Just Like That

22. "chase me"

Grayson Reid Jansen

   No, I didn't leave the wedding. Had I done that, I wouldn't have ever heard the end of Holland and my mother's bitching. I only stepped outside for some fresh air, not that anyone would notice or care.

"Grayson, that you?" Asked a familiar voice. I squinted my eyes in the dark to make out who it was that was talking to me. I quickly realized it was my brother-in-law's Uncle Mike.

"Sup." Our hands slid.

He was sitting on the bench under a leering tree, smoking a fug. "Here." Mike offered me one.

I waved the smoke out of my face and said "no, thank you."

"You look like you could use it. Stressed?" He asked. That was one way to put it, I'd say "overthinking" but both fit.

Fuck it, I thought in the moment and took a fresh from the pack cigarette out of his hands.

It wasn't my first time smoking a cigarette. In fact, the first time was when I was in college. I had gotten into some trouble and decided to go party because I thought I'd be getting expelled the next day. We were at a party, me and my guys, I was sitting on the couch in somebody's living room when these two girls came and sat on my lap. This guy, this freshman who wanted to be my friend so bad, said I looked bad ass - like a pimp or something I think he said - and handed me a cig. I remember saying "fuck it" and just smoked it.

It was still as nasty as I remembered. Shit really was a stress reliever though but if I was gonna smoke anything, it'd be weed. I had to stop smoking though after I got in with the wrong people and that's all they did. It got fucking tiring, boring. The feeling wore off and getting high just became pointless. I guess it was pointless because I actually was depressed around that time and being high was only a temporary solution. I didn't want a temporary solution. Now, I just didn't smoke weed because Colson copied my every move and I didn't want him getting into that shit.

The door flew opened and let Brea out, followed by some guy I never saw before.

Uncle Mike nudged me, offering a bottle of Jack he stole from the bar. Straight faced, I took it and started drinking it like it was water.

Brea didn't see me as she was carrying things to her car with this new guy. She was all smiles as he took the equipment from her hands and held the door open for her.

"Isn't that your girl?" Asked my uncle, looking up at me with worry.

I didn't sweat it, though, he was just helping her put her shit away. I knew the second she was done, she'd come looking for me.

Or so I thought.

The guy closed the door and leaned over Brea, trapping her in his noodly arms. She grinned big and laughed at something he said. And this wasn't just a laugh, it was her flirty laugh. I knew because when we first met, she laughed at me like that even when what I said wasn't really that funny.

I clenched my jaw and continued watching from afar.

I stepped boldly into the light at the edge of the pavement and watched angrily as Brea took this motherfucker's hand and skipped back inside with him.