Total pages in book: 225
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
“You hang with us, you can’t be mad if we let ‘em rip, too,” Adam’s brother Paul warns.
“I neither want to smell your ass air, nor hear your ass fluttering to make that noise, thank you very much.”
The guys laugh.
Adam’s eyes slice to me. “We don’t make boys’ night rules, woman, just live by them. You’re here, you can’t get all judgy.”
There’s light in his eyes so I get to my feet, lean over, and blow a raspberry on his neck, which makes his eyes light up even more. I twist to lean over the coffee table and while I’m nabbing a mozzarella stick, Adam swats my butt.
I look over my shoulder at him and smile wide before I dredge my cheese stick in the open container of marinara sauce, and take a bite on my way to the fridge for a can of root beer.
I’m feeling hopeful when I get into bed. Adam’s already here, eyes on his phone. His friends left and he called out that he was heading to bed while I was cleaning the kitchen, which hadn’t been cleaned all weekend.
I know Adam’s still finding his way to independence and household chores have fallen on me, but Paul was here all weekend, too, so I didn’t expect to have to come home to such a mess. Almost every dish in the kitchen was dirty, so I ran a dishwasher load and still had to wash a whack of dishes by hand.
Even still, I’m in a good mood so I don’t even bitch about it.
I finish working lotion into my elbows and then fall onto the bed with a bounce. “Ah, a comfortable bed,” I say with relief. “Alannah’s guest room mattress has got to be at least forty years old.”
His eyes hit me and then go back to his screen.
“Did you have a good weekend?” I ask.
It’s a few seconds before he puts the phone down and looks at me. “Missed you,” he says, “But yeah. It was good.”
I move closer and put my head on his shoulder, then run my hand up his chest.
He doesn’t turn away, doesn’t stiffen up. This feels natural. This feels right. God, I’ve missed this.
Is it possible that a weekend apart was what we both really needed for perspective?
“Did you use it?” he asks.
He means the hall pass.
I stiffen as I look up at him. “No.”
“You had Friday and Saturday night.”
I stare with surprise at what has come out like a procrastination accusation. I move back and put my head on my own pillow, still looking at him.
“I don’t even know if I want to,” I say.
“But we talked about this.”
He’s pissed off?
“Yeah, and I listened to what you said. I thought it over. And I still don’t know if I want to do it. I don’t know if I can do it.”
I hate the look on his face. Like I’ve done something wrong by not having sex with someone this weekend.
“I’ve been in a committed relationship with you for a year and a half, Adam. I can’t just switch that off. Just suddenly start looking for fuck buddies.”
He makes a face of distaste. “You don’t need to be crass, Chloe.”
I throw my hands up in the air in exasperation. “I can’t believe you’re being so blasé about this.”
“I just thought you’d take the opportunity, like we discussed.”
“I’ve taken the opportunity to think about it. That’s what I agreed to do. I’ve never, not ever in my life met some guy at a bar and hooked up with him the same day. Never.”
“Whatever.” He repositions himself so I’ve got his back.
I stare for a minute in shock.
“Adam,” I snap.
“I’m tired, Chloe.”
“This is bullshit!” I snap. “Fucking bullshit!”
He doesn’t make a move to look at me. He says nothing, so I repeat, “Bullshit,” as I grab my pillow and storm out to go sleep on the couch.
Fifteen minutes or so later, I’m flicking the channels irately and needlessly, because I wouldn’t be able to focus on the TV even if I found the most amazing program ever created.
Adam rolls out and stops in front of me. “I’m sorry,” he says.
My eyes search his face. I don’t know what to make of all this. It’s like I don’t even know him anymore.
“You do realize we’re fighting because you’re mad that I didn’t fuck someone this weekend, right?”
“I just… Chloe… this is gonna sound screwed up but if you’d do it, then I can get through the mental shit attached to it.”
“Are you serious with me right now?” I sit up and gawk at him in shock.
He drags his hand through his hair frustratedly. “I know how it sounds and I’m sorry. But all weekend I was trying to come to terms with this. All weekend. Then you come home and tell me you didn’t do it, which means I get to keep waiting for the shoe to drop so I can figure out if I’m gonna be okay with it. ”