And what exactly had his intentions been with me the night before when he’d sucked on my tongue and pulled my dick out? But it wasn’t the time to play that card yet, so I held back.
I shrugged my shoulder, blinking innocently at him.
“So? What’s that got to do with me?”
“They’re fuckboys that hit on anything that moves. They’re definitely going to try to get with you.”
It took intense control of every cell in my body not to let the smugness I felt at his statement show on my face. He wasso jealous already, and nothing had even happened. I knew he didn’t remember jerking me off, or the stuff he’d said, but could he somehow subconsciously tell that things had changed between us? Is that why his jealousy was suddenly so much more pronounced? Or was I imagining it becauseIknew things had changed?
“Well, that’s fine,” I said. “I can take care of myself.”
He scoffed, giving me a dry look. “Yeah, right.”
If he wanted to see me as some helpless little doll stumbling cluelessly around a party of deviants with full balls, then that was fine with me. For the time being, anyway. I kind of liked the idea of him sitting at home stewing over what I might be doing. Not that I actually would be doing anything.
“Oh good,” Dad remarked as he wandered into the kitchen a few minutes later. “You’re eating dinner. I was starting to get worried.”
I nodded, holding up my fork to show the leafy greens I’d stabbed from my salad bowl. “Sorry for the late dinner. I was just really tired.”
“Did you sleep okay last night?” He questioned, sliding into the seat next to me and giving me a concerned look.
“Just a weird night,” I answered. “Nothing to worry about.” When I glanced over to Kieran, his stare was so intense I felt like it could bore through my skin like a laser. He was definitely worried about what he might have said or done.
“Well, okay,” he relented, but didn’t sound happy about it. “If it happens again, let me know and we can have your doctor look into it.”
“Okay, Dad,” I answered agreeably, even though I was pretty sure my doctor wouldn’t have a cure for my hot stepbrother coming into my room and fondling me.
Mom waltzed into the room then, and asked me how my day was, so while I ate I chatted with them about the upcoming playat the center, and about Dani’s new boyfriend she was so excited about. I left out the part about how I’d been roped into being a participant for the charity date auction, tucking that thought back into my brain for a later time. Kieran was already looking so dark and stormy, I didn’t want to push him over the edge. Yet. I’d pull it out when I wanted to actually drive him crazy with jealousy.
When Dani texted me that she was on the way, I headed into the living room to put on my sneakers and wait. I wasn’t surprised when Kieran followed behind, watching me closely.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” he warned me softly, so that our parents wouldn’t hear.
“Can you give me an example of what would be stupid?” I asked innocently, earning me a scowl.
“You know what I’m saying. Don’t play dumb.”
“No drinking, and no funny business,” Dad called from the kitchen, the same thing he always told me when I was going to hang out with friends.Funny businesswas the midwestern sex-talk-averse Dad lingo for anything they couldn’t show in a PG movie.
“Okay, Dad,” I called back, as always, before slyly glancing back over to Kieran. The tattoo at the base of his throat peeked up at me from above his shirt collar. I wanted to suck on it. “See?” I assured him. “No funny business.”
“Whatever.”
Dani’s car pulled into the driveway then, an absolutely perfect way to end the conversation. I hopped up from the couch, purposely injecting an enthusiasm for the party into my movements that I didn’t actually feel. Seeing him so worked up over me had that same euphoria from the night before crashing through my bloodstream. I felt addicted to his attention.
“Bye, Kieran.” I gave him a friendly little wave as I sailed past, like I had no idea how annoyed he was.
I had a sneaking suspicion that this wholeget Kieran to admit he was into mething was going to be really fun.
KIERAN
GROWING UP, MYmom had this beautiful, sparkling angel figurine with crystal wings she kept on display in our living room. It was always the nicest thing in our house.
Every time we moved, which was a lot because we would get behind on rent or my father would piss off our landlord somehow, she would always carry it herself on the drive to the new place, never packed into a box or anything.
During a really horrible fight between them one night, my dad slammed that figurine onto the ground and shattered it. I still had nightmares sometimes about the sound of those delicate wings crunching into dust under the sole of his boot. They’d been fighting about money, because I’d needed $10 for a school field trip.
To me, Jordy was like that angel figurine. Beautiful and delicate and precious. I’d loved staring at it, especially when the sun was shining on it through the window, throwing rainbows onto the wall and floor. But it was too valuable and important and perfect to touch, no matter how badly I wanted to. Just like him.
