“Reed?” She taps on my door.
“It’s open.” Pulling on a white tee quickly, I have no desire for her to see my knuckles, which are red and swollen.
“Have a good time?” she says, squinting at me. She glances at me from top to bottom.
“Yeah, sorry I woke you. Tess do okay tonight?”
“As far as I know. I checked on her around ten and she was already asleep. Just making sure you were okay, honey.”
“I’m fine, Mom.” She must feel guilty about Tess.
“Okay, well good night, sweetheart.” She hesitates.
“What, Mom?”
Shaking her brown hair, she whispers, “I… I want you to know that I’m proud of you for following the rules. Also, you came home before midnight. You’re still my wonderful boy no matter how big you get.” She quietly shuts my door.
With a snort, her “wonderful boy” sneaks back into Tess’s room and locks us in.
After I remove my shirt, I slip under the cool sheets, pulling Tess’s warm body to mine. My nose snuggles into her hair and neck. Her vanilla scent wraps around me like a ribbon on a present. No more strawberries. I don’t know when her skin morphed into smelling like vanilla or cookies, but it’s her own scent, and I need it to live.
“Kitten,” I whisper in her ear.
“Hmm? Reed? What are you doing? I thought we’re not allowed to sleep together.” Her voice makes me instantly hard.
My chest aches at how much I love her. “We’re not breaking the rule,” I murmur, pulling her even tighter. “Mom said for you not to sleep in my bed—nothing about me in yours.” Kissing her neck, I want so badly to turn her over and take her mouth, but she’s sleeping and I’m drunk. So, I close my eyes and allow her steady breathing and her scent to lull me to sleep.TESSMy cell phone is ringing. Reed is wrapped around me like a boa constrictor squeezing its prey. I don’t even try to reach for it. Thankfully it stops.
Closing my eyes again, I snuggle into his warmth and sigh at how good this feels. I never want to move. My eyes close right on the verge of sleep, and it starts up again.
Both of us groan. “Christ, Tess answer it, or I’m throwing it out the window.” When I sit up, I’m somewhat disoriented. After I took the Valium last night, I passed out. I hardly ever take it, so when I do, I sleep soundly.
“Hello?” I say, not even bothering to open my eyes. Instead, I wiggle back down against Reed.
“Tess? Hello?” Loud giggles and squeals make my eyes pop open.
“Yeah?” I must sound completely out of it.
“How are you feeling?” A loud girl’s voice rings in my ear.
“Who is this?” I try to sit up again, but Reed’s not having it.
“Hang up,” he grumbles, pulling me closer as he kisses my shoulder.
“Is that Reed?” The voice sounds way too happy. Screaming continues in the background, and I hold the phone away from my ear. What the hell?
“Listen, whoever this is. Way too early. Don’t call back.”
“Wait, Tess… Don’t hang up. Guys shut up… Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay and that Reed was home. After he beat Aaron up, we were worried.” Now I do sit up. Reed grumbles and opens one eye.
“Who is this?” I look at my phone as if it’s magically going to tell me who I’m talking too.
“It’s Tiffany!” Like I should know this. I think I’ve maybe talked to this girl twice.
“What time is it?” My bitchy voice is out.
“I don’t know—early.” I can feel her crazy, excited energy through the phone. Suddenly I’m cold. It’s like I can feel doom infiltrating my veins. I want to hang up before she tells me what I know is going to ruin me.
“Anyway… we… I mean, I wanted to let you know that I was at Zack’s party last night. And I couldn’t help but see that Reed was into some skanky blond college girl. I mean everyone saw them! I know he said you were sick, but as your friend, I thought you should know… that she had her hands down his pants.”
My brain is not allowing me to function. I should hang up or scream, anything but stare like a zombie, letting her continue.
“Tess?”
“What else?” I manage to choke out.
Reed’s warm body stiffens, and his hand reaches for my phone. My brain eventually works and I turn sideways, my elbow preventing him.
“He probably didn’t want you to hear about it, so he beat the crap out of Aaron. Broke his nose so badly he had to go to the hospital to get it put back properly. He also had to get stitches under his eye. As your friend, I thought you should know.” Screams and laughter are going on the whole time she is talking.