Page 29 of Summer of the Boy

I wonder if I’d made Amanda feel as bad as I feel right now.

“You’re a hard man to get ahold of.”That voice.

Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear. I know that voice. I’ve kissed the lips attached to that voice. Moved inside the body, attached to that voice. Although admittedly, I did it thinking of beautiful, naked men because that was the only way for me to get it up and keep it up.

Nevertheless, I whip my head to look at her. Amanda and her smile. She always had the best smile. She’s still as beautiful as ever. The female equivalent to Rid. Sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes. Rosy cheeks. Fantastic body. If I could’ve ever fallen in love with a girl, Amanda would’ve been that girl. Part of me wishes I could’ve been the man she needed me to be, but then, I’d have missed out on Ridley.

“I didn’t know you were looking,” I tell her honestly. Because our breakup wasn’t exactly mutual and I didn’t have the guts to tell her the real reason. I thought she hated me.

“Well, I have been. Leif, I miss you.”

“Listen Mandy…”

“No. Iknow. I don’t miss you because I want to get back together. I miss you because I missyou.We were together for three years. You were my first serious kiss. I gave you my virginity for crying out loud. So yeah, I was hurt. Doesn’t mean I don’t miss you.”

“What do you mean you know?”

“I ran into your parents at Christmas. They told me what you didn’t. I really wish it had come from you, but I understand. Now it seems you’ve gone and fallen in love for real this time.”

“My mother sent you, didn’t she?”

“I haven’t talked to her recently, so no.”

“What does it matter? He won’t talk to me. I feel like…god, I can’t even explain how it feels.”

“Trust me, I get it.”

She would. I did the same thing to her. Sent her away without a reason for the split.

“Jesus Mandy, I’m so sorry.”

“Water under the bridge so long as you say we can still be friends, and mean it. I’m talking hanging out the rest of the summer, you visiting me at school, me visiting you. Think you can handle that stud?”

Stud. Her nickname for me. Feels good to hear it again. Feels normal, right. “Yeah. We can still be friends. And for the record, I did, do love you. Just…”

“Not in that way. I know. But speaking of sexy men with hazel eyes who you do love in that way—”

I cut her off, “What? H-how do you know?”

“He’s in my car.”

Amanda drops that bomb on me without a word of explanation as she swipes her phone. She calls a number, then “Yeah Ridley. He’s here. I’m going for a walk...” A pause for his response and then, “by the swings.” That’s it. She hangs up.

What the hell just happened?

I’m torn between looking at Ridley jogging toward us and Amanda starting to walk away. Clearly I’ve got to patch things up with Rid, but I call to Amanda. She stops. I run up, kiss her on the nose, give a quick “Thanks” and turn back for my, well, I hope my boyfriend.

He doesn’t stop jogging until the slamming of our bodies together ceases his forward momentum. Cupping my cheeks in each of his hands, Ridley cocks his head to crush his lips against mine. Hard and powerful. And as much as I want to be in the moment all I can think is,Holy shit! Rid’s kissing me in public.

The next thing I know he’s spearing his tongue against my lips leaving me no choice but to open up for his invasion. Two weeks, I’d almost forgotten how great he tastes. As he kisses and licks and nips and probes my mouth all the pain of our separation dissipates. His hands slide from my cheeks down to around my shoulders and waist pulling us closer, deepening the kiss.

Seriously hot.

Resting his forehead against mine, he breaks the kiss leaving both of us hardly able to catch our breaths. “Missed you,” he pants. “Went to the jetty. You weren’t there. I called your mom. She gave me Amanda’s number to help me look. Which, if you liked girls, she’s a good choice.”

“I know,” I answer him, still so confused I’m not sure how else to answer.

“Good thing for me you don’t like girls.” Then he grants me one of his Ridley Smiles. “Did I lose my chance? I mean, do you still want to talk it out?”

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