“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine,” Timmy waves off my concern. “Darren gave me a bump, so I’m good.”
My stomach tightens. I’m out of my depth with drugs—sure, I’ve tried a few things before, but Timmy moves through this world like a seasoned pro. Still, his driving seems steady as we wind back down the mountain, and I let myself relax a little, lulled by the night air and the sound of the engine humming beneath us.
Timmy pulls a clear plastic bag with white powder from his pocket and shakes it at me. “Want some?” he asks with a mischievous grin.
I hesitate, but the unease that’s been lurking all evening bubbles to the surface, and I find myself curious about how it would affect me. Maybe this will take the edge off. Maybe it’ll help me feel more in tune with this wild, carefree life Timmy seems to navigate so effortlessly.
“Sure,” I say, forcing a smile. I tap a little onto my hand and snort it, the powder burning slightly as it goes up my nose.
Almost instantly, my nerves melt away, replaced by a buzzing sense of euphoria. I feel light and invincible, as though the world has cracked open just for me, revealing endless possibilities.
Timmy glances at me, his grin widening. “Oh, we’re going to have some amazing sex tonight,” he whispers, and I believe him.
And he’s right. When we get back to the apartment, the sex is wild, passionate, and overwhelming. Timmy explores every inch of my body, worshiping me like a goddess. We lose ourselves in each other, in the heat and intensity of it all.
It feels like nothing else matters. Like this is what life is supposed to be—messy, chaotic, exhilarating. Timmy’s unpredictability makes everything feel more alive. He’s a storm, and I’m riding the waves with him, unsure where they’ll take me, but exhilarated all the same.
As we lie tangled in the sheets afterward, Timmy kisses my shoulder. “You’re incredible, Margaux,” he murmurs, his voice soft with affection. “I’m so lucky to have you.”
I smile, basking in the warmth of his words. In these moments, it’s easy to believe in the dream he’s selling. Easy to imagine a futurewhere it’s just us against the world, building something extraordinary together.
But somewhere deep inside, a small voice whispers that maybe I’ve drifted too far from shore. Maybe I’m in deeper waters than I realize.
I push the thought aside, determined to let Timmy lead the way. This is his world, after all. His Sunset Cay. And I’ve chosen to follow him into it.
56
UNINTENTIONAL BONER PARTY
The Past
Me: My grandmother emailed me to tell me that my father made sexual advances on me when I was younger.
Therapist: Do you have any memory of that?
Me: No. He would never have done that.
Therapist: Well then, don’t let your grandmother skew your memory. The thing with memories is that they’re very malleable. And if someone gets something like that into your head, you could start to believe it, even if it’s not at all true. In that sense, memories are very easilymanipulated.
The Present
The ridiculous noise complaints from my neighbor keep coming.
The concierge knocks for the second time this week. I open the door, plastering on a polite smile.
“Sorry to bother you again,” he says, glancing nervously at the apartment behind me, noticing Timmy in the back corner. “But we’ve received another complaint. This time about… the TV volume.”
“We were just watching a TV show on my computer,” I explain, truly surprised by his visit. “The volume wasn’t even loud.”
“I understand,” the concierge says, lowering his voice as if trying not to set off a bomb. “But the building has quiet hours, and sound carries easily with the balcony doors open.”
I’m so frazzled by these complaints that by now, every time we watch TV, I’m on edge. The computer’s volume doesn’t even go up that high.
I nod, feeling weary but compliant. “Okay, sorry. We’ll turn it down.”
But before I can close the door, Timmy appears behind me. His eyes are dark with fury. He’s already bristling, ready to fight.
“This is fucking insane,” he snaps at the concierge. “She pays how much for this place? And now we can’t even watch TV without being harassed?”