Void {h.s. au}

ch 34

Dylan can stay put in the house and wait for the next phone call from Harry. I'll go have fun and play the role that he should've been fulfilling for months now. Besides, Hailee would want to go have fun with James too. Lord knows that she's had more than her share of fun with him. Really, any pretty girl on campus could have fun with James. All she had to do was ask. 

As I pull into the driveway, I rethink my decision and put the car into reverse, parking along the curb instead. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves then step out of the car, taking quick steps up to the front door of the quaint house. The  deepwooden door sticks out to me. It doesn't match the rest of the white painted doors in the neighborhood, but it compliments the dark brick beside it. I knock my knuckles against the door, and notice how thick it is. Did James have this installed to keep people out?

Before I can think any more about that, the door opens wide, and I'm greeted by a grinning James. His ocean blue flannel is loose on him, hanging a bit past his hands. The black jeans on his legs cling to him, but the rips along the denim hang loose.

"Hey, stranger." He greets me, and I smile, meeting his light brown eyes. His chocolate colored skin compliments them well.

"How have you been?" I ask as he opens the door wider and steps aside, signaling for me to come inside, which I do with no hesitation. Once the door shuts behind me, the lingering smell of smoke hits me hard, and I'm brought back to memories with Hailee.

"I've been good. Getting on without Hailee has sucked, but it has to be done." He rushes in front of me, and I follow him into the living room.

"I didn't know you two had become so close." I counter. He has no idea what it's truly like to get on without her. 

"She came over a lot. I thought you knew that." He takes a seat on the black cushioned couch, and I sit on the red recliner beside him. 

"Yeah, but I didn't know you two bonded during those times. I thought it was just drug sessions."

"You should know better than anyone that you bond the most with someone while doing drugs with them." 

His words hang in the air as he grabs a rolled blunt from the coffee table in front of him. I notice a small purple grinder on the table as well. Its top sits next to it, revealing a small nug of weed sitting inside, ready to be grinded up. In the center of the table, a black dish filled with ash sits. It hasn't changed since the last time I was here.

I hear the sound of a spring being pulled back and see the flame come to life out of the lighter between James' fingers. He holds the blunt between his lips, steadying it so the edge hovers in the middle of the flame. Once he's satisfied, he drops the lighter into his lap and pulls the blunt from his lips, letting out a cloud of smoke.

"So, have you fucked yet?" He asks before taking another puff.

"Not yet." I take the blunt from him and hold it between my lips, deeply inhaling. The smoke moves down my throat, burning it, then goes into my lungs. I slowly exhale, watching the smoke move higher until it vanishes.

"I'm always available for you, sweetheart." He lightly smiles, raising an eyebrow, then lazily shrugs as if he's second guessing his confidence.

"I know, and I have known that." I chuckle, dragging in another hit of the blunt, letting the smoke fill me up. Once I've released all of it from my lungs, I pass it on to James.

"You're so weird, Tabby."

"Thanks, James."

"No, no, no. We have gone over this." He takes a long drag, letting the smoke leave him as he speaks, "Nobody calls me James. Especially the ladies."