After Hours (boyxboy) | ✓

Chapter Twenty-Seven

One week had passed since I received Emmett’s note. And three days had passed since I drunkenly called him. Regret still swirled in my mind whenever I thought of the party. My mom had good intentions — alcohol and people always distracted her from the more difficult things. But drinking didn’t do anything good for me. It just made things worse. 

The time had come for me to do something. Emmett wanted things to work (or maybe he wanted to send me one last note to make me feel worse). I wanted it, probably even more than he did. I was falling in love with him. I might not have shown it too well, but I was sure he’d be willing to put things in the past if I made it right.

But the first step to fixing things wasn’t apologizing to him. No, this started with someone else. Someone I hurt even more than him. I had to talk to Jennie. 

Jennie and I hadn’t seen each other since we broke up in June. She probably didn’t want to see me. I wouldn’t either. What I did was fucked up. I wasn’t into her anymore. But I probably shouldn’t have slept with her friend. That kind of sucked. I was the asshole in this situation.

It wasn’t really possible to text or call Jennie. She blocked me on her cell, and she wouldn’t pick up if she saw my number anywhere else. So I saw no other choice but to show up at her house and hope she was home.

I drove down the road, humming along to the radio. My heart quickened as I passed Emmett’s house — he was sitting in the driveway with one of his friends (I think her name was Maggie or something). I could’ve sworn I saw him look at me. But I kept driving. 

Jennie’s house was only a few minutes from mine. Most people in our town didn’t live far. Her address was burned in the back of my mind from the million times she read it to me. Seventy-three, Washington Court. I couldn’t count the number of times she had to repeat it. Now, it was permanently in my memory. I didn’t think I could ever forget it.

I drove into the familiar driveway with ease. Only one other car was there — Jennie’s purple jeep. I cringed as my tires hit the curb.

The flowers lining the sidewalk hadn’t changed since that June day. In fact, nothing had. The lawn was mowed perfectly and the cement was practically untouched. 

I locked up my car and walked to the entrance. Her maid would probably answer the door. Hopefully she wouldn’t remember me. I knocked on the door, my hand shaking slightly.

“Is that Brendon Moreno?” She squinted. “You boys are always so quick to return.”

I held back a laugh. “I’m not here to get back with Jennie. I’m here to apologize.”

She nodded respectfully. It made me smile. “Go on then. She’s in her room with her friend. Glenn, I believe.”

“Okay.”

I walked into the massive foyer. Glenn was a guy on the cheer team. Most people would assume he was her new flame, but I knew better. He was basically the most outwardly gay guy in our school. He flirted with me whenever I ate lunch with Jennie. All year he’d complain about how Theo Holst was the only decent gay guy in our grade. It was a great time.

The house was silent as I walked up the stairs. Jennie and Glenn’s talking had stopped. They probably heard me talking to the maid. I cringed as I reached her door. Without missing a beat, it swung open.

“Well, well, well…” Glenn put his hands on his hips. “Do my eyes deceive me? Or is the world’s greatest man-whore here to seduce my best friend?”

“Glenn,” Jennie said sternly from her bed. She sat down, staring at me from behind her friend. She looked… sad?

“I’ll leave you to it, babe,” he said before shoving me out of the, leaving me alone with Jennie.