Total pages in book: 14
Estimated words: 12932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 65(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 43(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 12932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 65(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 43(@300wpm)
“I couldn’t make your graduation, Clay. It was all the way across the state, and it was the day before mine. I wouldn’t have made it.”
“I know.” He rubbed his forehead.
“Look, Frank, I’m just here to make sure Mom is okay and to check on you like family does,” Clay insisted.
The word family ran like ice down my spine, but I turned my back to him again as I watched over the chicken. I wasn’t sure what to say to that. How could he not see that we’d crossed the boundaries of family? We couldn’t be “just family,” no matter how hard we tried.
I swallowed that bitterness down and said, “Well, if you’re sticking around, you should take your stuff to your room and wash up a bit. The food will be done soon.”
“Right. Yeah.” Clay stood and his feet thumped across the floor as he left the kitchen. I watched him pick up his duffel bag and go before my eyes landed on his taut ass. Fuck me. It looked so good in those slippery shorts.
No. Stop it, Frankie. I shook my head, focusing on the chicken again.
four
When the soup was ready, I poured two bowls and set them on the table, then went for the jug of sweet tea I’d made earlier that day. Clay was already slurping his soup and crushing tortilla chips into it with his large hands as I poured the tea into glasses.
When I sat down, his eyes found mine and he smiled. I wanted to smile too but couldn’t bring myself to do it. The last time we were alone things happened. That’s why we lost touch with each other in the first place. That’s why it’d become so awkward. We’d gone too far with our actions.
“So, what are your plans now that school is over?” he asked, sitting up straight.
I slurped some soup. “Not much, really. I’ll probably hang here with Aria a few weeks longer, make sure she’s okay. Kandy wants to go to Hawaii in July, but I’m still thinking about it.”
Clay scoffed. “What’s there to think about? She’s still with that Cane guy, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Right, so she’s still rich,” he said with a shrug. “Free trip.”
“Sure, it is, but I like to have my own money when I travel too, so I’ve been thinking about getting that part-time job at Victoria’s Secret again.” My face reddened at the sheer mention of Victoria’s Secret. Really? I had to bring the idea of lingerie up with him?
Clay had frozen a bit, his spoon halfway to his mouth. He swallowed hard before eating again. “Yeah, sure, I get that.” A silence wedged between us. Then he asked, “But you’re doing okay, right?”
“I’m fine,” I said around a mouth full of tortilla chips.
“I just mean…well, you don’t have to stop living because Mom is sick. She said so herself. When’s the last time you did anything fun?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not really focusing on fun anymore, Clay. College is over, and I plan on putting my degree to good use if I can.”
“Your degree in?”
“Psychology, asshole. God, how do you not know this? I told you what I was majoring in for months before we graduated high school!”
“I know! Sorry, I just forgot. Sheesh.”
“Typical.” I rolled my eyes.
“You don’t know what I majored in,” he countered.
“Sports medicine, so you can still stick around athletes, even injured ones, apparently.” I rolled my eyes again and he chuckled.
“You think you’re so smart.”
I couldn’t help my grin. “I am smart.”
He smirked, slurping the soup again. Pointing his spoon at his bowl, he said, “You were always good at making this soup.”
I smiled a little. “Thanks.”
Silence again. He was eating, and I liked our little banter. In fact, I’d missed it. It was almost like we were just Frankie and Clay again, two wannabe siblings who cracked jokes with each other.
“So…any new girlfriends?” I asked. And I immediately wanted to facepalm myself. Why would I ask that? I didn’t care if he had a girlfriend. Well, actually, I did care…and okay, maybe I asked because it would be nice to know.
Clay lowered his spoon, eyeing me. “Nope. No girlfriend.” He paused. “What about you? Any boyfriends?”
“Nope.”
“Cool.”
Great. Dinner was awkward again. Why did I ask that stupid question? Clay finished eating first then rinsed his bowl and spoon before putting them in the dishwasher.
“I’m gonna take a shower,” he announced, then he left the kitchen.
When he was gone, I placed my spoon down and rubbed my forehead. I didn’t know how long he was going to be home, but I was already feeling myself slipping.
five
While Clay showered in the bathroom we used to share as kids (well, more like argued over), I took pajama shorts and a tank with me to Aria’s room. Her shower was nicer, plus she had this detachable showerhead that came in handy for moments of pent-up frustrations. Moments like now, with Clay in the house and us pretending we didn’t want each other. Pretending we were just brother and sister. Ugh. It was so exhausting to pretend.