“JUPITER!”
I ran to the window, to find Emerson looking up. “Fucking what?”
“Come down.”
I glanced over to Marnie who was gloriously naked, and holding out my shorts and shirt. I took them with a sigh, yanking them on then grabbed my sneakers. I reckoned I had just enough time to wrap my arms round my girlfriend and kiss her before my sister started up again.
“You’re perfect, Marn. I love you. I’m so sorry about this. I’ll make it up to you later. We’ll watch the stars,” I winked at her, “and then I’ll make you see them.”
She smiled, forgiving and soft, when any other girl would be bitching for days. But that was Marnie. “Can’t wait. I love you.”
I was still pulling my sneakers on when I jumped onto the balcony, and over the railings.
“You’re a pain in my ass, Reeves,” I grumbled, climbing down the palm. “This had better be good. I was busy.”
“Dad’s been looking for you,” she shrugged. “He’s got his serious face on, so I thought I’d better come find you. Didn’t have to look far though, did I?”
I swiped the back of my hand over my mouth, making Emerson gag.
“You’re gross. You're such a slut boy.”
“I have a girlfriend,” I shot back, and pushed her hard enough that she almost fell into the nearby bush. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“I dunno,” she shrugged again.
I mentally flicked through the list of things I kept on standby, but nothing came to immediate mind for what I could have possibly done wrong. I’d finished the year with a B average, I hadn’t missed practice, and the draft was in a few days. When I’d seen him this morning he’d high-fived me, or maybe that was yesterday morning.
He didn’t look in the high-five giving mood as I walked into the kitchen, however.
Emerson had been right. He had his serious face on. It didn’t come out often, but when it did, he meant business. In fact, the last time I’d seen it was when Piper had gone off to college in September and he gave her ‘the talk’, or a talk. I hadn’t stuck around to listen.
“Um, hey, Pop. What’s going on?”
He looked up from his coffee. “Take a seat, Jupe.”
I frowned, but did as I was told. “What’s going on?”
He took off his reading glasses and sat forward. “I wanted to talk to you about Marnie; you and Marnie.”
Me and Marnie had not been one of the subjects on my list. In fact, of all the things in my life, Marnie seemed to be one they approved of, almost more so than baseball.
“Okay…” I began as it dawned on me that maybe they knew what we did during ‘study’ time. “We’re being careful if that’swhat this is about. We haven’t been having sex long, but we’re being careful.”
He waved his hand, a grimace flashing across his face. “No, no that’s not what this is about, but I’m glad you’re being careful.”
I sighed in relief, especially as my mom chose that moment to walk in.
“Hey, sweetie.” She kissed my cheek then sat next to my dad, and I realized they were both here to talk.
This wasn’t good.
“You’re in on this too? What’s going on?” I snapped. My agitation was beginning to fester. I might have been a little more relaxed if Emerson had waited another five fucking minutes, but on top of having to deal with this, I still had a latent tingling in my balls.
“There’s nothing going on, there’s nothing to be in on. We just want to make sure you’re okay, that’s all. We have some concerns.”
I looked at my dad. “If this isn’t about sex, what is it about?”
My mom leaned across the table like my dad had, her fingers steepling together. “Jupiter, sweetheart, we like Marnie, she’s a nice girl, she’s been great for you.”
