dissonance. (a Böhme novel) by Sarah Buhl Read Free Book Online Page A

shrug.
    “Tough how?” I asked.
    “Her mom raised her and her brother after their dad died. Her brother is a half brother who had a different mom that gave up her rights, and Brecken’s mom adopted him. I moved when I was ten, so she was twenty and by that time I hadn’t seen much of her. She traveled around for a while. She got into some shit. I’ve only seen her in passing. We weren’t close, other than she was my babysitter. Her nephew and I are closer,” Karl explained. 
    “Thank you for the brief history, dude. Should I need a further description, I know where to find a more detailed explanation in the future.” I laughed and nodded to the bartender. “Let’s get you another drink then my friend.”
    _______________
    We left a couple hours later, and I managed to not drink enough to make dumb ass mistakes. I did keep checking my phone like a tween though, wondering if Brecken responded to me.
    Then, since I reminded myself of it, I checked my messages again.
    Nope, still nothing .
    “Okay, just apologize,” Gabe said as he walked next to me, pointing at my phone.
    “I have nothing to apologize for, man. She overreacted,” I said on a scowl.
    “Yes, you do. Just because you have a need to be the tough guy and not coddle women, doesn’t mean you can’t admit when you’re wrong. I read your conversation, you were patronizing and girl obviously has hang ups with guys taking the reins. So, that works in your favor considering how you hate it when girls want you to baby them. Apologize and talk to her as you do one of us. Quit treating her as a foreign being, man. Treat her as an individual,” Gabe said as he put his hands in his pockets and shrugged.
    “Very insightful, Gabe. You’re in the wrong business,” I said. “You should be an online guru with your own ebook that people can download for three easy payments. People will eat the shit out of your knowledge like hotcakes,” I said with a sincere laugh. He was insightful.
    He laughed, “I have no clue what that even means, and it sounds disgusting. But what you said is precisely why I am where I should be. Advertising, marketing—I understand people and their motives. It’s perfect. For instance, you’re now thinking of what you’re going to say to her and dreaming of building her a wood carving and wooing her with it,” he said.
    “Oh now you’ve gone too far Gabe. Don’t mock my whittling.”
    “Of course I'm mocking it—and I mock your jug headedness,” he said as he waved to a passing cab. The cabbie stopped and with a quick wave to me, Gabe climbed in, “On that note—later Blake.”
    Karl came up behind me and casually said, “Hey, there’s another one.” He pointed to the side of the laundromat across the street.
    Why did you run?
    Good question. But I was never one to run. The figure in the picture reminded me of my friend Wynn. He could easily have been that boy, tying his shoes, waiting to run. But he never ran either. We both shared the need to stay and follow the hard stuff through to the end. Only difference with me though was—I refused to chase the runners. If they decided to go—so be it.
    Karl stopped mid step and turned back to me, “Oh hey, I forgot to ask you earlier. Can you help me take some things up to the Böhme tomorrow? I have those pieces I’m finally sharing and I can’t get them in my car. Plus the car isn’t dependable at all.”
    “Yeah, sure, no problem. What time?” I asked, as I watched Karl continue on his way. He was strange, and the guy walked his own path that was for sure. I didn’t even know he had a car.
    “Don’t care. Morning sometime,” he said as he shrugged and put his hands in his pockets before turning to walk away. I didn’t know where he was going tonight. For all I knew, he just walked all night—no telling with Karl.
    _______________
     
    My phone woke me the next morning, and I wondered who the hell thought it important to call at the ass crack of dawn. When I