ie
“Not too bad, been busy with work.”
“And a new boy, I hear.”
“Matilda!” I call. “Have you been telling them all about Roman?”
“Yes,” she says, her voice strained as she tries to fight Jack by slapping his hands away as he tries to protect himself and his poor ears.
“I’m so glad you can keep a secret.”
Quinn and Phoenix put the remotes down and stand, coming over and flopping down beside me on the couch. Matilda finally lets go of poor Jack and scurries over.
“So,” Quinn says. “Tell us everything.”
“Don’t leave a single thing out,” Phoenix adds.
With a shrug, I tell them everything.
And I don’t leave anything out.
~*~*~*~
“You’re such a tool, Maddox!” Ash says, flinging a bean across the fire at him.
My dad catches it with a grin and shoves it in his mouth. “And you love it, woman.”
“I do not love it. If Santana wasn’t my best friend in the whole wide world, I’d knock that grin clean off your face.”
“Knock it off,” Mom adds. “Seriously, I’m fine with it. I’ve been wanting to do it for years.”
My dad turns and gives her a grin so predatory even I shuffle backwards, then he hooks an arm around her waist and hauls her onto his lap. Then he leans in and bites her neck. She giggles, then squeals, before they get into a pretty intense kiss.
“Gross,” I mutter, turning to Matilda, who is looking away now, too.
“Why must they torture us with their public displays of affection?” she groans. “It’s seriously gag worthy.”
I snort. “So is watching you with Calvvvvvvin.”
She flushes and nods. “I told him that’s what you guys call him. He thought it was pretty cool.”
I roll my eyes. “Of course he did, the tosser.”
She slaps me. “He’s not a tosser!”
I nod, pursing my lips. “Total tossbag.”
“I hate you.”
“Yes, well, it’s my job to be honest with you, sissy.”
She huffs. “Soooooooo.”
“Sooooo, what?”
She wiggles her brows. “You and Roman after we left the other night?”
“Nothing happened.”
“Pffft, as if.”
“It didn’t.”
“You two did fuck me eyes.”
“We did not!”
“Did so, right there across the table, fuck me eyes. I saw them.”
I shake my head, grinning. “We did not give each other fuck me eyes. Those were just our eyes, it’s not our fault it looks like fuck me eyes.”
“That was a lot of words, because you know it’s true, fuck me eyes were happening. Just do it. Get it out. Ride the pony.”
I wheeze and lean over, laughing so hard I have to grab my belly. “Do not ever use that statement again in your life.”
“Why? You’re single. He’s single. Ride the fuck out of him.”
“Oh, my god, seriously, stop!”
“Just saddle up and go to town, sister!”
I turn and slap her arm. She’s laughing, too. Her eyes bright.
“You’re a terrible sister.”
“What are you two laughing about?” Mack asks. “Looks devious, like you’re up to no good.”
“They’re talking about riding ponies,” Jack points out, and I turn, gaping at him. He’s grinning at me, then he winks. The asshole.
“What ponies?” Krypt asks, brows going up.“Yeah, what ponies?” Dad says, narrowing his eyes.
“Normal ponies,” I splutter. “Normal, fluffy, pretty ponies.”
“Oh, my god, she’s totally talking about dick,” Phoenix yells, laughing boisterously.
“Phoenix!” Matilda and I say at the same time.
“There better not be any fuckin’ cock riding,” Dad growls, blue eyes flashing.
“Calm down, Father,” Matilda says, waving a hand, but her cheeks are red. “Phoenix is just stirring the pot. There will be no riding of any—” she does air quotes “—‘ponies’.”
“Good—” Dad begins.
“In the next twenty-four hours,” she finishes.
Everyone bursts out laughing, everyone except my father.
He’s giving us both a death stare.
God love him.
CHAPTER 12
I stare at the message, and my heart flutters.
It’s been so long since anyone has said those words to me. Roman doesn’t come across as someone who would say something like that easily, and he really doesn’t seem like the type to use them to just get a girl to do what he wants. With a stupid, goofy smile on my face, I stare at the message again.
R – Hey beautiful.
My heart pounds as I respond.
M – Hey spunky.
R – How’s your day?
M – Boring! How’s work?
R – Boring! What have you been up to?
M – I went to a cookout the other night, but otherwise I’ve just been here, living a lonely life, with no friends and no love.
R – I’m sure you can get plenty of love.
M – Of course. I’m on Tinder. I’m thinking that’ll work out for me.
R – Get off there.
I grin and my heart swells.
M – Yes boss. I saw you on there.
R – Yeah, it’s shit. Had to see what was out there.
M – You’ll be murdered. And that’ll make me really sad because then who will I stalk? Don’t you watch the news?
R – I watch the news. I’ll probably get stabbed.
M – Oh, you’re getting stabbed. Totally stabbed.
R – It’ll be right as I’m about to finish screwing some random I found on there.
M – Right as you’re about to Spoof.
I giggle at the word.
R – Spoof! How funny is that word? Just look at it. Really look at it. Spoof.
R – Spoof.
R – Spoof.
I’m laughing hard as I respond.
M – Spoof.
R – Spoof.
M – Loser.
R – Spooser.
I lose it, dropping my phone and rolling around laughing. It takes me a good few minutes to get myself together enough to respond.