The Coldest Winter by Brittainy Cherry

Author:Brittainy Cherry [Cherry, Brittainy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-12T16:00:00+00:00

I wasn’t having a shitty time.

I was having a damn good time with everyone. I found myself laughing more than I normally did, and even though I was drunk, it didn’t feel like a depressed kind of drunkenness. I simply felt…good.

People conversed with me as if I were the person I’d once been before Mom passed away. I was talking back, asking how they’d been, too, and I wanted their answers.

What was going on?

The buzz felt good, and Tom had already told me I was crashing here for the night, which was fine. I didn’t want to take my drunk ass home to see my dad’s drunk ass, which would remind me that my home life was still shit.

I walked up to Brian, who was talking to Chris about video games, and Chris was doing what he did best—listening. I joined the two on the couch in the living room, and they welcomed me into the conversation as if I’d been there the whole time. Chris patted me on the back and gave me a half grin.

I glanced at their costumes. Chris had cat ears on and a collar. “Tom from Tom and Jerry?” He nodded and puffed out his chest with a big smirk, proud that he was recognized. I looked over at Brian, who dressed as a train. “And Tom the Tank Engine?”

“Choo-choo, motherfucker!”

The three of us hung out for a while, discussing everything. It felt like the first time we’d sat and engaged in over a year. Or at least, it was the first time I was engaged. Even without many words, Chris interacted more than I’d been over the past year.

“It’s good to have you back around,” Brian mentioned when we went to get more drinks.

“What do you mean? I’ve been around every weekend.”

“Yeah. You’ve been there, but not really.” He patted my chest. “It’s good to have you back,” he repeated.

I smiled, knowing what he meant.

He brushed his thumb against his nose before patting down his big Afro. “Maybe someday you can stop by and play games with us guys again like we used to. Tom is an awful gamer, so it would be nice to have some real competition.”

“I’d like that,” I told him. I meant it, too.

Around one in the morning, the party was still going on, yet I was ready to check out. I knew it was time to head to the guest room I was staying in because all I could think about was Starlet. My drunken mind belonged to her, but that wasn’t very different from my sober mind.

After one last shot with the birthday boy, I headed to the guest room and shut the door behind me. Before climbing onto the bed, I removed my shoes, T-shirt, and jeans. I pulled out my cell phone and called her when I got comfortable.

I shouldn’t have called her, but I did. I needed to hear her voice. I always wanted to hear her voice. Who was I lately?

“Hello?”

Her voice was soft, as if she were waking up.

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