“Pretty much. Bye, Aleida.” I heard footsteps coming toward my door. They passed without pausing, and I heard Desi’s door close.
I waited until I saw their clock-out times on my computer before leaving my room. I stepped out and went down the hall. I knocked and went right in. He looked up from his cards. I noticed he wasn’t wearing his sunglasses, but they were resting close as if he might need to put them on at any moment. I glanced at the cards beside them, but he scooped them up quickly. Not in enough time. I saw one in particular.
The Hanged Man.
“I’m sorry for being a dick earlier,” I said. “I hate not being your friend.”
“Friend?That’s all I am?” He blinked. His mouth fell open slightly, and he looked genuinely surprised.
“I don’t know. We’re kind of in an awkward place.”
“Do you like me?” He stood up and balanced his fingertips on the desk.
“What?” I scoffed.
“Do you like me? Are you interested in being more than just—buddies?” He spat the last word as if it was sour in his mouth.
“It’s not that easy. Arsenio—”
“Fuck Arsenio. I keep telling you that. Don’t worry about what he’ll say. He doesn’t need to know. But I do. Tell me what we’re doing.”
I stood there, feeling utterly defeated. He wasn’t getting it. Flashes of that fight in Arsenio’s basement came into my brain. Sure, Desi had gotten one over on him that time, but if Arsenio was actually angry- he’d have no chance.
He reached for a piece of candy and quickly unwrapped it, popping it into his mouth, then came around the desk. He didn’t look away from my eyes as he stalked slowly toward me. Reflexively, as he moved, so did I. Soon, I was pressed against his door. He pinned my wrists to it and leaned down to kiss me. My mouth eagerly matched his intensity. I could lie to him, but I couldn’t lie to myself. I wanted him.
He parted his lips, and his tongue crept out, slowly testing where I stood. I opened my lips to welcome him in. Our tongues rolled against each other, and suddenly he slipped his cinnamon candy into my mouth. I took it, and as soon as it passed from him to me, he pulled away.
He chuckled as I pushed it against my cheek and sucked. “It’s not that easy—my ass. I won’t tell if you don’t.”
16
“I hateDon’t Stop Believing.”
“How do you hate that song? Everyone loves Journey.”
“Exactly. Yes, I’m an edge lord. I don’t care. The song is obnoxious. It’s blasted in every bar at least once an hour. Blood or human.”
“Oh, you made a big mistake telling me this,” Desi said from his office. I shook my head.
“I don’t care. Now, are you going to leave me to work, or are you going to insist on staying in my ear all night?”
“I like being inside you. All night could be fun.”
I rolled my eyes, despite knowing he was twenty feet away and couldn’t see me.
“I saw that!” He shouted from his office. I cringed as it blasted through my headphones.
“Do you see this?” I flipped off the wall.
“You know that one kind of hurt my feelings,” he said in a much softer voice.
“Aw, I’m sorry. Do you want me to kiss it better?”
“Please.”
I sighed, loving how playful he could be. “Desi, either come to my office or leave me alone.”
I pulled my buds out of my ears and pushed end on the call. A moment later, he was sitting across from me.
