“Something funny?”
I laugh again. It’s just… fucking absurd.
She gives me a concerned look. “West… Are you high?”
Maybe I am. “Nate came by.”
Her face brightens. “Oh my God! You guys made up?”
“Yeah. Yeah, we did.”
“I’m so frigging happy, so absolutely completely happy about this!” She leans in and kisses my cheek, her mouth soft and warm, her small hand curling around my arm.
And… I get hard. I shift uncomfortably on my seat, cursing under my breath—but doesn’t this clarify my earlier confusion?
If only I could be with her. As she focuses back on the class, I focus on her face, her lips, her cute chin, the swell of her breasts, and I dunno if I can hold back. She can always stop me, if she doesn’t want my kisses, my touch, but if there’s one chance in a million that she’d let me press against her skin once more, I know I won’t be able to stop myself from trying.
I get another visitor later in the same day. What are the odds, right?
In fact, I get a phone call.
From Kash.
“What’s up, man?” his deep, low voice trickles down the radio waves to my ear. “I dropped by to see you.”
“What?” I sit up from where I’ve been lying on my stomach on top of my bed, trying to make sense of my notes of today. “Where are you?”
“Right outside, on the street. Not sure I should come inside. I’m pretty sure Nate’s dad is around.”
Fuck. “I’m
coming out.” Pulling on my sneakers, I slip past Grandpa’s room and out of the apartment.
I find Kash outside, just like he said. He’s rolling a cigarette, and his face is paler than usual. It has a gray cast to it that can’t be healthy.
“What are you doing here? Aren’t you still sick?”
He grins at me. “Nah, I’m good. I wanted to check on you.”
I feel warmth spread through me at the thought. He texted and called many times over the months since they all left, like he said, and I avoided talking to him. I felt like they’d abandoned me somehow, and maybe… like Nate said, I didn’t want to talk to them so much, either, in case the truth came out.
Thing is, having Nate come over and talk to me, hug me, was awesome. Having Syd kiss my cheek was hot and sweet at once. But with Kash it’s different. Since he arrived in town and entered my life, he’s been this steady presence that never wavers.
I guess he’s not fucked-up like me and Nate, and the thought makes me smile.
“What is it?” Kash shoots me a crooked grin, then it fades as quickly as it appeared. “And what the hell happened to your hands?”
I avoid looking down at my reddened skin. “Nothing.”
“Are you all right, West?” He tucks his cigarette behind his ear, and I try not to stare at the silver hoops glinting there.
Seriously, today something’s off with me.
“I’m fine,” I say, the lie rolling effortlessly off my tongue. “Don’t worry.”
“I want you…” he starts, then leans back against the wall beside the entrance. “Shit.”
With a curse, I grab his shoulder, steadying him when he starts to slip sideways. “Kash. Man, you should still be in bed. Goddammit.”