“Oh, you’re just calling everyone sweetness then?”
I cringe. “You heard?”
“I’m your mother.”
I leave then because whenever your mom pulls out that line, there’s no arguing with her. It’s like the trump card. “I don’t like pasta.” “Well, eat it anyway, I’m your mother.” “I want you to divorce Dad.” “I’m not going to and we’re not arguing about it anymore. I’m your mother.” Sad but true.
I stop by the computer store and pick up an open box, non-returnable laptop. That’s creative, right? Before I go into Chandler’s house, I knock on Davis’ door. No one answers, so I let myself in. He’s not in his bedroom, so I tromp down the stairs, where I find him passed out in front of the television. His arm is dangling off the edge and his head is nearly at a ninety degree angle from his body. Damn, that cannot be comfortable. The bottle of booze is tipped over, but empty, thank fuck. I bag the trash, straighten out his head, and throw a blanket over his body. I wonder if I should leave him alone in this condition. I exhale through clenched teeth. I think I read somewhere people can choke on their vomit in their sleep so, no, I can’t abandon him.
I grab my phone and text Chandler.
Davis is passed out
She replies right away
I’m on my way. Should I bring the cookies over?
The way my mind immediately conjures up an image of me eating out her pussy is not good for my young health. I give myself a mental shake and reply, Yeah.
Even though Davis is comatose, he’s still a good prophylactic. I’m not going to do anything dumb like make a move on Chandler while her man is passed out on the sofa behind us. I take the laptop and power it up. I create an account for her, log in to the school site and enter her student information. By the time she comes tripping down the steps, I have everything set up.
“Hey,” she says, almost shyly.
“Hey.” I jerk my head. “Come over and take a look.”
“Did you get a new laptop?” she asks, settling by my side.
I try not to make it too obvious that I’m inhaling her scent. She smells like vanilla, chocolate, and something sweet—like cherries. Are her lips…glistening? Is that lip gloss or did she lick her lips? I gnaw at the corner of my mouth and force my eyes onto the screen. Her lips are a danger zone. I mean, all of her is a danger zone, but the lips, chest, and lap sections are extremely hazardous. I need to put the black Parasite bar over them. Or maybe the bar should just be on my eyes.
“Is there something wrong with my face?” she asks.
“Ah, no, why?”
“Because you were staring at it and now you’re frowning.”
I jab my finger on the laptop keyboard. “Just trying to remember the password I created,” I lie.
“That’s my birthday.”
“Right.” I clear my throat. Davis is right behind me, and all I can think about is his girl’s lips. What is wrong with me? Davis is my best friend. He was there when I needed someone. I refuse to be like my old man—betraying the people I supposedly care about. I need to get my act together, but it’s so fucking hard. She’s so hot. Her thigh is inches away from mine. She’s still got her shorts on, which means an acre of naked flesh is within touching distance. Her shorts are bunched at the crotch, and there’s only this small amount of fabric between my hand and her pussy. What would she feel like? Does she trim or is it a full bush? How long would it take for her to get wet if I touched her? Can she fit more than one finger inside of her? My dick throbs with wonder. I curl my fingers into my lap. “This is yours.” I shove the thing at her without looking. “I need to take a piss.”
“What do you mean it’s mine?”
“I bought it at the store. It’s an open box thing so no, I can’t return it. Don’t argue with me,” I snap when her mouth opens to launch some protest. “I don’t have time to come over to your house every time your old-ass computer breaks down.” I stomp to the bathroom and slam the door shut, but the image of her hurt face is going to haunt me for a long time.Chapter SixChandlerI stand there shocked that Berkley would talk to me that way. I know he does it to others, but I thought I was different. He’s never been anything besides nice to me. Maybe he was only that way to me because of Davis. Now I’ve been trying to get close to him and he snapped. His words hurt me more than they should have.