CHAPTER NINE

 

Carly dropped by the next day for brunch. It had been McCoy’s idea. He wanted to put in an effort for her to get to know him. The real him. Not the cold exterior she was accustomed to seeing. In the back of my head I knew he wouldn’t be able to help but be a bit stand offish, it was his nature.

When she arrived she came barreling into the kitchen in a storm of anger. I raised an eyebrow at her as she slammed her purse down on the counter and stood there huffing for breath. McCoy had been about to pour pancakes on the grill, but he paused mid pour to look up at her as she started to rant.

“Fucking Jason. Veronica, I swear to God, he’s lost his mind.”

“What did he do?” I groaned.

“Oh. Let me tell you. First he called me. I didn’t have his number so I answered. Imagine my surprise when he says, ‘oh hey Carly, this is Jason, you know, Vee’s ex?’.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him to take a fucking hike, that’s what I said. Then he started messaging me. Long, pathetic messages about how much of an idiot he is and how much he wants you back.” She rolled her eyes. “What a joke. And he wouldn’t stop! I had to block his number.”

I looked over at McCoy.

Carly sighed. “Did he call you too?”

I nodded. “Yeah, last night. Pretty late, too. But it was an unknown number, so I didn’t know it was him.” I went to my phone which was still where we had left it the night before. I blinked down at the screen. “Seventy six missed calls.”

Carly made an angry growling sound in her throat. “Such an ass. Coffee. Do you have coffee?”

I poured her a cup and McCoy plucked my phone out of my hand. “You have voicemails.”

“Just delete them. I don’t even want to know what they say.”

“This is obsessive behaviour,” McCoy said as he lifted the phone to his ear, “guys like this…” he didn’t finish his sentence.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Listening to the voicemails.”

“I’m sure it’s just Jason drunkenly slurring about how lonely he is.” Carly said, taking the coffee I had poured for her thankfully.

McCoy’s face hardened as he listened to the first message. I asked him again to just delete them, but he ignored me and proceeded to continue listening to the next one. I watched as tension grew in him. He was angry.

“Do you know where he lives?” McCoy asked.

“No.” I answered quickly. “Why?”

McCoy shrugged and dropped the phone on the counter. “Just wondering.” He returned to the pan and stirred the pancake mix again before pouring it into even circles.

Carly waggled her eyebrows at me. “Because he wants to kick the shit out of him.”

I looked between Carly and McCoy. He didn’t correct her. Carly smiled. “Oh, McCoy, I think you and I will get along swimmingly. I know where Jason lives.”

He looked over his shoulder at her. “Oh?”

She nodded.

“No, no, no.” I said. “The last thing we need to do is go over to Jason’s place. He’s an idiot, but that’s all he is. He’s only upset because I’ve finally moved on and found someone else and he knows it’s serious. He’s just freaking out.”

McCoy flipped the pancakes and turned to look at me. He folded his arms. “Serious, hey?”

“Yes.” Oops. I hadn’t meant to say that part.

McCoy grinned. “I like how that sounds.”

Carly groaned again and leaned on the counter. “Ugh. You two. So cute. I’m single as fuck over here. You know what would make me feel better? Shit kicking Jason! McCoy, what are you doing later? I think it could be a really good bonding experience for us. Everybody wins. You want McCoy and I to get along, right Veronica?”

McCoy was laughing as he lifted the now ready pancakes on to a plate. I was having none of it. “No. You guys aren’t going to go beat up Jason. Just leave it alone.”

McCoy shrugged as he put the pancakes down on the table and gestured for Carly to come sit. He pulled out her chair. “At least you tried,” he muttered.

She smiled up at him as she sat.

“For the record,” he continued, “it would have been an excellent bonding experience. But I’ll settle for pancakes and bacon.”

Carly laughed. I watched the two of them giggle like high school kids. It was what I wanted. Looking at them made me feel like everything was finally beginning to fall into place.

McCoy looked up at me. “You eating with us, or what?”

I grabbed the maple syrup from the fridge and plopped down in my chair between them as they continued to take jabs at Jason. It wasn’t long before McCoy was throwing his head back and laughing hysterically. Carly seemed enthused by his carefree laughter, and she continued to joke throughout breakfast.

When Carly was halfway through telling McCoy about the time she caught Jason cheating on me the doorbell rang. I stood to answer it but McCoy waved me back down to my chair. “I’ll get it, finish eating. Carly, hold that thought, I want all the details.”

When he left Carly turned her massive white smile over to me. “Okay,” she said, talking quietly so McCoy couldn’t hear. “You were right. He’s amazing.”

“I know. How crazy is it?”

She nodded. “Oh, girl, it’s batshit crazy. But the way he looks at you. God damn. It’s like how I look at Ryan Reynolds. True love.”

I giggled, then cursed when I dropped syrup on my jeans. I dragged my thumb over it and licked it off while Carly judged me with a skeptical scowl.

Then we heard a shout at the door.

I pushed my chair back as my heart leapt into my throat. It had been McCoy. A surprised yell, followed by the sound of something falling to the ground. Or someone.