Brody: Don't talk about yourself like that, baby. You're only a beast in the bedroom. :)
I laughed and put the phone down. "I will tell you one thing: Brody Myers is the all-around package, isn't he?"
"He seems like it." Cindy let out a sigh. "What are his plans after this summer? Is he staying in Arizona or going somewhere else?"
My smile faded at the thought of him moving away. "I don't know. I haven't gotten around to asking him. We just started treating each other cordially over the last three days."
Dedra chuckled. "You mean you just started treating him cordially. He's been good to you since we met the guys. It's you who was fighting that sexy ass attraction between you two."
"It is sexy, isn't it?" I pressed my teeth into my lip and glanced out the window.
"Hey, are you going to talk to your folks or what?" Emily tugged at the sleeve of my t-shirt.
"No. There's no reason to. I'll try to get back out here, Emily, but they've made it pretty clear that they expect me there for these trials. As much as I hate it, it's my future for right now. Until I can figure out if there's something worth fighting them over." I shrugged, tired by the conversation. The lack of sleep the night before had to be adding to my weariness.
My phone dinged again, and I pulled it up to see Brody calling.
"Hey." I closed my eyes and tried not to grin like an idiot.
"Hey, am I being overbearing? I've never done this 'see someone after a night of fucking' thing before, so you'll have to tell me if I'm doing it wrong."
I laughed. "You're so ridiculous. You know that?"
"Yeah, I get that a lot." He let out a short sigh. "I'm sorry about my sister, Cora, but I'm not sorry, too. If things hadn't have happened between you and Brandon the way they did, then last night wouldn't have been mine. I'm greedy as fuck, I know, but it was the best night of my life. It felt good. Right."
He was being too open. I wasn't ready for the confirmation that something lustful was soon to turn into love for me.
"Me, too." I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose. "I'm headed out with the girls for the evening, but I'll call you later. Is that alright?"
"Yeah. Let me know if you're up for me coming over, or you come on over here. I'm tired as hell, but I wouldn't mind snuggling up to the back of you and letting you take advantage of me while I sleep." He laughed softly.
"Only beasts do that." I smiled and turned to watch Emily looking at me as we sat at a stop light. "Alright. I'll talk to you later."
I dropped the phone into the cup-holder between us and lifted my eyebrow at her. "What?"
"You know what." She smirked and put her hands back on the wheel. "I might regret my words completely, but I really think he's going to be good for you."
"Maybe." I shrugged and turned up the radio. "But...we promised no more boy talk, so let's have fun and forget about the need to find the perfect man that will make our lives complete."
"Please. I don't need no man." Dedra bounced in her seat. "I do need a bag of candy from Tutties in town, though. Let's go there first."
"Sounds good to me." Emily pulled across the street and parallel parked perfectly, surprising me.
"Damn." I looked around. "When did you learn to do that? You usually suck at parallel parking the car."
She beamed. "Right? Clay taught me the other day. We spent the afternoon in his truck working on it. It was cool. Really cool."
I smiled and got out of the car before walking around and giving her a quick hug. "You know why the summer vacation is going to be all I need to get me back on the right track?"
"Because you've met the man of your dreams, and like every good girl wants of a bad boy, you can change him for the better?" She smiled like she knew some great secret.
"Nope." I laughed as her face fell. "Because you're here. Let's not get our own places when we get home. Let's stay together. Do you want to?"
"Really?" Her face lit up. "I would love that. I know you wanted to live in the city in one of those smaller flats, but if we shared a two-bedroom apartment between downtown and Arizona State, we could still see each other all the time."
"Yep. Let's do it." I moved to her side and wrapped my arm around her shoulders as we walked to the candy store. I'd broken her heart a few months back with my desire to get my own place. My parents thought it was a good next move for me, and much like I'd always done, I followed their advice, though it wasn't what I wanted, at all. I would go into pre-law and try hard to become the woman they expected me to be, but I was going to do it my way.
"What are you guys being all chummy about?" Dedra moved up on the other side of me and slipped her arm around the back of my waist.