Page 32 of Ordinary Secrets

The screen glows in my face as I search for her contact and send her a text.

Hey gorgeous! Thanks for putting your name into my phone as Arella. It made it easy for me to find you.

Now comes the waiting game.

I stare at the screen for a full minute to see if the little dots will start jumping around. Nothing happens. She’s probably not by her phone. Or worse, she read my text and ignored it. Or maybe she’s already sleeping?Dammit, I’m being pathetic.I’ve never sat around waiting for a text from a girl before.

The moment I hop off my bike, I freeze. Someone’s emotions hover toward me—coming frominsidemy house.What the fuck?

I tiptoe through the door, being as quiet as possible. No lights are on. I don’t hear anything either.

Whoever’s here probably didn’t hear my garage door open, because the emotions I’m sensing from them are content, not scared, and, oddly, a little horny.

I tread down the hall to where my gift leads me. It’s not until I’m near the bedroom that my chest tingles, and suddenly, I know exactly who’s here.

I stomp through the door. “Get out.”

Jess doesn’t even bother looking up at me. “Is that any way to greet a person?”

She’s lying on my bed with her ankles crossed over each other. The lamp’s on, and she has one of my naughty magazines flipped open over her thighs. Her low-cut pink tank top gives me a full view down her shirt, leaving nothing to the imagination. Based on the wrappers on the floor, I’m gonna say she’s been in my pantry.

“How did you get in my house?”

Keeping her attention on the photo of the topless woman, she gestures toward a key on my nightstand. “I know where you leave it outside.”

“Good. That means you know where to put it back.” I lift my finger, and the key flies into the air. When I drop my finger, the key falls into Jess’s lap. I wave at the door, and it swings wide open, coming to a halt just before it hits the wall.

Finally, Jess looks my way and tosses the magazine and key over her shoulder. They land on the carpet with light thuds. “You haven’t seen me in months, and you’re kicking me out already?”

Jess is never an easy person to get rid of. Maybe if I’m nice to her, she’ll leave faster. I soften my tone. “What’s up, Jess?”

She pouts. “My boyfriend dumped me.”

“The Teleporter?”

“Yeah.”

Jess and I used to have an on-and-off relationship. I haven’t seen her since she started getting serious with her boyfriend—ex-boyfriend now.

“I went to see him today.” Her sadness drenches me like heavy rain from a gray cloud right above my head. “I thought maybe we could work things out. He doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore.”

I sigh, plopping next to her on the edge of my bed. I have no idea what to say to make her feel better. Thinking of a happy time and pushing those feelings into her might work.

She continues talking before I can think of anything happy. “I thought maybe if I showed him that I want him back, he’d want me too. But all he said was—” Jess’s skin bubbles as her shoulder-length blonde hair transforms into curly black dreads. Her skin fades from a California tan to a deep bronze until there’s a brawny Black man wearing a pink tank top next to me.

Jess drops her voice into a deep, husky tone. “You’re too fucked-up for me. Go get your shit together.”

Her skin bubbles again and her hair grows, turning blonde until the real version of Jess is back.

“Sorry,” I say because I suck at pep talks. Also, her ex is right. She does need to get her shit together, and that’s coming from me, a man who never has his shit together.

She stares at me with a dark expression in her eyes. I know that look. Before she can say anything, I’m back on my feet with my hands in my pockets. “Not tonight, Jess.”

“What? Why not?”

Because I have important shit to do.Besides, even if I wasn’t in the middle of something, I still wouldn’t want to have sex with her. This woman only ever shows up when she needs a rebound fuck. Yes, I’ve always allowed her to use me, but I’ve been getting sick of our relationship existing on onlyherterms. She’s never here whenIneed her.

Five months ago, when I was going through a rough patch, she wouldn’t even answer my texts. Now that I think about it, I’m still fuckin’ pissed.

---