“I know this might come as a surprise to you… I know it does to me, but…you’re kinda sweet.”
I hit him in the face with a pillow. “Take it back.”
He set his chips aside and straddled me. “Your name just changed. Sweetie McSweetson but still from the house of I Want Tyson Langley. You have a big heart.”
“I think I just threw up in my mouth.”
“And such a way with words,” he teased, brushing his fingers over my chest, right where the muscle in question sat. “Show me what you found out.”
“Yeah?” I hadn’t been sure he’d be interested. Well, I knew he would be on some level, but not that he’d allow himself to be. I got up, turned on the lamp beside my bed and the main light off. After making sure my door was locked in case Asher showed up with a houseful, I took my pants off while Ty did the same, followed by his shirt.
A minute later, we were lying on our stomachs, computer in front of me, while we researched the nursing program, both at FU and at other local schools. Currents of hope and excitement radiated off him. He wanted this so bad. I couldn’t believe this wasn’t what he was going to school for. “You should do it. It’s your life, Ty.”
“You think so?”
His question surprised me, as did his intense stare. He watched me like he cared what I thought, like he respected my opinion. “It doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what you want.”
“I’d basically have to start over.”
“Not totally. Some prereqs and stuff would transfer over.”
“I’d have to talk to my dad…like really talk to him. It’s something I need to deal with anyway. I can’t pay for school next year. I’m fooling myself, acting like this job matters in the grand scheme of things. I mean, Mom has money too. She’d pay, but it’s just like getting it from him. She put her career aside for him to be the perfect wife and mother. Right now, all her money is from him.”
“You should take the money. I respect what you’re trying to do, but fuck, Ty. You’re so goddamned lucky. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with him or be close to him. There are people who would die to be in your position. But if you don’t take the money, you’ll still be okay. That’s what loans are for. Tell your dad how you feel and what you want, and then make that shit come true, with or without him.”
Ty bit his bottom lip, grinned, and my pulse beat a little too fast. “See? Sweet. I can’t believe I ever thought you were a bad boy.”
“I’m a badass motherfucker is what I am.” We laughed, and Ty closed the laptop.
“I can’t look at that anymore tonight. Fuck, Sunshine. I might do this. I might really fucking do it.” I hoped he did. “I’m all stressed out now. Do you have any weed?”
“Yep. I just went to the dispensary yesterday.”
I grabbed the stuff from my drawer and packed a bowl. We sat up. I put the pipe to my lips and lit the green bud. Once it was burning, I inhaled.
“You didn’t even offer me green,” Ty said, so I leaned in, smoke still in my lungs. He nodded and moved closer, sat between my thighs with his legs over mine, wrapped around my waist so we were close. He brushed his lips against mine, then opened his mouth. When I exhaled, he breathed in, shotgunning the smoke into his own lungs, straight from mine. He coughed some.
“Good?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
I took a second hit, and Ty rested his hand against my nape, pulling me in so our mouths touched again. Smoke billowed out from between my lips, Ty sucking it up, taking it into his body. This was really fucking sexy.
We smoked the whole bowl that way—some hits I kept for myself, some I shared with him, but each one Ty took into his body came from my mouth. When it hashed, I set the pipe on my nightstand, my body sufficiently buzzing.
“I’m high.” Ty snickered, making the same action bubble out of me.
“I think that’s the point.”
He wrapped both arms around me and took my mouth, dipped his tongue inside, tightened his legs around me, and we kissed for a while. I ran my hands up and down his back, teased the crease of his ass, but we didn’t go further.
“I kinda want to laugh, but I don’t have a reason to,” he said, which of course resulted in both of us cracking up. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“Chicken butt. I’m kidding. That was dumb. I’m not responsible for what I say when I’m feeling this good.”
“Clearly.”
“Come to my game tomorrow.”
“I’m working.”
“I’ll win for you.”
“You’ll win for you.”
“I’ll win for us?”