I bite my lip and shift away from Ev, needing some space. “We kissed. Twice. And he did… touch me. But that was all. I never touched him.”
Not that way, anyway. And I wanted to, so much.
I’m vaguely aware of Kayla and Ev exchanging glances and lifting their brows.
“That’s … very unlike Jesse Lee,” Ev finally says, and I can’t even begin to guess what she’s thinking.
What does it matter? In any case, whatever it was we had—friendship? Was it that?—is over.
“I know what we need,” Kayla says brightly and jumps to her feet. “Girls’ night!”
“Didn’t know we needed something,” I grumble. The last thing I need is anything involving a social activity. “I’m fine.”
“Wait and see.” She runs out of my room to hers and returns with a pink kit. She plops back on my carpet and opens it, taking out a bunch of nail polish in all possible hues, even some I never imagined on my nails. “First, nail painting.”
“But why?” I whine as Ev claps her hands and starts sorting through the colors. “Why do we need this?”
Truth is, I’d rather curl up on the sofa with chocolate ice cream and watch reruns of Teen Wolf episodes.
“War paint,” Kayla declares, selecting a blue polish with tiny silver bits, like starbursts. “We’re taking on the world.”
“All I want is to forget about the world.” Despite myself, though, I lean forward and snag a red-purple polish. “Not take it on.”
“And then,” Kayla goes on as if I haven’t spoken, “we’ll dress up and go out.”
“No way.” I shake my bottle at her. “I hate going out, and you know it. It’s the last thing I’d do.” I glance at Ev for support. “Tell her.”
I sound like a three-year-old, and I honestly don’t care. I don’t deal well with stress, and I’ve had enough shit these past few days to last me a year.
“We could go to the movies,” Ev says, and even as I open my mouth to say no, I reconsider. “Nothing tear-inducing, I promise. We’ll find a comedy.”
“And for that we need to paint our nails?” I give my polish a suspicious look.
“Trust me, girl.” Kayla shakes hers before she starts painting her toenails. “It’s important. I saw it in the tea leaves this morning.”
Well then, if it was in the tea leaves… Looks like it was inevitable.
***
After a couple of hours wasted on applying nail polish and dressing each other in crazy clothes—Kayla’s, of course—and eating ice-cream straight from the carton, we stumble out of the apartment and make the twenty minute walk to the nearest movie theater. The comedy Ev chose isn’t bad, either, and after laughing for an hour like a loon, I feel much better.
Well enough to forget about Jesse for a while, forget how I’d rather be spending time with him instead of watching a stupid movie about a millionaire who is in fact a secret agent in his spare time.
Can’t help thinking of Jesse as a kid, forced to whore himself in order to live, and feel sick. Who cares about secret agents and millionaires when there are children on the streets with nobody to care for them?
It makes my heart ache for them. For him.
“Coming, Amber?” Kayla is tugging on my arm as we walk out of the movie theater.
“Where?”
She rolls her eyes with a small huff. “We’re going to Halo. Where all the guys will be.”
Ev says nothing, but I can see how much she wants to go. Micah will be there, for sure.
“You go.” I give them my brightest, sincerest smile. “I
had a great evening, honestly. I’ll just head home. I’m tired.”