Destined Love

Destined Love - Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen:

Breaking through a pounding headache, I open my eyes from a hazy sleep. The air around me vibrates placidly, making me wish my thumping head felt the same. I squint as I face the front window, the sun shining through the curtains, almost blinding my bloodshot eyes.

With a satisfying moan, I stretch out my limbs, groaning as my muscles crack. Through a hazy hangover, images from last night appear foggy in my mind. As I distend my back muscles, my shoulder suddenly makes contact with something hard behind me. On instinct, I jerk away and fling myself off the couch, landing on my hands and knees. Quickly, I spin around, almost regretting the decision as I watch Cole snoring, stretched out along the length of the lounge.

I almost feel the bile rising in the back of my throat.

With his mouth agape and his nostrils flaring with each breath, I hope we weren't in that position all night. I force myself not to wonder how we ended up sleeping on the same sofa. Watching as he sighs in his sleep, I bend down to the level of the couch, grip my fingers underneath the wood of the sofa, and using the weight of my legs, I lift and then push the couch until it flips over. It lands noisily against the hard carpet.

Cole falls to the ground, a loud breath of air leaving his lips before he rolls across the floor. Seconds after, his eyes spring open, landing on mine. I glare at him, my jaw set into a tight line as he rubs the back of his head.

"Did you just flip me off my own damn lounge?" Cole blinks, his voice groggy from sleep.

"Yes, you fucking dick!" I growl, now wide awake. "What the hell were you doing?"

He stares at the couch and then back at me again, his brow furrowed. "What?"

Throwing my hands up in annoyance, I point to the lounge with rage. "I woke up, and you were sleeping behind me like an 'effing baby."

"I can't remember jack shit last night, bro..."

That makes two of us.

"We never speak of this," I warn with threatening eyes.

Ignoring his efforts to reply, I stalk towards the bathroom for a much needed searing hot shower.

***

I was hoping I would escape the wrath of Billy once I got to work, but I should have known I'd have no such luck.

"You think you can just skip out on work whenever it damn well pleases ya, boy? No phone call, an explanation or an apology? You think I'ma pay you a full days of work when you were only here for half the day? What do yo' have to say for yourself? Come on, let me hear the bullshit."

This is what he throws at me as soon as I step into the bar an hour after I leave home. Picking at my non-existent nails, I lean up against the wall carelessly, staring down at my hands as if they are the most interesting thing on the planet, until he finishes his mini rant.

"I was busy. Simple as that, old man. I don't care if you don't pay me for a whole days work. I'm here now, ain't I, I'll make up for it." I roll my eyes. "Chill."

"You need to learn responsibility, Kade. Because, in the real world, that answer will get yo' nowhere. I want you sortin' out the new boxes out back, stackin' the wine shelves, mopin' the floor and then working behind the bar at half past two. Think ya can do that?" Billy asks, his tone patronizing.

"Sí, of course I can do that, hombre. Don't talk to me like I'm mentally retarded."

"Then get to work, and prove to me that you're capable of doing your damn job."