“So what are you doing now? Are you back in your old place?” Shane asked, clearly done talking about his dreams of Disney.

“Uh no. I’m living with Flynn,” I told him, sucking whiskey through a straw.

Shane frowned. “Flynn? Do I know him?”

“Yeah, we went to school with him,” I replied off-handedly.

Reggie reached over me and smacked Shane on the arm. “Freaky Flynn, Shane! Remember!”

Shane’s eyes widened. “Oh yeah! I remember him.” He gave me a disbelieving look. “You’re fucking that dude? Seriously?”

I leveled him with a hard look. “His name is Flynn Hendrick. That’s the only thing you should ever call him,” I said shortly.

Shane didn’t respond. He returned to drinking his beer, staring at nothing in particular.

The three of us sat at the bar. People who used to spend time together but never had a thing in common except a penchant for self-destruction.

“So you’re living with Fre—“ Shane grimaced. “I mean Flynn. And you went to college. So you workin’?” he asked, not as comfortable with the silence as I was.

I shrugged. “I haven’t been able to find anything full time. I’m putting in some hours at JAC’s but that’s not going to cover the bills and it’s not what I want to be doing. Jobs are scarce though. Shit economy and all that,” I said.

“I just got canned from Wendy’s Hair Salon. Damn economy,” Reggie slurred. Shane rolled his eyes.

“You got canned because Wendy caught you riding her husband in the supply closet,” Shane smirked.

Reggie waved her hand, dismissing his comment. “Whatever. I still don’t have a job. It sucks.”

Shane smacked his hand down on the bar top again. “Hey, I was just made shift lead over at Shag’s. I could see if they need anyone.”

“I can’t say I know anything about de-boning chicken, Shane. But thanks,” I said.

“Well, if you change your mind, my number hasn’t changed.” Shane leaned over the bar and dropped his empty bottle in the trashcan. “Enough of this depressing shit. It’s been three years since we’ve hung out. Let’s get crazy!”

Reggie whooped and jumped down off the stool quicker than I thought possible given the fact that I was pretty sure she had more drugs than blood in her system.

I held up my hands. “My days of crazy are over,” I argued.

Shane handed me a new drink. “Shit, I was there that night you downed twelve shots of Cuervo and then convinced the rest of us to run naked through the middle of town. Our asses never ran so fast!” he chortled.

I groaned. “Not one of my finer moments.”

Shane put his arm around my shoulder and I braced myself to hit him if he tried to grab my tit. But he thankfully kept his hands boob free.

“You may have your straight laced guy and college degree, but there’s nothin’ wrong with having a little fun. There’s nothing else to do in this fucking town. So might as well do it right,” he stated, ordering a round of shots.

Reggie grinned at me and I could almost see the pretty girl underneath the haggardness. “Let’s play some pool. You were always a total shark, Ells! Let’s make some wallets a little lighter.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

I was now feeling more than a little drunk and strangely Reggie and Shane were appealing to a side of me I hadn’t experienced in a long time. The Ellie who didn’t worry or give a shit about much beyond partying and making some noise.

“Why the hell not?” I said. I took the offered shot glass that Shane held out and dumped the contents in my mouth, feeling the burn all the way down my throat. My head was starting to feel fuzzy and I could feel my mouth falling open in a goofy, inebriated grin.

Flynn should be home by now. He would be wondering where I was.

I should probably call him.

“Come on, Ells!” Shane yelled, holding up a pool cue.

There wasn’t anything wrong with being that other Ellie for one night. As long as I put her away in the morning.

It was entirely too easy to slip back into a role I had played my entire life.

That was the danger of Wellston.

I could lose myself, my dreams, my good sense.

They could all disappear as quickly as I had found them.

Chapter Twenty-two

-Ellie-

“Oh god!” the guy moaned as I wrapped my hand around his less than spectacular dick.

I went about the motions of jerking him off, already bored, my mind wandering to other things.

Like if I had left the lights on in my apartment. Or what time my next shift at JAC’s was.

“Harder! Oh fucking god, harder!” the guy pleaded and I complied. Shit, my wrist was getting a cramp. I hoped he blew his load quickly, otherwise I was in danger of getting a Charlie horse in my arm.

I was shit-faced drunk. It was the only way I’d ever allow myself to disappear into a darkened bedroom with a dude I didn’t even know. I didn’t like complications, so quick easy sex seemed to fill an immediate need that I couldn’t get anywhere else.

But tonight I wasn’t feeling it. I didn’t want to go through the hassle of taking my pants off and finding a condom. I hoped using my hand to get the guy’s rocks off would be enough.

“It’s coming! Oh shit, here we go!” he screamed and I rolled my eyes. Was he for real? What a douche!

He came all over my hand and I felt a little sick. When he was finished I got up and quickly went into the bathroom to rinse off. I came back out and the guy was gone. I didn’t even feel shitty about it.