When I stepped back into the apartment building, I ached all over. I was plagued with exhaustion, and the sudden sight of a tall, limp body beside the elevator doors had me wishing I’d come a lot sooner instead of having to witness this shit.

Trudy, dressed in a pair of non-existent shorts and thin, white see-through top was passed out in the most awkward, uncomfortable position. I would have left her there if she hadn’t reeked of alcohol. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen her drunk or passed out, but the difference was she was alone and not surrounded by her girly posse. I sighed and kneeled down to her level. I shook her, hoping she’d wake the hell up and get herself in the apartment without my help.

She stirred a little but didn’t open her eyes.

“Trudy,” I said, shaking her again. “Wake up. You didn’t make it to your apartment and you’re passed the hell out in a place any seedy bastard can get to you.”

She opened her mouth and uttered words that didn’t make sense. “I… wha… don’t care…”

I glanced around, hoping someone would come and take over this chore for me. I didn’t want to have to explain to Allie tomorrow that I’d helped Trudy to her apartment. She might not take well to that, and I didn’t want to give her reason to be suspicious of it. Because chicks were always fucking suspicious. One could trust you with her life, but tell her you helped a girl you used to fuck to her apartment and she was going to lose her shit. First was the stink-eye as you explained it, and then the flood of questions designed to look innocent, but it was really an interrogation you had to pass with flying colours or else your day was going to consist of a fight of your life.

Yeah, I had this relationship thing down pat.

Regardless of the consequences, I grabbed Tru by her waist and lifted her off the ground. She sagged against my side while I dragged her into the elevator. Her hand shot up and gripped my sweater. I looked straight ahead, pursing my lips as she tried to get as close to me as humanly possible.

“Heath? You smell…” she mumbled, her eyes half-opening. “You smell… good.”

I stiffened and didn’t reply. What the hell had gotten into this girl lately? I was always seeing her around the fights, draping herself around guys, practically throwing her dignity away. The reason I’d been attracted to her before wasn’t just because she dressed to kill.  It was that she’d been as picky as me. She didn’t throw herself away to any guy. She loved a good chase, and I appreciated that.

Now she didn’t give a flying fuck.

Once the elevator opened to her level, I helped her to her apartment.

“Where’s your key, Tru?”

She didn’t answer, but her lips quirked up in a smile. I tried her pockets – pockets that were longer than her damn shorts – but they came up empty.

“Tru, your key,” I pressed, not wanting to stand here another damn second.

Her hazel eyes met mine, and the mischief beneath them irked me. I don’t have time for this shit.

“If you don’t tell me where it is, I’m going to drop you on your ass,” I threatened her.

She leaned into me, her face nearing my own. I stifled a curse when she whispered, “Bra.”

On reflex, my eyes shot down her top and to her pink bra. Goddammit. I quickly looked away, shaking my head slightly at how I found myself in this stupid fucking situation.

“Grab it,” she said in a slur.

“Grab it yourself,” I retorted.

“I can’t.”

“Bullshit. Put your hand in your damn top and pull it out so I can at least unlock your door.” And then throw you inside and hopefully never see you again.

She shook her head slightly, and her gaze fell on my mouth. Those familiar “fuck me eyes” bored holes into me, trying to get me to unravel to her charm. “I want you…Heath. I want you to touch me. I know you want it too. I know… I know you been pin-pinan-pining for me.”

Was this bitch serious?

“No,” I told her in a low, emotionless tone. “I haven’t been pining for you at all actually. And you shouldn’t bother talking when you’re drunk. You sound like a fucking idiot.”

“Don’t lie,” she retorted, strengthening her voice. “You do want it!”

I sneered. Fuck this shit.

I let her go and she dropped straight on her ass, letting out a pained grunt.

“Get inside and clean yourself up,” I told her in a hard voice. “And stop getting so drunk off your ass all the damn time. It’s pathetic. You look desperate humping any guy in front of you like some bitch in heat.”

“You jealous?” she shot back, glaring up at me.

I scoffed. “Hell no.”

“You sure? Because I’d be jealous, especially if I had a shit thing on the side.”

“Bitch, you’ve got nothing on Allison. How many times do I have to say that?”

“Enough times ‘til you realize what a lie that is.”

I smirked down at her. Fuck, she had no clue. “You’re really not all that, Trudy. You think you are, but the way you’ve been lately, you’re probably some STD walking skank now, fucking man-whores just as bad.”

“You’re a man-whore!”

“I didn’t stick my dick into just anything.”

“You stuck it into me.”

I shot her a look of disgust. “Yeah, back before you cheapened yourself. For your sake, Tru, you gotta stop that shit. Or else one day nobody’s going to be around when you’ve passed out in some alleyway in the middle of Hedley, around druggies and fucked up nobodies who won’t stop themselves from taking advantage of you. For fuck’s sake, not even your fake friends are going to be around to save the day. So wise the fuck up.”

I left her like that, not bothering to hear what else she had to say. The last thing I wanted was to stand around and talk about what we had before. It felt wrong to do that, and not just to Allie, but to me. That shit was in my past where it needed to stay.

As I neared the elevator, I glanced over my shoulder and at her. She had her knees to her chest and her face hidden in between them. I heard her drunken sobs before disappearing in the elevator. She needed some serious help, and there was no way in hell I was going to be the one to do it. I had my own woman to care for. She had her own problems, and she needed me to help fix them. Especially with her confidence since having Kayden. Allie still looked gorgeous to me, just with rounder curves and a bigger ass. Hell, I’d say she looked better than she ever did before.