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Josie
The chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream slid down my throat but didn’t wash away the thick regret resting there.
My mother couldn’t just take a hint and leave. She had to prepare dinner for a guy I’d only hung out with a couple of weeks. No,excuse me, the first guy I’ve ever hung out with.
I groaned, letting my head rest against the warm passenger side window of King’s pickup. He chuckled. “I told you not to worry about it, Josie. Your parents aren’t the first parents I’ve met.”
I sighed. “I know, but we’ve only hung out a few times, the woman doesn’t listen, and when she does, it goes in one ear and out the other.”
King smiled—that lopsided one—and reached over to squeeze my thigh. Since he’d inhaled his ice cream cone before we made it back inside his truck, he had a free hand.
“You can’t be surprised,” he said, turning his cap around backward, showing his bright eyes. “I’m sure she’s done this before.”
I took a bite to give myself a second to think. I didn’t want him to know I’d never dated before—someone grab the chum—I’d be shark bait for sure.
“Well,” I said reluctantly.
King lifted a brow at me. “You never dated? Seriously?”
I shrugged, swirling my spoon around in my cup. “Seriously. I wasn’t very popular in high school.”
“Does Booker have something to do with that?”
“I—,”
“Is something going on between the two of you? First, he hits you in the head with a football, now he’s ready to take my head off every time we’re together. Am I missing something?”
How could I even explain this to him when I don’t understand it myself?Lying wasn’t my style, but withholding the fact that he kissed me on numerous occasions seemed just as bad.
“No, just the obvious hate relationship we have.”
King shook his head but stayed calm, something Maverick hadn’t conquered yet. “Nah, Maverick doesn’t hate you, Josie. He may be mean to you but deep down it isn’t because he hates you. He’s jealous.”
Jealous and Maverick Booker didn’t go together.
I shrugged like it didn’t bother me, but it did, so bad. Because I wanted to know why. King and I sat in his truck, windows down, watching the sunset from the parking lot, while I finished off my ice cream.
When our conversation turned physical, I felt the giddiness in my stomach turn to lukewarm desire. I knew when King’s fingers tangled into my hair, and he kissed me, that everything Maverick said was true.
King’s kiss was good, but Maverick’s fed something deep down inside of me. Something I didn’t realize starved for him. When King pulled away, his forehead rested against mine, I tried to savor the sweet minty smell of his breath, and know that if Maverick had never kissed me, I would truly love this.
But the fact was that Maverick had kissed me, and messed everything up from the start of my second chance.
When I walked into the apartment building, the cool air chilled my skin, the remains of our dinner still lingered in the air but made it feel more like home. Maverick’s door stood cracked, Frankie sat on his bed watching TV, but Maverick wasn’t there.
After the stare-down I got from him during dinner, I figured he was pissed, but what else was new? After he’d thanked me for the money, I’d hoped for a new start between the two of us. But it didn’t last long when my mother invited King to eat.
Ugh. Way to go, Mom.Not that it was her fault. She thought Maverick was my gay roommate, even though I wasn’t sure she bought it, at least it bought me time.
I plopped down on my bed and pulled out my cell phone.
Dad:I like King.
Me:Me, too.
Even though I did like him, I knew it wouldn’t work in the long run. How could it?
Dad:We’ll talk about yourgayroommates later.
