Page 58 of Sweet Girl
Chapter Nineteen
Kylah
Our New Years’ Eve party tradition began over twelve years ago. My parents would host these lavish parties for their friends. As we grew older, the dynamics changed and more and more of Cade’s friends showed up, leaving the grown-ups to a small portion of the house and all the young adults to the basement and party room.
Now that my parents are divorced, and we’re all in college, this year’s party will solely consist of our group of friends. My mom and John, her new fiancé – which I’ve slowly become accustomed to and let go of my anger - went on a mini-tropical cruise to the Bahamas, leaving us to the party planning.
Well, technically, party plans have fallen on my shoulders. Cade basically told me how many people he invited and expected, offering to pick up the keg and booze. Kady went to the party store to pick up decorations and all the necessary party supplies to ring in the new year in style. As for me, I was left with all the grocery shopping, planning out the hor d’oeuvres and making all the Jell-O shots that all good parties should include.
I am measuring out the vodka and rum as Kady strides into the kitchen, taking a peek at the various kinds of Jell-O I purchased.
“Ew...you’re making the green kind? That stuff is nasty. The flavor tastes like snot.”
I want to ask her how in the hell she’d know what snot tastes like, but I don’t get a chance, because in her next breath she catches me off guard.
“Someone’s glowing like she got her cherry popped.” She exclaims, ruffling my hair as she walks toward the refrigerator to grab a soda. “How was it? Did he make you orgasm? Did you do it doggie-style?”
I snicker, slapping at her from behind me. “Shut up. Don’t be crass.”
Kady maneuvers herself up on the barstool across from the island where I stand, mixing the concoctions before I pour them into the little plastic cups to freeze. She leans down on her elbows, batting her eyelashes at me.
“Me? Crass. Ha! If I were trying to be crass, I’d ask if he fucked your asshole after wetting his dick in your pussy.”
“Oh my God, Kady, you have the mouth of a sailor. You’re worse than Cade sometimes, you know that?”
She throws her head back in hysterical laughter and I just bow my head in disgust. How in the world can the two of us have shared the same womb? I love her to death, but sometimes she is a lot to handle.
“Sorry,” she ruefully apologizes. “I promise to be good from now on, as long as you give me all the dirty deets.” She locks up her mouth with a pretend key and gives me an eyebrow raising smile.
“No way. Not gonna happen.”
She mumbles a “please”, but it sounds more like a meow. Kady jumps from her chair and corners me at the sink, wrapping her arms around me and shaking me in a giant hug. I laugh, because it reminds me of the scene fromDespicable Mewhere the little girl shakes the carnival toy with such adoration. I wiggle from her hold, and concede to her request.
“Fine. It was great.” Sticking my tongue out at her, I place a tray of the shots in the freezer drawer, shutting it closed.
“Uh-huh. More...I know there’s more.”
Kady is not going to let this go, that much I know that. But there are things I don’t feel like sharing with her right now. Maybe because it feels good to have it just between Van and me. Our little secret.
Which is how I want to keep things for the time being from everyone, must importantly my brother. Telling Cade that I’m sleeping with one of his teammates will not start my New Year off on the right foot. Despite what Van said about not putting stock in what others think, I don’t want to be scrutinized by others. I am not an attention-seeking girl, and it would be like living under a microscope if others find out.
So at least through the party tonight, Van promised me he would keep his distance and there would be no PDA. Which will probably kill me. But he did warn me that at the stroke of midnight, he was going to drag me into a closet somewhere and kiss the hell out of me.
That promise, and the implications of it, has me bubbling from the inside out with anticipation – like I’m the champagne in the bottle and the cork is about to pop. It makes me yearn for his strong hands clasping onto my hips, pulling me into him as he kisses the ever-loving life out of me.
“Woohoo!” My sister snaps her fingers in my face to gain my attention back. “It’s written all over your face, so you might as well spill the beans. Or the pork-and-beans...” She laughs at her own attempt at a scandalous joke.
I clean up the kitchen counter as she trails closely behind me. Finally, I spin around to meet her, nose to nose, toe-to-toe. “You know, if you’re going to follow me around like a little stalker, you could at least help me clean up or something.”
“I’ll be glad to be your taste tester for the Jell-O shots. I’m very good at that.”
“I’m sure you are.”
“Speaking of good...come on! Tell me about it, Ky. You know you’re dying to.” She gives me an angelic smile and I finally capitulate, sitting down on the stool she vacated.
Sighing wistfully, I begin. “Van was amazing. Even when he found out I was a virgin – after he deflowered me-”
“You’re shitting me! You didn’t tell him beforehand? Holy mother of Judas.”
