Page 66 of A Little Kissing Between Friends

“Nah, you clearly have some shit to get off your chest.” Nodding his head, he crossed the room and dropped down onto the couch. Spreading his hands, he gestured for me to continue. “You been too pussy to speak your mind, but apparently that’s dead, so let’s go. I’m a snake now?”

I damn near bit a hole in my lip to keep from taking the bait on that pussy comment. I wanted to light into his ass, but I couldn’t because he was right.

Eyes on the ceiling, I sighed.

“I deserved that.”

Air whooshed out of the cushions as he shifted in his seat. He sucked his teeth and I glanced over to see him stretched out, his arms spread across the back of the couch.

“Hell yeah. You been ignoring me but now you talking real spicy. That shit ain’t cool. I ain’t deserve none of that.” He chuckled afterward, but he couldn’t mask the slight grumble that belied his hurt. My heart clenched.

I was an asshole.

Cody was the biggest of us all, but he was also the most sensitive. I knew that and still lashed out at him instead of dealing with my insecurities. I knew better than anyone that age didn’t equal maturity, but I was also too damn old to be acting the way that I had. I blew out a breath.

“You’re not a snake.”

“No shit, Sherlock.” He pursed his lips. “What I want to know is why that even came out your mouth. Or better yet, why you been acting like you actually believe that for the past few weeks?”

I don’t know why I thought that I had control over when this conversation took place. The last few months should’ve been clue enough that things rarely went the way I wanted them, the exception being music. Which, of course, is why I’d been trying to bury my head in the sand by hyperfocusing on the music.

That was clearly an epic fail.

“I was wrong—”

“Say that shit again. I don’t think I heard you right.”

Glaring, I threw my hands up in the air.

“Say, fool, you gon’ let me get a full sentence out or nah?! I’m tryna apologize to your waterhead ass and you won’t even shut up long enough for my lips to form an s!”

He laughed and waved me on. “You been treating me like the red-headed stepchild for a minute. You can deal with a little ribbing. Hell, you earned it.”

Damn him for being right again.

“I’m sorry, Cody. I’ve been fucking up in more ways than one with too many people that I love.”

To my surprise, he remained silent, his eyes on me expectantly. Letting out a breath, I ripped off the Band-Aid.

“I was jealous and I was scared.”

He sat forward, his elbows landing on his knees, his eyes piercing into me.

“Of what?”

“Of...what looked like you getting with Jucee.”

“Explain.”

I frowned. “Don’t be bossing me, fool! You know what I’m talking about!”

“Hell nah! I have no idea what you saw and perceived as me ‘getting with her’ when every-damn-body know that girl only got eyes for your watermelon-head ass. I don’t know why, since I’m the better-looking Thomas offspring, but I’m pretty sure she needs glasses.” He shrugged like it was no big deal.

I gaped at him.

“Say what?”

Resuming his reclined position, he shrugged again.