Page 52 of The Fadeaway
“You two look like shit.”
“Feel like it, too,” Wes says, rubbing a hand over his jaw and looking down adoringly at Blair. “You should hold out for much more next time he ropes you into babysitting.”
“Yeah, yeah. I appreciate it.”
I hustle past them, but Blair calls out behind me. “Treat her well, Moreno.”
Blair only uses my last name when I’m in trouble. Like she wants to remind me of who I am, and my last name somehow represents that.
I tap on the door quietly and hear Katrina shuffling inside. The door opens a moment later and she’s the picture of comfort. Changed out of her dress, she’s wearing leggings and a baggy t-shirt hanging off one shoulder, hair pulled up on top of her head. Normally I’d be bummed a chick put on loungewear, signaling that there will be no getting into her panties, but my dick twitches in appreciation confused because those leggings just show off how rocking her body is. A girl that can pull off Spandex is a true gem.
“I changed,” she says, pulling on the hem of her shirt.
“Wanted to slip into something more comfortable for me?”
She snorts, ignores my comment and walks over to the TV stand to grab the remote. “Want to pick up where we left off? We didn’t quite finish the episode where they’re trying to save The Max.”
I did and then beat off to the theme song, but sure as shit not saying that. “Sounds good.”
She hesitates as I move toward the couch as if she’s not sure where to sit or what to do. She takes a seat on one end and curls her feet up under her taking up as little space as possible. She’s folded herself up to pocket size like that’s gonna keep me from touching her. Fat chance, Kitty.
I sit down in the middle and pull her legs on to my lap. She giggles nervously as I take her dainty feet in my hand. A piece of blonde hair has come loose and hangs at the corner of her eye. Reaching forward, I brush the pad of my thumb over her smooth skin and tuck the hair behind her ear without thinking.
The simple movement takes me back to a million years ago and I freeze with panic.
20
Joel
October, Senior Year of High School
“Are you in this or not?”Polly asks as she pulls her hair up, twisting it and placing a clip to hold it back. She’s missed a strand and I tuck it back, shuffling my feet in front of my locker. I stare at the clump of hair, now behind one ear, because I know damn well if I look her in the eyes I’m done. Those big green eyes are the reason I started chasing her and the reason I asked her to be my girlfriend. I thought I was going to be one of those guys that played the field and sowed my oats as Mr. Walter called it in sixth grade when we got the sex education talk.
I’d seen what true love was like. My parents were crazy about each other, even after seventeen years of marriage their love was obvious. Love like that was beautiful and special, I assumed, but I also saw how much work it was. Every Monday my father brought home white roses, my mother’s favorites. On Tuesdays, they had a date night – every week, no matter what. On Wednesdays, they played tennis together at the country club in some couple’s league. I could go on and on… every day was spent showing their affection. Sounded fucking exhausting.
Sure, I wanted all of that eventually, but I was content to let love take a backseat until I looked into those mossy green eyes. Now I’m fucked, but I get it.
“‘Course I’m in this. What does my buying you a phone have to do with this?”
“Consider it my early birthday gift,” she says.
“I thought we were going to hang out Saturday, celebrate the big one-eight then.” My gift depends on that being true.
“Didn’t I tell you? I’m going to visit my sister this weekend in Phoenix. She wants me to meet her friends and they’re having a party so it’s sort of perfect. I can celebrate my birthday with my sister this year.”
Well, shit. Polly’s sister is just a year older and they’re close. It’s been hard for Polly since her sister went to college. I wait for her to invite me, put a silver lining on my ruined weekend, but she doesn’t.
She holds up her busted iPhone and then stands on her tiptoes to catch my eye and stick out her full, pouty lips. “My screen is cracked. Don’t you want me to be able to text you while I’m gone?”
“Of course I do, but—”
“Then what’s the problem? You can afford it.”
An unpleasant weight settles on my chest. Well technically I can’t, but she knows I could get the money from my parents. I’m not even sure what the big deal is. Add it to the list of expensive shit I’ve bought her in the six months we’ve been dating. But those had been gifts I’d wanted to give her. She’s never come right out and asked for something before and I don’t like the way it makes me feel used.
I turn and open my locker to pull out the gift I got her. Two front row tickets for Katy Perry this Saturday. Even got backstage passes because I know it’s my girl’s favorite singer.
Polly slides in front of me, blocking my access. “Come on, if you really loved me, you’d do this for me.”
