Forrest

FORREST

Where the fuck is she?

SHE JUST left! I was just waiting for my break to chat with her, then I found her seat empty. There was no way she went with that jackass!

I had a few ideas about Megan’s history of hook-ups, but I was the last person to judge her—she was a consenting adult. I just didn’t want her to mix with that scumbag of all the people because he had a flashy card at his disposal.

“I’ll be right back.” I patted Dice on his shoulder and took off my apron.

My blood was already boiling, and I badly wanted to light a stick if I wasn’t still working. I strode toward the exit, hoping to apologize for butting into their chin-wag earlier.

She couldn’t have gone far. The smell of pees and cigarette assaulted my senses as I scanned the area where Megan could possibly park her car. I sprinted to the parking lot, thankfully, her car tail lights were still on.

A red haze gathered behind my eyelids as soon as I spotted her outside her car.

Shit!

“Megan!” I ran toward her, already quivering with rage. Pictures of her being harassed flashed in my brain when I noticed her on the ground, leaning against her car, seemingly shaking with her face buried in her hands.

As I got closer, I could hear her sobs that had me perplexed for a moment. This couldn’t be from drinking. I’d been watching her drunk her ass for years, and she was only on her second shot.

“Megan, are you okay?” I knelt in front of her and held her arms.

“Get off of me!” She jerked away from my grasp, terrified.

“It’s alright. It’s me, Forrest. Are you okay?” I spelled out and held her tightly as I inspected her for possible injury.

“I don’t need you! All of you, assholes!” She yelled between sobs.

“Just tell me if you’re okay to drive home and I won’t bother you again.” Damn it! What am I even doing here? It was because she was a friend of my girls, and they would knee my balls if they found out I left their best friend alone. And she’s Megan, dumbass!

“Just leave me alone.”

I loosened her arms on my grip, and there was no way I would hurt her further. When she tried to stand up, I followed suit and took a step back. And that was when a chill of apprehension swept over me. Her nose was bleeding and had a hand imprinted on her left cheek.

I was already balling my hands into fists before I could ask her. “Who the fuck did that to you?”

“I’m fine. Just go. Why do you even suddenly care?” She wiped off the bloodstain with the back of her hand and gave me a cold stare.

She’s a total mess. She wasn’t like this. I wondered what happened to her for the past few days. The Megan I knew was funny and flirty who didn’t filter and never cared how people would judge her. But this woman in front of me was a completely different person. She’s lost.

“Is that a handprint of that motherfucker?” The urge to lifting my hand to wipe the blood from her nose had me shaking.

Her chest puffed out, ready to throw me a pit. She was still crying though. Tears were streaming down her smeared face.

“If you didn’t stick your nose into and humiliate him in the first place, he wouldn’t have come to do this to me!”

I had to look away and gulped down an inhale of air. “He’s a jackass, Megan, but I shouldn’t have done that. I apologize for my abominable behavior earlier.”

alone. I’ll live, and it’s not the first

“What do you mean? Do you know him?”

I fucked him?”

There was something inside me triggered, and I didn’t even want to think about it right now. It just hardened and twisted my gut even though

about who

and why did you have to poke your nose in?”

for your nose?”

car. “I don’t need your help. Not now. You should’ve talked to me a long

“What do you—?”

She faced me, fury filled her eyes. “It means I don’t need you, okay? Just fuck

shuddered. It felt like she was telling

to say any words anymore. It was my fault she was

care? Of course,

shoulder after placing an order

glass and poured ice cubes for the order Whiskey on the rocks.

He gestured his head

them, but one thing that caught my attention was the bare back of the woman in a red dress with a chin-length haircut. I forced a swallow as I strolled my gaze from her shoulder down to her spine. I felt the rush of blood surging through my veins in an instant. My skin vibrated with primal desires and insatiable hunger the longer I checked her out.

throat. My mouth

answered. “I don’t have any idea they’d be here tonight. Damn it! Why here? Don’t let those two manwhores get near my girls. I may need to look for a new job if Hughes and Williams touch a

***

Mama! No, Mama!

I walked toward my kitchen with sweat dripping from my forehead. I

My head snapped, eyes squinted to the sunrise streaking through the window. I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. What happened

means I don’t need

you don’t. You’re a

dressed, and already standing in

“Coming?”

like mine, but he was skinnier than me.

“Yeah.” I got in. “How’s your sister?” His sister was newly diagnosed Diabetic. And I felt

be fine. It runs in the family anyway. My skinny ass is just

The reception area was painted in light gray, two shaded lamps were hanging loosely from

approached again, showing me his new design on the

shiny wings spread widely that could soar across the sky. The striking claws were long, black, sharp, and curve pointed downward promising hideous scars and excruciating

he

showing me his signature grin and gleaming

opened this morning. You should have at least a better word to say than just good.” His shoulders drooped, walking away to the long black counter. He placed the iPad on top, collapsed himself on

art, but I could appreciate a good one. And good was not the right word for his aesthetic work.

your face. That can bring bad luck for the business.” I walked past him to the hallway. There were six small tattoo rooms. At the end of the

“Yeah.”

machine from one of the rooms. I could still feel the biting sting of the needle piercing my skin when I got my first tattoo,

on the single panel glossy black door, Alan said

and closed the door behind me.

up at me. For his age, he was still a diet conscious and managed to stay fit. Though he had already

do.” I slumped my back on the black chair and leaned my elbow on his wooden desk. Bartending was exhausting

You don’t wanna attract unwanted attention. Did you understand

waiting for

squinting his sharp whiskey-colored eyes on me. “How