Cold hearts

Jaz whirls around as Misty raises her voice, her eyebrows raised.

Carson flinches as Misty’s fist slams into the table, and he looks up as he hears her harsh words. His eyes start to narrow, his jaw tightening. Standing up, he glares at her, watching her take the bottle and leave. “Misty, get back here!” he barks, but the front door slamming is the only response. “Dang it!” Carson flops back down in his chair, burying his face in his hands. “This is just stupid.”

Jaz folds her arms across her chest and just watches Carson for several quiet moments. “Your tastes have changed, Carson…this one has a fragile heart.”

Carson looks up quickly, staring Jaz in the eye. “And you don’t?”

Jaz offers half a smile. “Oh…maybe at one time. But somewhere along the way I learned if I was fragile, I wouldn’t survive around guys like you.”

“Guys like me?”

“Cold-hearted sunuvaguns with their own plans and their own roads to glory.” Jaz shakes her head and turns to pour a cup of coffee. “Girls like me are cursed with an attraction to that, then we get burned, learn our lessons the hard way, and then we get hearts just as cold.”

“And Misty?”

Jaz takes a sip of her coffee. “She hasn’t developed a cold heart yet.”

“Yet?”

“Keep pushing her and she will.”

Carson sighs, and is quiet for several moments. “I’m sorry, Jaz.”

“What for?”

“I don’t know.” Carson shakes his head and picks up his shirt to slip it on over his head. “Everything.”

Jaz just forces a small smile, understanding. “You’ve changed too, Carson. I just hope you’re not in too much trouble this time.”

“Yeah…me too.”

“Let me get you guys some food to take. You better get out of here before this thing gets worse…”


…Misty’s car door opens and Carson reaches in to jerk the whiskey bottle from her hands. He slams it on the driveway, letting it shatter into a million pieces, what’s left of the contents, running down into the grass. “Move over,” he orders. “I’m driving.”