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Yeah, I was thinking that far ahead.
At a couple of the group homes I’d been in, the counselors would hand out condoms on the sly. Others preached abstinence only. You can guess which ones had the higher rates of teen pregnancies. I had been at mine long enough to think of at least two counselors who might help me out.
Fuck, I was harder than a damn rock.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Why are you sorry?” Please tell me she doesn’t regret this already.
Pink bloomed over her skin, creeping up her neck. She lowered her feet to the ground. My gaze dropped to her chest. The innocent, white cotton bra she filled out so nicely didn’t look as wholesome now that I’d left two wet circles over her nipples. My mouth watered, eager to discover the taste of her skin.
She leaned over to grab her T-shirt, snapping me out of my trance. “I don’t know what came over me.” She ducked her head and slipped into the shirt. “I don’t usually…I’ve never done this before.”
She peeked up at me, searching for a reaction, and I tried not to beat my chest like a proud gorilla.
“I don’t usually either.” Maybe some guys wouldn’t admit that, but I didn’t care. Foolish pride served no purpose. I wanted total honesty with Juliet.
Her mouth twisted in a yeah right smile. I leaned down and kissed her, then whispered in her ear, “I think I’ve been waiting for you.”
I wasn’t deliberately trying to come up with lines to get in her jeans. Around her, my mouth seemed to open and whatever was in my head or heart poured out.
Her disbelieving smile softened, but something painful flashed in her eyes. A memory maybe. Whatever it was had nothing to do with me. I wouldn’t push her now, but I wanted to know what bothered her so I could fix it.
She glanced at her chest, cupped her tits and adjusted herself. The sexy shimmy and jiggle didn’t do a damn thing to calm the erection she’d given me.
To keep myself from grabbing her again, I scooped her jacket and my shirt off the ground.
When we were finally dressed, I led her out of the trees and back onto the path toward her house.
“I’m sorry. Do you get in trouble if you’re late?” she asked.
I captured her hand and tugged her closer while we walked.
“Yeah, I can get in trouble,” I admitted. “It’s like being in prison. Except, they give us just enough freedom to know we’re not really free.”
“Roman.”
The sadness in her voice stopped me. I turned and faced her, distressed to see tears shining in her eyes.
“It’s okay, Juliet,” I tried to reassure her. “It’s only temporary. I just need to make it through this phase in my life to get to the next one.”
“You’re so brave. And clever.”
I wasn’t worthy of being called either of those things, but her mouth tipped from sad to happy, so I didn’t argue.
“What happens if you get in trouble?” The note of fear in her voice proved she was the clever one in this relationship.
I blew out a breath. “Anything from getting demoted to level one, which means round-the-clock supervision, to being removed and sent to a stricter home.”
“You’ve already moved around a lot, right?”
“Yup. They prefer to ambush you at night when you’re not expecting it.” I tried to keep my tone light and teasing, but my stomach churned with so many memories of being dragged out of bed and given fifteen minutes to shove my shit in a garbage bag. I didn’t share those depressing flashbacks. She seemed to have enough of her own sadness, no need to pile on my years of misery. I wanted to shield her from the bad in the world. Not alert her to even more depressing situations.
“That’s awful.”
I shrugged like I didn’t care, which after years of trying to convince myself, sometimes I actually believed. “It sucks, but whatever.”
Her eyes searched my face as if my cool demeanor didn’t fool her. But she didn’t press me any further.
“Do you have a roommate?”
I chuckled. “Yeah, he’s in middle school, though. I call him Pip. He’s a crazy-talented artist, but super shy.” Actually, poor Pip was probably wondering where I was, scared he’d have to fend off the bigger bullies in the house all by himself.
Those fuckers should’ve known by now not to fuck with Pip, but I worried anyway.
I tried to never get attached to anyone. Not that I was attached to Pip, but I felt responsible for him, and that bothered me. Eventually, I’d let him down.
I was definitely getting attached to Juliet.
Today, there was no one waiting in her driveway. I walked her to the back door and gave her a quick kiss before jogging away.
For a brief moment, in the midst of the chaos that was my life, I’d found peace.
