Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
She knows about that darkness.
About my dad.
Sure, I haven’t told her about my mom, not really, but whatever.
Maybe she’s just looking for a good time, a pair of arms to fall into at the end of the day during a trying time.
Are we just friends with benefits?
That’s all I’ve ever been to a girl. Puck bunnies, sorority girls. A new flavor each month so I don’t have to be alone with my thoughts.
“Julia,” I call out, my thoughts scattering as she takes me deep into the back of her throat and swallows. Her head bobs as she sucks, her tongue fluttering. I grab a fistful of her hair and push up to meet her as she makes a humming sound, ratcheting up my desire.
“Fuck,” I say, a warning to move if she doesn’t want me to blow in her mouth, but she doesn’t stop.
My hips arch up as I yell and orgasm, sparks skating up my skin as goosebumps follow. My scalp tingles. My body shudders, then loosens as I relax into the bed.
I tug her up to me and kiss her, tasting the salt on her lips. I suck her bottom lip into my mouth, then nibble gently as she sighs.
My hand ghosts over her hair, putting it back in place. “That was incredible. You are incredible.”
She stretches out next to me with a cat-like smile.
Reece raps on my door. “Yo! Boone is back, bro. Come on down.”
In other words, we all know you’re having sex but Boone needs you.
“Alright,” I call out as I give her a hug. “I need to go talk to him. Do you mind?”
“Of course not. I feel so bad for him. It must have been traumatizing.”
She eases out of bed and sashays over to her clothes on the chair. With greedy eyes, I watch her adjust her lacy white bra then slip on a sweatshirt. Her underwear go on next, then her jeans.
She sits on the bed. “The timing is good. I want to see Mom before I go to work.”
“Can’t you call out? You could come over later.” Spend the night.
She smiles. “I have bills due, plus I need to pay you.” She grabs her purse, pulls out an envelope, and sets it on my nightstand. “There’s about two hundred in there.”
My stomach flops with something ugly. “Don’t leave that.”
Her forehead furrows. “Eric. Come on. You don’t understand what it means to owe someone. I will pay you back. Just like I paid back Poppy and Taylor last week. I will be debt free from everyone.”
I exhale. “What about the photography job? You said you got it?” She sent a text today during one of her classes, but we haven’t talked about it.
She nods. “It doesn’t start until mid-January, though. It doesn’t pay much, barely more than I made at the bookstore.” She toys with her hair in the mirror, avoiding my eyes. “I’m going to keep stripping part-time at least until I graduate.”
“What? Why?” I frown.
She stiffens. “I just explained it.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I don’t want to dance, Eric, but what I make is enough to finally pay off my debts. I want that feeling. Plus, who knows what’s going to happen with my mom. I need to save money too. I can’t leave Hawthorne flat broke.”
I wish she’d just let me help her more.
She walks back over and leans over and kisses me. “I’ll text you later, okay?”
“Yeah.”
After she’s gone, I dress and head downstairs.
Boone sits on the couch, a video controller already in his hand. He’s a bit gaunt, his dark hair damp as if he just got out of the shower. A Snickers bar, a Sonic cup, and a bag of cheese fries are on the coffee table. At least he’s back to normal appearances.
His shoulders slump as he meets my gaze and gives me a nod.
While he recuperated, he stayed at the hotel with his parents. He missed classes on Monday but was back by Tuesday. I imagine he could have come home earlier, but he and his parents needed to decompress from campus for a bit.
“You look a hell of a lot better,” I say as I plop down next to him.
He shoots me a look. “Yeah. Nice black eye.”
“Meh, it’s just yellow now.”
“You should see the other guys,” Reece yells out from the kitchen. “Scott has a cast on his arm. Parker hasn’t been seen all week. There’s not a Kappa on campus who will meet my eyes. Fucking cowards.”
I grab a handful of cheese fries and stuff them in my mouth. “Not one peep from them.”
Reece rummages around the kitchen, opening cabinets and pulling out pots. He must have seen me eating. “Yo, don’t be eating junk food. It’ll spoil dinner.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I call back.
Boone snorts. “Since I’m sickly, does this mean I don’t have to clean up after dinner?”