You mother fucking idiot,” Kelton yells. “You’re lucky I picked your dumbass up. I was tempted to leave you here to rot. You need to think about your stupid decision.”

He was waiting for me when I walked out of the airport. I sent him a text telling him what time my flight was landing and then shut my phone off. I haven’t turned it back on. I’m dreading it. I don’t want to know what Addison thinks of me now. I can’t see her texts if she wants to talk. We need a clean cut from each other.

At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.

I throw my bag in the trunk of his car and slide into the passenger seat. “I’m smart and doing the right thing for once.”

“Don’t bullshit me. You fucked up one of the best things you had.”

“Wow, best friend, glad to know you think the only good thing in my life is the pussy I was hitting.” I cringe at my words. Addison was never just pussy, not even at the beginning, but I have to let my emotions go. That’s how I need to see her if I want to move on.

“Shut up. You know what I meant. Not to mention, you might be doing jail time for coming home early and breaking the court order.”

A headache starts to ride through my skull, and my heart kicks in my chest. Fuck. I never thought about breaking the court order when I left. I’m sure my dad called to rat me out the second I walked out his door.

“I’ll have to deal with whatever consequence is thrown at me. Either way, I’d end up in jail. There’s no way I would’ve been able to stay around Leonard for more than five minutes without kicking his ass.”

My phone vibrates when I finally turn it on. Five voicemails and ten texts from Addison. I won’t be opening or listening to any of them until I get home.

Kelton shrugs. “Doubt anything serious will happen. You somehow managed to keep your ass out of trouble last time.”

“My dad helped pay for my lawyer. I’ll be fighting this one on my own.” The chances of getting out of trouble are higher when you have an attorney and not a public defender.

“You’ve always been a fighter, man. You don’t need him.” He chuckles. “Look on the bright side, you have quite the résumé now. You’ve worked with the rich and famous. You can get a job working for some actor or reality star.”

“Screw that. I’m going back to the tattoo shop.” I can’t wait to get back to work. It’ll clear my head and keep my mind off Addison.

Kelton pulls into the parking lot of his apartment complex. “Now, back to the stepsister. I take it you left her ass high and dry. What happened?”

“Her mom walked in on us.” I knew it was a bad idea sleeping in her bed. My intuitions are usually on point. I was just geared off track by Addison’s sweet voice.

“She walked in on you fucking her?”

“No, we were in bed together.”

He laughs. “And you couldn’t come up with a good excuse to get out of it?”

“We were naked. No story would’ve changed her mind. Not to mention, Addison deemed it necessary to tell her the truth.”

He grabs an old water bottle from the backseat and takes a drink. “Eh, I guess you have a point there, but you should’ve tried. I would’ve given you some points for creativity.”

He steps out of the car, and I follow him into his apartment.

“Thank God, I’ve never had to come up with an excuse like that at the top of my head,” he goes on. “I tend not to screw women who still live with their parents. Fucking amateur.”

“Margo still lives with her parents, dumbass,” I fire back, not in the mood for his bullshit.

“Margo isn’t shit. I was fucking her when we were in high school. There’s a difference. All my lays have their own crib now.”

“And a full range of venereal diseases.”

* * *

“You call her yet?” Kelton asks.

I started back at the tattoo shop yesterday. It’s been four days since I left Addison, and the fuck-head has asked me about her relentlessly. He even took the duty to let every co-worker of mine know about her.

“Nope,” I answer, getting my table prepared for my first client.

He shakes his head. “That’s fucked up. You’re breaking her heart.”

“Putting her needs before my own isn’t fucked up.” I tell myself I’m doing the right thing every time I grab my phone, feeling weak to call her, but stop myself. She quit calling two days ago, finally giving up, and it’s time I do the same.

He raises a brow to let me know he thinks I’m full of shit. “Her needs before your own? What she needs is you, dumbass. Give her that before it’s too late. If you don’t, you’ll regret it later down the road. Tell her how you feel. Go be with her.”

“She wants a life I can’t give her. She’s steak. I’m chopped liver. It’ll never work. It’s best to end it now and move on with our lives. I don’t have the money to be her prince charming.”

“Pleasing girls isn’t expensive,” Yasmin cuts in. “It doesn’t cost a penny to not be an asshole and treat her right.”

Yasmin is one of our regulars, and she’s waiting on Kelton to get his station together to finish her back piece. I’m positive the two of them are fucking, but Kelton’s never been one to kiss and tell.

“And give her pleasure like no fucking other,” Kelton adds. He looks over at Yasmin and gestures to the chair. “Now, get your ass here, babe.”

“She was a great fuck, a good time, but it’s over,” I say, grabbing my bag. I need some fresh air.

“Ruin your life then, asshole,” Kelton yells to my back. “But don’t get mad at me when you realize you’ve made a mistake and it’s too late.”