Page 19 of Not Dating Material

“How much did you hear?” I ask.

“No more piercing talk,” Molly says. “Jesus. It’s like you want to embarrass me.”

“But it’s cute when you’re embarrassed.” I use my best baby voice, echoing what he said before.

Unlike me, he doesn’t deny it. Just bats his lashes, one hand propped under his chin. “I am cute, aren’t I?”

“Oh no.” I throw a look at Xander. “There’s two of you.”

And while they look nothing alike, the mischievous look they share is almost identical. Almost. Xander’s has more of an edge to it, whereas Molly is pure sunshine.

I can’t understand people like that. People whose lives aren’t darkened by memories. People who let themselves be soft because they’ve never needed to develop armor. Xander gets me. It’s why we’re so close. He doesn’t like being soft either, but some days, he doesn’t have a choice. On those days, I’m his armor.

I turn and flop back on the bed as well, hit with a huff of Xander’s familiar scent, along with a new, stronger one that must be Molly. It’s kinda woodsy, maybe? Reminds me of the outdoors.

“Well, while you two take a nap in my bed, I’m getting ready for work,” Molly says.

“No morning yoga with Madden today?” Xander asks, and I glance between them.

“You do morning yoga?”

“Some days.”

“How do you know that?” I ask Xander.

His eyes drift closed, and it looks like he is, in fact, about to take a nap. “I perve on them from the porch.”

“You’re such a horndog. Get laid already.”

“I tried. You remember how it went last time.”

Yeah, that isn’t a situation I want to be involved in ever, ever again.

“What happened?” Molly asks.

“He had a dirty mouth,” Xander answers.

“You don’t like dirty talk?”

“No, as in, his mouth looked gross. And his breath smelled. So I didn’t want to kiss him, and when he told me I didn’t need to kiss him to suck his dick, apparently asking when he’d cleaned it last wasn’t the right response.”

“Aww … Xander.”

“Don’t pity him,” I throw back, pushing up onto my elbows. “Pity me. He had a panic attack and locked himself in the guy’s bathroom, so I had to go over there and save him from a perfectly innocent dude who did not have bad breath.”

“Ah …” Molly grabs a pair of shorts out of his dresser. “I’m confused whose side I’m supposed to be on here, so I’m going to back out of my room and wish you both a fantastic day.”

He flees, and I smile after him.

“So …” Xander says, crawling up the bed and climbing under Molly’s sheets. “You guys were talking about your dick.”

“Don’t go there.”

“Where? I don’t know what you mean.”

“How much did you hear?”

“Apparently not enough. Do you want to fuck him?”

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