Page 13 of Never To Suffer

“You’ve been to parties like this before at Coop’s house. I’m sorry about the pig; I didn’t think they’d go so hard on the luau theme, but this isn’t as bad as you’re making it.” I scratch theback of my head before dropping my arms to my side. “You’ve never had a pig roast before? Seriously?”

“No! Chase Cooper never once invited me to a party with a fucking pig on fire! And he’s the richest person in my life other than you!” she snaps back, crossing her arms. “We also don’t eat fucking snails! Christ, I would rather eat a whole chicken nugget than anything you weird, sick people have in there. Is this a cult initiation?”

“Beetle, come on. It’s not that bad, and there are some normal things, too. They ordered stuff for you, so you’d feel welcome.” I nudge her jaw with my knuckle. “Or we could raid the kitchen for ice cream.”

“It’s probably made with something weird, like the last egg of an African Condor. What exactly on that table would you callnormal? The lobster they boiled alive? The chicken thing I can’t even pronounce? That lame ass excuse for a taco?” She wags her finger at me, becoming the spitting image of her mother when she would go off on something stupid white people did. “That thing is an insult to my people, and I should not let it stand.Grito de Dolores!” She throws her arms in the air, almost hitting me with her coat.

“Grito de what—seriously, babe?”

“Whatever, it was all I could think of.” She pouts before she straightens up again. “While I appreciate the lovely spread—and I guess I do want the mac and cheese recipe—that pig could feed my entire neighborhood. Or be running free on a farm, happy. Alive! Anyway, your privilege is showing, babe. Big time!” She’s pulling on her coat while continuing to yell at me in a whisper. As she fights with the sleeve, I grab her face and pull her to me into a deep, passion fueled kiss.

I’ve met people before that I wish had some kind of on/off switch to shut them up, but Dani has one and I’ve learned how to activate it. I press against her, moving her into the closet and outof sight from the hallway as our mouths come together again and again. I don’t stop until she’s squeezing my arm and melting into me. It’s always been like this between us. We fight over stupid shit; we scream at each other; I kiss her, and it’s like a reset in her head.

Sometimes. Other times, even trying it will get my head taken clean off and we break up for a week or two.

With a groan, she pulls away, smacking me in the chest. I don’t let her get far though, twisting her fresh blue highlights in my fingers. She wipes my lip and shows me the electric green smudge on her thumb and smiles. If I could, I’d find the most remote castle in the world and lock us both in the dungeon, never to be seen again so I could spend the rest of my life lost in her. Even when we fight, she’s the only person I give a fuck about. She’d lose her mind three minutes into our dungeon lifestyle, though. I only need the internet and some books, she needs people.

“Better?”

“No,” she lies. “No, you don’t get to do that, Charles Alexander Maxwell!” Real names. Now I’m in trouble. “You can’t seduce your way into my head like none of this happened. You’re good, but you’re not mind eraser levels of good. Giant. PIG. I can’t forget that. I’m going to have nightmares!”

As if summoned by Hades and our argument, my younger cousin appears in the doorway. Ginny holds a plate piled high with food and licks something with a gravy texture off her fork. She’s got this innocent but angry thing going on that I can’t figure out, but her grin radiates pure evil.

“Hey cuz.” She draws the U out in this awkward way. “Where’s the hot black chick with the cute tits you told my brother about?”

“Fuck off, Ginny.”

“Oh, that’s right. She wasn’t enthralled with your dick the way Dani is.” She turns to face Dani with her crooked, evil grin. “You know he fucks boys with that thing, right?”

“Go…count your gold or whatever you do.” I try to wave her off, but she pushes my arm like a school-yard bully, which she’s always been.

“At least I have gold. You don’t even have a name, loser.”

“Does your father know you’re drunk?” I sound like an old man asking that, but it’s obvious. She’s a few months shy of eighteen and has been an alcoholic for at least two years.

“Doesyourdad know you suck cock?”

A minuscule part of me wishes Megan had worked out, and I take the blame for it falling apart. She and Dani together would have ripped Ginny’s head off, which would make Dani’s night. Mine, too.

Megan and I never went beyond oral, but I still had her cum dripping down those thick brown thighs on plenty of occasions. And she made me come in my pants more than once while we made out backstage during Dani’s shows. But I became her bisexual un-awakening—if that’s even a thing. She came to terms with her sexuality and decided she only wanted Dani for herself; that’s not happening. We’re not asking for perfection, but we’re not about to be torn apart, either.

Package deal.

“Is that seriously all you’ve got?” Dani frowned, rolling her eyes and sighing dramatically. “Look, when you sober up and need someone to talk about your sexuality to, come find us. Until that happens, you sound like a dumbass saying that shit.”

“What the fuck? Gross.” Ginny acts like I’ve offended her to the core, but I don’t buy it and neither does Dani. She’s trying to act like an adult, but the ones she has to learn from aren’t impressive. “Are you some kind of groomer or something?”

“Jesus, shut the fuck up, Ginny,” Dani snaps, stepping between Ginny and I. “Open your mouth again and I’ll slap the filler out of your lips even at the risk of permanently dying my hand orange from touching that fake tan. Don’t cry to your daddy, just get lost. Also, that dress is fucking hideous and two seasons ago.”

Ginny gawks, clutching pearls as she retreats.

“Okay, we’re burning this bitch to the ground with darling cousin Ginny trapped inside. You get the gas, I’ll find the lighters. Get the animals and children to safety first.”

“Dani.” I keep my voice soft but firm as I tuck a strand of her short hair back under her knit hat before stroking her face. She’s got these brown eyes like mahogany, and I’ve spent hours staring into them, getting a little more lost each time. “We’ve been through this before. You’re freaking out even though you’re safe here. I’m safe. There’s no reason to storm out or light the place on fire. Ginny is a?—”

“Twat.”

“Yeah, that.”

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