Chapter 3

Wyatt

The burn of the whiskey hitting the back of my throat calms my nerves better than anything. My father never really helped with much, but if I remember anything, it’s that whiskey can get you through some shit.

While I hang my head in a rare moment of defeat, water drips from my hair into my eyes, residue from the conditioner softly burning them.

But do I care? Fuck, no. I sit and take it, feeling my body absorb this moment of pain and using it to make me stronger.

I take another swig of my whiskey and wince through it. Pain puts hair on your chest. We fucking swallow that shit and use what we gain from it later.

I take a deep, uneven breath.

In a single motion, I slick my wet hair away from my face and step out the shower. After wrapping a towel around my waist, I stand in the mirror with jars of gel and pomade.

I’ve already learned my lesson about waiting until my hair was too dry to start sculpting it into its style. Just as I work the last bits of product in with my fingertips, my phone vibrates against the bathroom vanity.

The sudden sound sends a shock through me. One that causes me to knock the full jar of hair gel onto the floor. I hate to admit it, but I might be the slightest bit on edge after that bout.

“Fuck!” I grunt, not even tempted to clean the mess.

I toss my arms up in a ‘fuck it’ motion and pick up my phone to find out who the fuck is texting me. I don’t have any obligations right now, so what the fuck could anyone need from me?

Duuuude!!! I just heard u were back in town! You’ve gotta come out to the old lake house with us. We’re leaving today.

It’s Jake, my best friend. Actually, best friend doesn’t even cover it; he’s honestly more like a brother.

We were inseparable while we were growing up. Played on the same sports teams throughout high school, his family took care of me a lot of the time, even taking me on vacations with him and his younger sister, Ruby.

God, fuck. Ruby Watson. Jake would kill me if he knew, but I had the biggest fucking crush on that girl.

She was the one that got away. I know we were both young, but I never stopped feeling like there was something between us.

I just made my move too late on her. A week after the last vacation I took with them, I was deployed. I haven’t seen or spoken to Ruby since.

The Watsons always invited me on their annual lake house trips to get me out of my shitty house with my shitty ass parents. But I thought it was just that.

So, I’m surprised he’s reaching out of nowhere to bring me with him to this one—albeit pleasantly surprised, too. They never made me feel like a charity case.

I was always just part of the family. It was something I needed, and maybe something I could use after today.

I just don’t know how understanding they’ll be about the new me…

My phone is vibrating again. This time, it’s a phone call from Jake. He’s never been patient. It’s comforting to see some shit just never changes.

“Hey, bro. What’s up?” I pick up, feeling like my old self for a moment.

“Man, you’re coming to the lake house. It’s gonna be dope!” Jake replies, trying to recruit me, but in reality only makes me want to challenge it to fuck with him.

I’m satisfied with the look of my hair. My undercut is perfectly lined, and my longer layers are sleek and frizz-free in an effortless-looking type of way.

I continue to my bedroom to get dressed with Jake’s call on speaker.

“Alright.” I laugh. “I’ll go. Don’t get your panties in a bundle, okay?”

“Fuck you, Wyatt! I’ll pick you up in a half hour.”

“Cool.”

When we hang up, I drop my towel and slide into a pair of black boxer briefs. Looking at the scars on my body, I can’t help but wonder if agreeing to this lake house shit is a mistake.

No matter how much I try to push the memories from the war out of my head, they still follow me. My mind is my own personal hell, like an abuser I can’t escape.

I never know what I’m gonna do, so I’m afraid half the time, and I’m in fight mode the other half. The spontaneity of it all just isn’t really the kind of shit you want to accompany you on a wholesome, family vacation.

I put on a white V-neck tee and some ripped light blue jean shorts, looking fresh and ready to take on all the chicks we see out at the neighboring cabins and shit.

I take one more glance at myself, standing in front of the full-length mirror in the corner of my bedroom closest to the window. Natural sunlight is the best for checking out your outfit. Learned that shit on my first boat as we docked in Italy.

I release a satisfied grin at my own perfect form. So what if my mind’s a little fucked up sometimes? I’m feeling myself right now, getting back to my roots with my homeboy.

I slip into some sneakers and quickly begin to pack a bag, suddenly feeling as giddy as I felt going on these trips as a kid. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed Jake. I miss being part of a family.

Fuck—is Ruby going? Am I actually going to get to see her again?

I sit down as I start shoveling clothes into a gym bag.

I don’t need anything too excessive. I toss in a few more V-neck t-shirt and shorts combos, some underwear, and my swim trunks.

If Ruby is going to be there, what am I going to say to her?

Fuck, I feel like a teenager all over again.

When I go to grab the bottle of sunscreen from my dresser, I realize I have a massive bulge in my pants from thinking about Ruby. I’d give anything to show that girl how much I want her to this day.

Ruby. The only girl to ever keep significance to me. I look down, adjust myself, and toss the sunscreen into my bag, and hurriedly leave the bedroom.

While I’m in the kitchen pouring another shot of Maker’s Mark, gearing up for this trip, I hear the bass of Drake’s Hotline Bling blaring in my driveway. Jake’s here.

I toss the empty shot glass in the recycle bin and grab my bag, running outside to meet him. I whistle, calling Rowdy over with me.

I’m not going anywhere without my four-legged pal. Rowdy’s been here since I got back, getting me through a lot of my shit. It’d be a crime to leave him at home.

As we get outside, we’re greeted by Jake. He hasn’t changed much at all since high school. He gained a couple more pounds of muscle, but still has just a couple whiskers of facial hair.

It’s good to see him after all these years. We grab hands and swiftly hug, laughing although nothing funny had been said.

“Man, look at you—swole as fuck!” Jake playfully punches my arm. “So, how was the Navy?”

It’s a normal fucking question, but hearing it still makes me wince. Thankfully, Jake doesn’t notice the quick change in my expression.

“It was cool, man, but I’m glad to be back,” I reply casually, trying to be tough but hoping he’ll drop the subject.

“Dope. Well, we gotta swing by Ruby’s work to pick her up, then we can get on the road.”

Good, he caught the hint.

I laugh. “Ruby’s working? That sounds crazy. She wasn’t even out of high school the last time I saw her.”

I head over to my car to grab my charger, signaling for Rowdy to meet me in Jake’s hunter green SUV.

“Yeah, man, she’s a secretary at some law firm.” Jake slips into his seat behind the wheel.

Out of nowhere, I hear bullets.

Enemy bullets coming closer and closer to us. My entire body is covered in sweat, and I can’t breathe. Have I been hit?

I pat my body in search for an open wound. There isn’t one.

Gasping for air, I close my eyes and fall to my knees. When my eyes reopen, I am kneeling into the passenger’s side of my car, the open door touching my right shoulder.

I hear the sound again, but this time, I know it’s Rowdy barking. I grab my charger and punch another dent into my door. Jake is too busy playing with Rowdy to notice.

Thank god.

But what happens if I do this shit during the trip? What is everyone going to think of me? How do I get out of explaining it all?

They’ll never understand the monster I’ve become.

As I’m enveloped in my thoughts, conflicted about what I’m even doing, Jake’s voice shakes me back to reality.

“Hey, man, Ruby’s getting off work soon. We should start to move in that direction. I can’t deal with her bitching if I pick her up late again,” Jake calls from the open window.

I can’t back out now. And I can’t let this shit control me. I’d be letting my friend and myself down.

Plus, it’ll be nice to get away for a bit. I’ll probably go even crazier if I stay here alone at my house.

I join Jake in the SUV, and we speed off to Ruby’s office, now cruising to AC/DC’s Highway to Hell just like old times.