Page 56 of The Other Side of Together

“You’re right—I don’t know you because you won’t let me in. For all I know, you’ve been having a good laugh with your friends and doing whatever you do with Face Eater when I’m not around.”

Her mouth opens, and I wish I hadn’t said it like that but I’m ready to catch whatever explanation comes out because at least it will finally be something. But she closes her mouth,shakes her head, and all the words back into their hiding place. “I have to go.”

I swear, hands on my head as I turn away from her. I should stop her, but I need to puke. Throw up regret. Fear. Panic. Dad’s right: girls just mess with you. I forgot Mei’s one of them. But she so, so is, and she’s officially messed me up.

I whirl back around when she crosses the room toward her shirt, then her jacket. “Why won’t you tell me what’s really going on?”

She shakes her head, her shirt and jacket pressed to her chest like a shield as she crosses the room, bending to grab her beanie, her hand trembling.

“You can’t just leave. We—”

My head snaps toward the door when someone punches in the code on the other side of it. My eyes skid back to Mei who’s frozen in the middle of the living room, no shirt.

I dive toward her, but I’m too late and light from the hallway spills into the dark apartment and all over us as Meemaw breezes into the living room in a flutter of scarves. I whirl around as her hand finds the light switch, one million watts spotlighting me, frozen, choking on hysteria, an almost-topless Mei behind me.

Meemaw jumps when her eyes land on me, and she drops her bag. “Oh!” One hand flies to her chest, the other braced against the wall. “Marcus!” Her face falls while her eyebrows leap, taking my heart and temperature with them.

Mei’s a blur as she sprints past me and out the door, disappearing into the hallway. My eyes flick to Meemaw who watches Mei go then stares at me, and I plaster a tight, wobbly smile on my face. “Hey…” I’m breathing like I just scaled the wall and dropped in through the window.

She pushes the door shut behind her. “Oh my.” Her eyes run up and down me. “Oh my, oooh my.” She clears her throat, blinks a few times, then bends and picks up her bag.

My eyes follow every movement as she sets it on the table and pats it a few times before looking back at me and sighing.

“Why don’t you put on your shirt.” She waves her hand toward my bare chest. “Then come give me some sugar.” She opens her arms, waving her hands for me to come closer. “Seems you have plenty to spread around tonight. Come ‘ere, baby.”

I blink and swallow scorching, metallic panic and grab my shirt from the floor. I pull it on before jerking toward Meemaw and wrapping my stiff, paralyzed arms around her. My whole body has seized. I’ve gone from overheated to hypothermic.

She squeezes me tight while I try to ignore that she just saw Mei shirtless and knows I’m the one who got her that way. She’ll tell Dad. He’ll take back the motorcycle. If Mei’s not already done, she will be now.

“Sorry to interrupt the festivities,” Meemaw says as she rubs my back, then pulls away and holds my shoulders, plastering a smile on her face. “Thought I’d surprise everybody but turns out, I’m the one who got a surprise!”

I run my hands down my face, shaking my head, my eyes on everything but her face when I drop my hands.

“Didn’t realize you were throwing a topless party tonight but looks like I kind of ruined it for you two.” She gestures toward the door.

I close my eyes, swear under my breath, and nod. “Meemaw…I…” I what? Just wanted to see Mei’s underwear? Was getting ready to check her for breast cancer? I shake my head, my face burning, legs numb. Testosterone slumps in a cold, hard lump in my toes and I drop to the couch.

When her hand rests on my face, I open my eyes. “Ah, Marcus, hon. This isn’t the first time I’ve walked in on an eighteen-year-old male Miller in a compromising situation. Just didn’t expect to find my grandbaby fixin’ to make agreat-grandbaby for me.” She pulls a Dr. Pepper from her purse and drops beside me, taking a long swig.

I open my mouth, but she goes on. “You best be glad it was me and not your daddy. You might’ve found yourself in a closet until you die.” She turns her head toward me, blinking. “Does Raymond know about this young lady? Because he’s never mentioned her and I’m pretty sure he would…”

“No—he doesn’t. And we…she and I…haven’t…” The words squeeze out of my raw throat. “We’ve never done anything like that before. Just…got carried away.”

“So, Ireallyinterrupted, then.”

I lean forward on my knees and clasp my hands between them, hanging my head. “I totally lost control.”

“Mmm. Yes, well…happens to the best of ‘em.”

“I promised I wouldn’t,” I say to my feet.

She rubs my back, her nails trickling over my t-shirt. “Seems you need to find a reason that will help you keep control. Especially if you really love that gorgeous girl.” Her voice smiles. “Do you love her?”

I close my eyes and dig my toes into the carpet, nodding. “Yeah. And I know it’s stupid—we’re eighteen. Trust me—given myself that talk a couple hundred times. But I just…fell hard for her the night we met. Couldn’t shake it. Tried to control it. Massive failure, as you saw.” I rub my hands down my face.

“You’ve always felt things deeply. Girls like that about boys. Probably the reason Raymond made that silly bet with you. Not that I disagree with him insisting you keep things tucked away.” She takes a sip of her soda. “But what boys your age don’t understand because your hormones are like fireworks, is that sex is not love and love is not sex. No sense confusing your brain with all the emotions that come with playin’ tangle toes too early.”

I glance at her, my face blazing. “Where do you come up with this stuff?”

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