Page 27 of Delayed Penalty

Kelly listens, comments as expected about just how hot Harris’s dirty talk is and how she’s happy I was finally able to have a non-self-induced orgasm again. She knows all about Peter and my lack of sex life and how in the entire time we were together he never once actually gave me an orgasm. So, it’s no shock she’d want to see if I had better luck.

Yeah, bitch. I didn’t just see sparks fly, I saw the entire damn explosion, fireworks included as that man lit up my life.

“Look, I know the way you two broke up fucked you up big time. I remember. That being said, you guys were kids, it was nearly six years ago. But this is now, you both have grown up, why not take him up on his offer? He seems nice, you definitely cared about him and he’s hot as fuck and knows how to use his dick so that’s a win-win if you ask me.”

She’s not wrong, that man uses his dick like a champ.

“I just don’t think it’s a smart idea. There’s too much gray area between us, it would get confusing especially because wecrossed the line. We both know it was a one-time thing, though, so staying there would just get awkward.”

She just shrugs and presses play on the remote, the TV coming back to life. “I mean, I get that. It might be more awkward waking up next to your sister every morning and not the hot guy, but that’s just me.”

Fuck me.

Now the only thing I’m going to be thinking about is what it would be like to wake up next to him every morning.

But that thought hurts more than it brings joy because it’s the sad reminder that at one point years ago that was the dream I thought we were living. I thought that was going to be my life.

But it was all a big lie.

Chapter Eleven

Harris

Miles

Are you actually going to show up today?

Or should I expect to have breakfast alone?

Fuck. Off.

It was one fucking time.

Miles

It hurt.

You’ll be fine.

I’ll be there at ten.

Hey, Ave. How’ve you been? Still staying at Kelly’s.

Two hours later

I know you need space to figure out your life so I’m sorry for messaging you, I just was thinking about you and wanted to know if you were okay.

Avery

Yes, I’m here. Pretty sure I have food poisoning so this might be the end for me.

Stella’s bakery is busier than usual with it being the middle of June—most of the tables filled with school aged kids all wearing their school uniforms with who I can only assume are their parents. My guess is it’s the last day of school, and they all seem to be out celebrating. The kids are all sitting together at tables discussing summer plans and it reminds me of when I was younger and would do the exact same thing with my friends.

Cade and I, along with our two other best friends Derek and Graham, used to go with our parents after school on the last day and go get pizza and play arcade games. We did it every year from kindergarten until we graduated. As we got older, we played the video games less and flirted with girls more, but it was always just us together as one big family.

That is until something happened with Derek and Cade, but to this day I’m still not exactly sure what went down between them.

“Look who actually decided to show up. Thank you, King Harry, for gracing us mere peasants with your presence,” Miles says from behind me as he’s leaned up against the wall watching the line slowly dwindling as Stella, her mom, and another barista work together like a streamlined machine.

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