A Shattered Moment (Fractured Lives 1)

“Now there’s an idea,” I answered blandly, resisting the urge to bury my nose in her hair to see if it smelled as good as the last time I carried her.

She smirked at me, but snuggled even closer. I tightened my hold and slowed my pace. I was going to enjoy this moment for as long as I could.

“Am I too heavy?”

“Are you kidding? I’ve carried a stack of books that was heavier than you. I figure it’s better to be cautious. It would suck if I fell backward, or for that matter, fell forward. I’d crush you.” I was teasing, of course. It would be a cold day in hell before I let something like that happen.

“That would suck,” she agreed.

Despite my attempt to prolong the moment, we eventually made it to my floor. I would have carried her all the way to my apartment like I had the other night, but I sensed that would be pushing it. Reluctantly, I set her back down.

“Thanks,” she said, finding her footing. “Stairs are still my kryptonite.”

“It’s not a problem at all. You weigh less than a bag of cement.”

“I’m sure there’s a compliment in there somewhere.”

I laughed. “Sorry. I worked at a building supply company when I was a teenager. It was the only comparison I could think of.”

“That seems like a good job for a teenager.”

“My uncle owns the company. I had to sling around bags of concrete and mulch in the heat all summer, but the pay was good. Everyone else I knew was making minimum wage working fast food or wherever and I was bringing home a cool ten bucks an hour.”

I opened my apartment door and ushered her inside. Chad’s boxers and jeans were draped over the arm of the couch. That freaking guy. He knew I was going to have company over. Obviously he’d decided to change in the living room, most likely while he played Xbox. Snatching his clothes off the couch, I carried them to his room and tossed them inside. Judging by the mess covering the majority of his floor, he’d never notice. I could see Sherman in his aquarium across the room staring at me with his beady black eyes. He was probably plotting how he was going to strangle me in my sleep with his tail.

“You guys feed pizza to your couch?” Mac asked when I joined her.

“What?” I asked, momentarily confused until I spotted a piece of crust poking up between the couch cushions. “Of course. Don’t you?” I dug the half-eaten piece out and tossed it on the coffee table.

“Nah, our couch at home is a food snob. If it’s not from a five-star restaurant, it wants no part of our cuisine.”

“Too bad. Day-old sofa pizza isn’t bad. You should try it.”

“You know, I think I’ll pass. We’ll save it for Chad.”

I was glad to see that her sense of humor ran along the same lines as mine. My jokes went completely over the head of the last girl I dated. On that note, just about everything I said went over her head. She was a knockout with a body that wouldn’t quit, but by our second date, the wall in my apartment was more interesting to talk to. Now that I thought about it, that was way back in May. Chad was right. I was practically a monk.

“You sure you don’t want to get a little studying done first?” Mac asked, sinking into the crust-free couch.

“No way. Unless you need to get some work done. I didn’t even think to ask that.”

“I’m good. I have plenty of time to get my studying in.”

“Excellent,” I said, rubbing my hands together. “Are you ready to Ferris your life?”

“Ferris my life?”

“Absolutely. Watching Ferris Bueller is a life-changing experience. You’ll never be the same after this. For the rest of your life Ferris will find a way to influence the decisions you make,” I said solemnly as I held up the DVD.

“Wow. I didn’t realize it would be such a privilege.”

“Have you not heard anything I’ve said? Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is not an ordinary movie. It’s special.” I switched off the light after sliding the disc into Chad’s Xbox. A little sunlight managed to sneak through the blinds, so it wasn’t quite the same as a theater, but it would have to do.

“Well, now I feel honored.” She smirked as I joined her on the couch. I sat within inches of her to gauge her reaction.

I’d given the seating for this occasion a lot of thought over the last few days. Probably more than any dude should. I’m sure if Chad or Michael knew, I’d wake up wearing the bra we kept around for when one of us was acting like a total pussy. Chad had been the last bra victim when we busted him bleaching the tips of his hair in the bathroom. That night Michael and I snuck in while he slept and hung the bra over his neck and snapped a few pictures.

Mac didn’t seem to mind that I was sitting so close. At least she didn’t flinch or anything. I’d never been this nervous with a girl. Hell, I’d done more in the first five minutes with other chicks. Mac and I were two weeks into our weird friendship/relationship, whatever this was, and I was being a total pansy-ass. I thought about getting the bra and strapping it on myself. I was acting like a chick anyway.