AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The man would give us anything we asked for. Yet he also raised us to not be greedy or materialistic, so we never took him up on it much. He had a humble upbringing and wanted the same for us, despite the paychecks he brought in. I’m frugal because of it.
“I’m okay for a while. And I can always pick up shifts at The Chapel, they told me to come back whenever I needed hours.” I haven’t been working because my workload at school is so heavy, but I left on great terms.
“All right, you know I have to check.”
“I know, Dad. But I’m okay, I promise.”
Sadie grabs a few olives from the dish in the middle of the table, popping them on her little fingers and wiggling them. I grab a couple and copy her, making her giggle in that little girl laugh she hasn’t lost yet. I’ll be sad the day I can’t make her smile with such ease; she’s growing up far too quickly for my liking.
“Willa, stop encouraging bad habits,” my mother chastises, playfully.
“Bad habits are the most fun, Mom.”
The Neck:
You home tonight?
Me:
Just getting back from family dinner.
The Neck:
Want to come up and watch a movie?
Me:
I’ll bring the popcorn.
I pop two bags so there is enough for three of us and dump it into a big bowl. The first night I had dinner with them was great. It was comforting. Every gal should have gay guy friends that they can cuddle up with. That level of physical touch was something I didn’t realize I had been missing. How much I enjoyed it made me remember that I haven’t had that in years. Not since my high school boyfriend. Since then, my relationships haven’t made it to the cuddling stage.
Maybe having their sexuality out on the table has added a layer of security between us as well. I don’t know, but I like getting the benefit without all the work of having to date a bunch of random losers before finding one I want to snuggle with.
I quickly change into pajama shorts and a T-shirt and shove my feet into my fuzzy slippers before I make my way to Zander’s apartment. He opens the door on my first knock, as if he was waiting on the other side.
“Hi,” I say, surprised.
“Hey.” His voice is quiet, and his eyes drag down my body like he’s thirsty and I’m a drink of water. Blinking rapidly, I try to clear my head, because that can’t be what I’m seeing. It must be my silly fantasies still at play. He takes the bowl from me and pulls me inside by the hand. Dropping the bowl on the coffee table, he turns to wrap me in a hug, lifting me off my feet like always. “Missed you.”
“I missed you, too. You guys played great, though,” I tell him, my words muffled against his chest until he sets me back on my feet. I watched every game on their road trip. They won more than they lost, which is about all you can hope for on a road trip. “You racked up three more assists and your plus-minus is outstanding.”
“Thanks, Coach,” he says, laughing.
“Sorry.”
“No worries, I like that you keep up with me,” he says with a cheeky grin.
Umm, okay then.
“Where’s Damian?”
“Not sure. Haven’t talked to him in a couple of days.”
“Oh. Is everything okay between you?”
“Everything’s fine,” he says nonchalantly. “There’s a new thriller streaming, you good with that?”
“Sure,” I answer and follow him to his divine couch. The thing is seriously too comfortable for its own good. It would probably fit eight of me with extra room to spare. Zander drops onto the chaise part of it, sprawling his legs out and pulling me into his lap.
