She was still standing in the doorway all but wringing the skin off her hands. “Coffee?” I moved to get myself a cup and acknowledged her refusal with a grunt. I wasn’t even trying to be an asshole, it just seems to come naturally with this one.

I poured myself a cup of stale shit and walked back out onto the porch for her to follow. She was petting my dog and cooing to him and this little fucker was lapping it up. Anything female, that’s his motto. Pitiful!

I tried giving him the stink eye but he ignored me. Yeah, see who’s gonna feed your ass when she’s gone. Horny mutt. I should’ve known he’d show his ass for a female, fucking dog.

She sat on the edge of her seat as if ready to bolt at the first provocation and I struggled for something to say. At least something that wouldn’t bring her close to rears, or put that look on her face again. Something….“What’s his name?”

“Harley.” Thank fuck she broke the awkward silence. I took a sip of coffee so I didn’t have to say more wondering how the fuck I got myself in this shit. No good deed…

“Where was he last night?” Good fucking question.

I glared at the culprit in question who was now lounging at her side next to her chair. Swear to fuck that fucker rolled his eyes at me. See who’s gonna play catch with your trifling ass later pal. Traitor!

“On the prowl.” I barely restrained myself from saying the words looking for pussy. Yeah, I’m that kinda guy. It comes from years as a marine and we all know what Eleanor Roosevelt said about us.

This is why I stay away from asshole humans, especially prissy little beauty queens who looked like butter wouldn’t melt in their damn mouth.

I could see the discomfort written all over her face, but that wasn’t my problem. I didn’t invite her ass here. If she wasn’t feeling welcomed she could hop back into her over expensive tin shit and head out.

I made the mistake of letting my eyes pass over her and fuck if my dick didn’t perk right the fuck up. Too bad for his ass, no way am I going there with her. He’d better get over his shit fast before he walks both our asses into trouble.

I became overly preoccupied with my cup and asked myself when the fuck she was gonna leave, while ignoring the feeling in my dick. My hard throbbing dick that if she had the nerve to look would be hard to miss. Thank fuck there was no way Ms. Priss was gonna do that. At least that’s what I was betting on.

I didn’t even bother trying to grab another peek at her out the side of my eye to see what the fuck it was about her that gave me that strange as fuck feeling. Not the hard dick, that part’s easy. She’s a fucking knockout.

I’m more worried about the other feeling that refuse to stop plaguing me. I’m not fucking interested. That feeling can go fuck itself on a cactus. And then she sighed. Dammit!

“So, how are you feeling? No lasting effects from last night?” I gave in and took pity on her before she died of embarrassment for just sitting on my damn porch like a lump.

She perked right the fuck up at the sound of my voice. I prepared my ears for a running dialogue of every ailment she’d suffered on account of her ass being stupid.

“Oh no I’m fine. I haven’t really…you know.” She shrugged her shoulders and I nodded which seemed to be some green light signal for her ass to start yapping.’

I listened to how Ms. Priss was a psych major and how she knew that if she let the incident get the best of her how it would control her life; blah-blah-blah.

“How did you find me?” She almost jumped out of her skin. I guess my voice could’ve been a little less gruff. Harley gave me his ‘what the fuck’ look and did that shit with his eyes again before putting his head back down on his front paws.

I don’t need tips on how to deal with women from you pal; fuck you very much.

“I asked your brother. I hope that wasn’t too forward of me.”

Now see, I’m not prone to dealing with women who talk like that. Who the fuck says shit like that? My taste tends to lean to the rough anarchist types. Women who know the deal and don’t want shit but a rough hard fuck to ease the itch

This was by a choice that had been foisted on me after life fucked me up the ass with a razorblade and left me for dead. I knew that I wasn’t fit for polite company any longer and couldn’t remember my people skills on the best of days, if I ever had any that is.

No, I used to. I used to be happy, free thinking, even with all the shit I’d seen in some of the worst hellholes on earth I’d had a better outlook on life and had even been the kind of guy to give others a chance.

I hadn’t let the harsh realities of life get me down, hadn’t allowed anything to change me, to make me act out of myself. In short I was fucking human and had a healthy respect for my fellow man.

But back then I had something sweet to come home to. Someone who’d kept me wanting to live and do more than just survive. Someone who’d helped me to see the good in others through her eyes.

She’d been the best part of me, and since she’s been gone there’s only dark ugliness left. I have no room for anything else that life has to offer. Don’t want any part of the fuckery, it cost too much.

I ruthlessly locked off my thoughts the way I’d taught myself to do. Why had my mind gone there anyway? It’s been a while since I allowed myself to revisit the past. There was no point in it. All that was back there was pain and misery. All roads lead to hell.

She was looking at me like she was waiting for an answer, so again I went with taking a sip of coffee, to give myself time to formulate an answer that wouldn’t make the peaches and cream cherry puff shit on herself out here in the woods with lil ole me.

Nah, fuck it, begin as you mean to go on. “It was kinda stupid. You like getting yourself in fucked up situations don’t you princess?” Her mouth dropped and her eyes went wide. Yep; not my type at all! So why the fuck can’t my dick get the memo?

“What? daddy didn’t pay you enough attention as a kid? Guess what, I don’t have too much to spare myself.” Even the dog knew that shit was wrong, the way he whined and put his leg over his eyes.

It was because of my reaction to her, the fact that I wanted to apologize, to erase that look from her face that I couldn’t turn back now. She’d thank me later. This was no place for her and I have no intentions on going back among so-called society ever again.

And why the fuck is my mind even going there with this shit? Why now? After all this time? I’d long given up on life, long stopped dreaming or wanting anything the world has to offer.

But within the space of one night she’d put me through my paces. In one night she’s taken over my mind and thoughts and have me thinking shit I shouldn’t be. That was no good for either of us.

I looked at her full on now no longer willing to play the nice game. I knew it, cream puff. She looked like she was about to break down in tears and run home to mommy.

Good, then I could get back to what the fuck it is I was doing. Which is what again? Oh yeah, getting her off my mind. “Nothing to say? Are you one of those women who don’t like the truth? You prefer me to sugarcoat shit for you? It was stupid of you to come all the way out here alone to meet a man you don’t even know.”

She stood quickly to her feet and her little fists were clenched so tight she was white knuckled. I almost snorted coffee through my nose. The little puff princess has a temper?

This is what she looks like when she’s pissed? Her face was red and her eyes were teary. I’m guessing this is the point at which she gets her way. Fuck outta luck with this marine. I gave my last fuck about three years ago and no amount of strange otherworldly feeling is gonna change that.

“You don’t have to be so rude. All you had to say was you didn’t want to be bothered. Or are you too afraid of the little princess to tell her the truth to her face?” Say what now?

“You know, hiding yourself away out here doesn’t mean you have to give up all pretense of civility. Enjoy the flowers. Harley it was very nice meeting you.” She actually shook the dog’s paw.

I was so surprised by the fact that she actually had claws I didn’t say shit as she stomped her ass to her car and climbed in. Good fucking riddance.

“Don’t say shit to me you.” Fucking dog looked at me like he was disappointed or some shit. He sauntered off the porch and stood in the middle of the yard watching her cute little car peel away down the gravel road.

He looked from the car and back to me before taking his ass off in the direction of the neighbor who was a good quarter of a mile away or more. “I hope he catches your ass this time, horny fuck.”

Shit, now she’s gone and made my dog mad at me. Fucking women just know how to fuck shit up. It’s in their DNA or some fuck. Whatever!

I threw out the rest of my unwanted coffee and stretched before heading out back to tend to my garden. Fucking rabbits and deer be eating my shit when I’m not looking and fucking Harley just lets them. Punk.

I wasn’t out there five minutes before she invaded my thoughts again. “Fuck this shit!” I threw down the garden spade and clenched my fists tight. Why should I care that there were tears in her eyes and a tremble in her voice when she stormed off my porch?

I didn’t ask her to show up here, so why should I feel responsible for her damn feelings? Isn’t it enough that I’d saved her damn life already?

Is this the thanks I get for doing that shit? Yeah Braden, and what if you were asleep, what if the dream hadn’t awakened you… “Don’t fucking go there.”

Just the thought of what could’ve happened to her had I not heard her cry out was enough to make me give serious thought to hunting down those two assholes and sending them to hell.

Damn! You got it bad don’t you jackass? I ain’t got shit. We had our little tango that didn’t get any farther than the front porch and now it’s over. Moving right the fuck on.

It didn’t matter what I told myself I felt like shit. And that shit only made me angrier. I attacked the dirt, working out my frustrations and wishing her to hell and the fuck out my heart.