Page 88 of A Stealthy Situation

“I can guarantee if you call it a vagina plant at your dinner, the men will suddenly develop deep pockets.”

“And now I’m picturing someone trying to stick their dick in …” I shudder at the imagery.

He pecks me on the lips. “My work here is done. Enjoy.”

“You’re really going to leave me like that?”

Benny rubs his hand over where my dick is, shamefully, a little hard. “You really do love plants.”

“What do I see in you?” It’s a rhetorical question, but of course, he answers.

“A hot guy with a big cock.”

I catch him before he can leave, feeling all fluttery with him beside me. “You are so much more than that.”

26

BENNY

Sweat prickles its way down my back as I stare at my notes, begging for any of it to make sense. I’m not stupid, I’m not, but this is really making me think I might be. How the hell does anyone understand this shit? How the hell does anyone remember what the fuck all of these numbers mean?

“Benny?”

I jump at the dining room table and find Em leaning over me.

The house is dark and quiet, but I still look around to make sure none of my frat brothers see us.

“What are you doing?”

“Wondering where the hell my brother is.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

He smiles softly and taps my phone screen, lighting it up to show it’s 3:00 a.m.

“And?”

“You’ve been at this for six hours.”

“I have?” Jesus. No wonder my brain feels like it’s been pressed through a strainer.

“You started at nine.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Other than being tired though, it’s like no time has passed at all. I could spend days on this, and it wouldn’t make any more sense to me than it does now. Tears press at the backs of my eyes. Why can’t I do this? Why the fuck do numbers have to be so goddamn hard?

I press my fingers into my eye sockets, holding back the urge to scream. “We fucked up, Emmy.”

“What do you mean?” The chair scrapes as he pulls it out to sit down.

“We never should have started this. We never should have …” I swallow back the panic. “I can’t do it.”

“It’s confronting, I know that. I get it. But I’m here. I’ll help with whatever I need to. It’ll all be okay.”

My laugh is bitter. “I still count on my fingers, Em. That’s not normal.”

“You just never learned. It won’t take you long.”

“I can’t tell the goddamn time! Who do we know who can’t tell the time?”

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