Secrets Look Different in the Light

Chapter 33

Dylan's POV

     The cleaners arrive promptly at 9am, making sure to ring the doorbell no less than seven times. By the time I make it down the stairs, Avery is opening the door to let them in. She had the time-saving advantage with her room being downstairs and all, but that doesn't stop her from giving me the death glare the entire time. I can't be bothered to start arguing with her first thing in the morning, so I slink back to my room, quietly shutting the bathroom door behind me so I don't wake Jackie.

I grab my jeans off the floor, checking the pockets for anything I might've stashed. These coke hangovers are brutal without help.

It's no different than people ordering Bloody Mary's the morning after a blackout. 

Lucky for me, I've got half a joint and just enough coke left for a line. It's enough to bring me back to life. I crack the window and light the joint, letting the smoke drift out as I start the shower.

While I wait for the water to heat up, I finally check my phone, as I light up the joint. I kind of forgot about them after being punched in the face, but I know May was blowing it up.

"Should've known you really were with her"

"You think she's gonna stay with you now that you're like me?"

"She ruined everything. One second she's just some girl, and the next she's in your shirt like you belonged to her."

There's a handful of incoherent voicemails accompanying the texts, but when I can't understand anything besides: "Dylan, you love me." I delete them. 

I flick the bud out the window and hear a startled yelp below.

"Sorry! I yell to the cleaner I just assaulted with ash, then return to the line I made earlier. I honestly would've done a second line if I had more, but at least the weed helps it hit harder.

Energy rushes back into my limbs. I flip the shower off and walk back walk back into the room, feeling almost normal again.

Jackie's sat criss-cross  on my bed. 

"Hey you," I say. 

"How are you feeling?" she asks. Her voice lacks its usual lightness.

"I'm okay." I sit across from her

She inspects my face from last night. "You think Avery will talk to me today? She spent all day ignoring Jayden until Theo pressured her to talk to him." she starts panicking aloud.

"Then push her  like Theo did," I say nonchalantly. 

She glares up at me, and I suddenly remember why Avery's her best friend.

"She'll get over it. Why does it have to be a bad thing for her best friend to date her brother? If you play your cards right, I could end up making you sisters." I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

Jackie stands from the bed. "Yeah once you're done doing coke with your ex girlfriend." she snaps, searching for her shoes. 

I stand and grab her wrist gently. "Did we not go over this last night?" I ask, recalling my desperate attempt to keep her from telling anyone about the coke situation. 

She doesn't answer, but her silence feels like a challenge.

She really likes me...So she'll be happy dating me, and my coke use can be left in the vault. Just something I did during my "teenage dirtbag" years. This can work.

Jackie's POV

"We got a bit interrupted at the end there. I don't recall you convincing me of too much though, since you were high and all." I snarkily respond.