couldn't quite believe I'd managed to come bother her again after everything.

"You aren't supposed to be here," she said finally. "You have to know that."

"I figured as much," I agreed a little mock grimly. I dug into the bag again and produced the bit of coke, giving her another smile. "I did bring you my own presents though, because between me and you, Louis gift is pretty fucking lame."

The corner of her mouth twitched, like she was trying not to grace that with her laughter. She made a face I couldn't quite read and I watched her eyes scan my body from head to toe. She met my eyes again and studied them.

"You're sweaty," she commented.

"It's august and I walked really far," I argued.

"You didn't walk all the way here, did you?" She inquired.