Mom: Are you coming home to visit for spring break?
Amber:Not sure, still a ways away.
Mom:We need to know if we can give your bed away to your brothers’ friends.
Amber:It depends if I get all my schoolwork done. Don’t let them sleep in my bed. I don’t trust them. They are gross.
Mom:Calm down. I need to know in a week or I’ll let them use your room.
I fell backonto my bed in a sigh of pity for myself. It seemed unfair to complain about my family when I didn’t want for anything growing up, especially when so many others suffered real complications. But it didn’t take the sting away when mymom chose my brothers over me every chance she got.Maybe I won’t go home.
The thought of not returning to my parents’ house during the summer seemed more and more likely. I didn’t have a job lined up for a lot of savings, but I made decent money with my social channels to rent a shitty one-bedroom for another year.Freelance writing, social media kits, affiliate tags and basic graphic design. I could do any of those things to support myself until I figured out… oh, the rest of my life.No big deal.
What would Jeff think?
I bolted up at the thought of asking him for his opinion. It came out of nowhere, but it wasn’t unwelcome. Our friend-investigator-ship had changed at some point and I was still reeling with how to deal with the modification. I trusted him with the investigation, no question there. Did I trust him with talking about real shit?
Yeah, I think I do.
It had been two days since I’d left his house and while we’d texted a handful of times, I wouldn’t mind seeing him again.Can I just text him asking to hang out?I cringed. The thought of texting Jeff Maddow to hang out seemed unreal…not likely and I dismissed the idea. The only logical explanation was to get more information. Schoolwork had piled up and I wasn’t pretending to be an A or a B student, but I hadn’t liked falling behind on assignments ever since I’d faced probation. My classes took priority so I finished my most pressing assignments before moving on to the investigation. I had to flip through my journal and review my notes on who I should follow up with to get some insight. I scanned my notes and grinned when I saw Teets underlined twice.
Hockey.
A potential for another sports team to be affected by the whole ordeal.
Amber:Teets. You in town today? I want to buy you a beer.
Teets:Goddamn, Henderson, that’s bold. I’m in.
Amber:Lion, four?
Teets:I’ll take the biggest one they got.
Score!I made a fist and raised it in the air, feeling stupid for reacting that way alone. Screw it. Teets would hopefully have some answers that would give us more information.And give me a reason to meet up with Jeff.
My skin tingled if I closed my eyes and pictured his hand—and tongue—on me and while I had fantasized about him before, it didn’t compare to the real thing. My body buzzed with anticipation and I shot up to get ready. If I was going to smooth-talk Teets for answers and hook up with Jeff after, I wanted to look good. I got out of bed and called downstairs. “Laney?”
“What’up, mama?” She was a genius and never had class on Fridays so she often partied on Thursdays and slept all day to get ready for another round.
“I’m meeting an old friend for a drink and have the potential for a hook-up later. Help me look good.”
She appeared at the bottom of the stairs with a wicked smile and stormed up to my room. “Pleasesay it’s with Jeff. Please.”
Don’t blush. Don’t blush.“Why would you want that?”
“Because you spend alone time with him and you’ve had a crush on him for years. He’s hot as shit and probably an animal in bed.” She pushed her way into my bedroom and went straight to the closet. She glanced over her shoulder at me and gasped. “Shut the fuck up. Youhavehooked up with him.”
“W-what?”Shit. Shit!
“Your face gives you away, babe.” She wiggled her eyebrows and leaned against the doorframe with an impatient look. “If you don’t spill the details, I will kill you.”
“Okay, fine. We’ve kinda hooked up twice.”
“And?”
“It was…amazing.” My face burned like a roaring fire, but relief also coursed through my blood.Someone knows. I can talk to her now about it.“It will probably happen again.”
“Thank god! I called it.” She smacked her palm against the wall and gave me a proud look. “He was coming over here too often for someone not into you. Plus, I saw him give you heated looks.”
