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Azra nods at me with understanding in her brown eyes, lined with bright blue eyeliner. “He was easy to love.”
“Did I ever tell you he was voted least likely to get laid in high school in the mock election?” I let out a humorless chuckle, rubbing my belly through my black hoodie.
“Fuckin’ American high school traditions. And they make movies about how horrible American high school is.” She curses and adds with a glare, “Did they vote you into anything?”
Until I met Azra, I‘d never met anyone from Turkey. She has a foul mouth and bad temper while looking like a colorful fairy but works harder than anyone I’ve known. And she is also loyal; even though Mason can’t pay her, she’s stuck with me. And I’m grateful for it.
“No. No one really noticed me. I was little and quiet and sort of had a blending in superpower,” I begin, getting up from the bed to walk around, bending down to try to touch my toes then stretch my fingertips toward the ceiling. “But, when you’re six foot eight and close to four hundred pounds with bad skin and a lisp and lost all your hair in sophomore year from chemo, Mason didn’t have the same luck.”
“And testicular cancer. I hope they didn’t make fun of that.”
I bob my eyebrows, tracing my finger along the carved edge of the writing desk in front of the window. Looking out at the back lawn where a rectangular pool is covered for the season but I can’t help but think of James diving into the deep end, his swim shorts clinging to his body…
Taylor swivels his head my way, licking his lips on a slow blink like he’s reading my mind. He flicks his tail, once, twice as I reach out and try to grab it as he yawns, letting me know how bourgeois his new surroundings are.
“Yeah, they had a particular cruelty when it came to Mason. Nothing was off limits, including potentially life ending diseases. I think when you are that big, it’s almost like they think you are invincible. Or they just don’t think.”
“The latter, I’m afraid,” Azra says, blowing out a breath. Leaning back on her chair with a rainbow colored back and neck rest pillows, she grabs her coffee cup and focuses on me. “You feeling good? Anything I can do?”
I wonder what Mason is doing this instant as that fluttering in my belly reminds me play time is over and soon, I will be changing diapers and lamenting the high cost of good daycare.
“I feel good. Morning sickness flickers back to life only rarely. If I smell any seafood…” I make a gagging sound with my tongue out. “IBut, other than that, I feel good. Physically.”
“You look great,” she says as I shake my head. “I mean it. Like, even with all the bad stuff, you just look healthy.”
“Well, I have a place to sleep for the night. But I’m going to have to ask my dad for money and I hate it, but I need to get a place to live, fast.”
Right on cue, there’s a knock on the bedroom door and all the fluttering in my belly heads south when I hear my stepbrother’s voice. “Hey, sis. You decent?”
The doorknob clicks and he’s right there, filling up the doorway with all his hunky hockey-star sexiness, making me bite back a moan and clench my thighs together.
“Normally you wait until someone answers before you walk in.”
He shrugs, walking toward me with a sexy smirk before he runs his hand down the back of my head on a wink. “I was hoping for some surprise indecency. Little disappointing, to be honest.”
“You’ll live.” I look up, up, up at him as he runs his fingers over his forehead, shaking his head.
“Maybe. I’ll need something to keep me going.”
“Ah-hem,” Azra says and James looks down at the phone in my hand. “Hiii, I’m Azra.”
“Huh.” James smiles, giving her a salute. “Nice to meet you.” He turns his eyes back on me, making me flush and tap my feet on the carpet. “Mom and Dad want to have a little celebration toast before they leave. Mom wants to ask you something too.” He runs his tongue along his lower lip and I want to write songs about his mouth.
“I’ll be right down.”
He nods, turning and whistling as he slow walks out of the room, the sight of his ass making my mouth fall open and that rush of forbidden warmth spreads from the aching button of my clit outward like fire ripples on the surface of a pond.
“Azra, I…” I mutter, but she shakes her head.
“Just go. Damn. I’d follow that guy wherever he goes,” she says, blowing a kiss to the screen before ending the call.
I give myself a look in the mirror. Hair, usual, nothing can be done there. Make up, minimal, but I suck at putting it on so less is more with me.
