Slow Agony by V. J. Chambers Read Free Book Online Page B

“You’re all I want. That’s why.”
    “Bullshit,” he said. “I know you too well to believe that.”
    “It’s true,” I said.
    He turned back around and took another step to the bedroom.
    “But it isn’t the only reason, I guess.”
    He paused again.
    “I guess I haven’t really been in the mood. Not after...” I floundered. “It changed everything.”
    “Yeah.” His voice cracked. “It did.” He closed the door to his bedroom behind him.
    * * *
    I woke to the sound of hushed voices coming from the kitchen.
    “Who is she?”
    “She’s Leigh. I told you about her.”
    “Your ex? What is she doing here?”
    “Keep your voice down. You’re going to wake her up.”
    That was Griffin. One of the voices was Griffin. I didn’t recognize the other voice, but it was female. Was this the person who had overtaken his shower? The girlfriend?
    “I didn’t think you two still talked,” said the female voice.
    “We don’t,” said Griffin. “It’s complicated. Look, it’s not a great time for you to be here. I’ve got things I need to take care of, and I don’t want you mixed up in them. It’s for your own good.”
    His voice was growing closer. They were coming back into the living room. I opened my eyes, but I couldn’t see anything over the back of the couch.
    “Oh no,” said the female voice. “You’re not kicking me out of your apartment so that you can take care of things with your ex-girlfriend. I’m not an idiot. You better give me a better explanation than that right now.”
    “For God’s sake, she’s on the couch. You know how I feel about her. What more do you want?”
    “I want her to not be on your couch. I want her to not be in your apartment. I want us to spend the day together like we planned. I can’t believe you forgot about it. And I can’t believe she’s more important than I am.”
    I tried to peer over the top of the couch, but I was afraid they would see me moving. I couldn’t see anything. Maybe if I looked around the side. I really needed to know what this girl looked like.
    Griffin was sighing. “She’s on drugs again.”
    What? He was telling lies about me?
    “Oh,” said the girl.
    “Yeah,” said Griffin. “She’s in trouble with her dealer. She’s been sleeping with him for coke, and now he’s after her, and she needs someplace to hide out.”
    I sat up on the couch. “What?!”
    “Great,” said Griffin. “You’re awake.”
    Now I could see her. She wasn’t nearly as tall as me, but she was just as blonde. She had a willowy figure—long, elegant limbs and fingers. Delicate features. A pretty rosebud mouth.
    Why did she have to be gorgeous? Could the universe not cut me a break for once?
    “Geez, that’s awful,” she said, looking at me with sympathy in her eyes.
    “It’s a lie,” I said. I probably looked like ass, didn’t I? I’d just woken up, and my hair was probably askew and messy. She was perfectly coiffed and put together. I was a bed-head disaster. Maybe I should have pretended to be asleep.
    “Now, Leigh,” said Griffin. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be embarrassed. You have a problem, and you did the right thing coming to me. The most important thing is that you get clean.”
    “I am clean,” I said. “I haven’t snorted cocaine in over a year.”
    He turned to the blonde. “She doesn’t like people to know.”
    “Well, we won’t talk about it,” said the girl. She rushed over to me. “Don’t you worry about it. It’s like I never heard it.”
    I narrowed my eyes at Griffin.
    She looked at him too, beaming. “I can’t let you deal with this all on your own, though. I’ll stay. I’ll help.” She turned to me. “We’ll keep you so busy, you won’t even miss drugs.”
    I collapsed back on the couch. She was going to stay?
    “No, that’s nice of you,” said Griffin, “but you don’t have to do that.”
    “I want to.” She popped around the couch and perched on the edge of it, next to me. “This