Page 136 of Whisper Sweet Nothings
“The first step is admitting that there’s a problem,” he said with an evil grin on his face before he took a pull from his beer.
“Why do you seem like you’re enjoying this?” I hissed.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Maybe because I’ve always been the problem child, and now I’m in therapy and dealing with my shit, so I can easily spot a fucked-up motherfucker better than anyone. And you, my friend… are a fucked-up motherfucker.”
“Are you drunk?”
“Drunk on life, maybe.” He winked in that condescending way that he knew would get under my skin. “And this is my first drink today. So stop deflecting, Archie. We’re talking about you, not me.”
“I’m fine.”
“Says any man who isn’t fine. For fuck’s sake, just tell me what’s going on.”
I exhaled sharply. “It’s nothing.”
“Really?” he said, pursing his lips. “You skipped Sunday dinner, and you’ve been MIA on the group texts.”
“So let me get this straight… I feel a little under the weather on Sunday and skip dinner, and that makes me a fucked-up motherfucker?”
“Don’t forget being MIA from the group texts,” he said as he moved to my pantry. He helped himself to a bag of potato chips before sitting back down at the kitchen island.
“I’ve got a child. I’m doing this all on my fucking own right now, dickhead. If you haven’t noticed, my girlfriend isn’t here at the moment, so how about you cut me some fucking slack.” My words came out much harsher than I’d expected.
“Ahh… there it is. Was that so difficult?”
“Was what so difficult? Telling you why I missed a meal and a few text messages?”
“Oh, Archie, you really are a fucked-up motherfucker.”
“And you’re an asshole,” I snipped before reaching for the chips and grabbing a few from the bag.
“Just admit that you miss your girl.”
“It’s no secret. Of course I miss her. But I’m happy for her. She’s doing amazing, and that’s great.”
He laughed. “You don’t need to put on a show for me. Of course she’s doing amazing. She’s a fucking rock star. But you are retreating because of some deep-rooted shit, and you needto figure it out. It’s not healthy to keep saying everything is fine when everything isn’t fine. You’re a mess.”
“Gee. Thanks. Tell me how you really feel.”
“If I tell you what I think, will you agree to do me a favor?”
“Sure.” I rolled my eyes.
“I think that Scarlet fucked you up a little bit.” He held up his hands when I started to argue. “I know, I know, you don’t resent her choices. You wanted a kid, and she didn’t, and you don’t hold that against her. But that doesn’t mean that it didn’t fuck you up a little. The woman you loved chose her career over you.”
“For fuck’s sake. What is this? Some sort of demented therapy? I don’t resent Scarlet. She was honest about what she wanted, and so was I.”
“I know that. But I also know that she chose her career over you and over Melody. It’s her choice. Good on her. But that doesn’t mean that it didn’t fuck with your head when it comes to future relationships. Which is why you haven’t had one until now. And then guess the fuck what?”
“Please don’t make me. I already have a headache.” I rubbed my temples.
“Your girlfriend, whom you’re crazy about, is traveling the world because her career is blowing up. And that scares the shit out of you. So you’re doing what you do best—you’re suffering in silence and retreating into yourself.”
My eyes bulged out of my head. “Who the fuck are you? I feel like I’m talking to the Dalai Lama.”
“Hey, what can I say? I’m reading some self-help books and I’m doing a real deep dive into my fucked-up trauma. Boom. There you go.”
“Why?” I asked as I shook my head.
