Page 13 of Desolation
After the conversation last night with the guys, I’ve been thinking about what my relationship with Lana will look like.Out of all the guys, I’m the only one who didn’t try to date while we were growing up. I’d always known that she was it for me so I’d waited, hopeful.
The downside is that I have no experience with women because of it. My lack of experience in the ‘bedroom’ department has me feeling both insecure and a hint of pride that I held out for my girl.Well,you win some, you lose some.
I just hope she appreciates the sentiment, rather than thinking I’m pathetic.
Currently, I’m hoping Ash didn’t butcher the message last night when we sent him to her room like a sacrificial lamb. We all voted for him to be the messenger because she has a soft spot for his communication issues.
Curious to see if he had mustered up the courage to talk to her about what we decided, I walk up to her, casually grabbing a cup of coffee and beginning the conversation like it’s no big deal.Nope, nothing to see here.“So, how was your night?”
She looks up at me, mischief hidden carefully behind her doe eyes. I’m sure she thinks she has it tucked away but I can see it. “Oh, it was fine. Same old, same old. Just a normal Tuesday night.” She waves her coffee-holding hand, causing the drink to slosh in her cup. “How about yourself?”
My brow furrows. Where’s that mischief coming from and what does it mean for us? Deciding to not push too far without conclusive evidence, I say, “Didn’t sleep that well. I was up tossing and turning all night.”
“What a shame. I slept like a rock,” she smirks.
Our conversation cuts off as the rest of the guys, except for Ash, join us for breakfast.
I move away from Lana and start prepping the coffee for our fellow caffeine addicts. We’ll need more than one pitiful pot to satisfy everyone’s needs.
We should really find a way to put this stuff into IV bags to save time.
As the coffee brews, the silence of the room registers in my brain.Strange. Why aren’t the guys talking?I watch as they shove their faces with the bacon, eggs, and toast that Beth left for us. Within minutes, the food’s been decimated. It’s like they inhaled it.
And they might think they’re sly but I see the glances they throw Lana’s way through breakfast. For her part, she just turned away from the group and leaned lazily against the counter, her cup of coffee hovering over the empty sink in a light grip, as she surveyed outside.
I can’t hold back the smirk as I enjoy the show. I lean against the counter, watching my group of chickenshit friends as they watch Lana like she’s a bomb waiting to go off. It’s as if they’re hoping they’ll be able to read her mind to see if Ash talked to her.
Cowards.I didn’t do much better but at least I asked how her night went. Better than this lily-livered group! Who thought I’d live to see the day I’d be the brave one?
Reveling in the welcome turn of events, I let them simmer in the excruciating suspense. Might as well join Lana in whatever game she’s playing and see where it leads us.
If shedoesknow, then she’s really trying to make us squirm. But that bodes well for us. Her playfulness, being her normal cheeky self—that’s the best reaction I could have hoped for. I was worried she’d hide behind a mask, like always.
“So, what should we do today, guys?” I ask the group, breaking some of the tension in the room.
Lana stands on her tiptoes and leans closer to the window. She hums, as if in deep thought. “It’s hot as fuck. No chance of rain.” Bouncing on her toes, she continues with tentative excitement laced in her words, “I say we go swimming at the lake today to soak up this fan-fucking-tastic weather!”
As she observes the sky, all of the guys—including myself, because I’m not a saint—have our eyes glued to her perfectly-round ass as it jiggles with her movements.
She’s definitely giving us something to observe.
“Yeah,” Hale says absentmindedly, as he cocks his head to the side for a better view. “Great weather we’re having outside.”
“Yup,” Luke adds, squirming in his seat at the sight. “That sun sure looks, uh … bright.”
“What they said,” Leo finishes, his hands clenched on his lap as he tries to hide the erection in his shorts.
Fucking hell.What a train wreck. These guys are the experienced, ‘smooth’ ones? Hiding their boners and fumbling over their words.
I’m counting my lucky stars at my ability to restrain my physical reactions, unlike the rest of the guys. This is nothing new for me. I’m used to holding back my boners in front of Lana, I’ve had years of experience.
The rest of them though—well, they aren’t doing so well at hiding their baser instincts when they’re too busy wondering if she knows how they feel about her. All laps, except for mine and Lana’s, are covered with hands or plates, like that’ll do anything to conceal it.
“Did you assholes leave me any food?” Ash growls as he walks into the kitchen before immediately stopping at the sight of the beautiful view we’ve been blessed with this fine morning. It’s stopped jiggling now but she’s still on her tiptoes so it’s taut and looks so fucking delicious.
Lana spins around at the sound of Ash’s voice and the guys snap their heads to various directions to avoid being caught. Ash switches his gaze to meet her eyes, pretending he wasn’t staring like the rest of us.
“I put a plate in the microwave for you, Ash. I knew they’d plow through the food before you got a chance to come down.”
