Al’s hand catches mine after I let it fall, and I’m surprised by how cold it is. “It’s not your fault either,” she says, squeezing my hand.
How does she know exactly what I need to hear right now?
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t wondered over the last few days whether Alondra would’ve been better off had I left her alone after learning who she was? But then I think about Ellie telling me just last week how much happier Al seems, and how I’ve changed since getting to know her.
I have never met someone like Alondra in my life, and I love being one of the people she trusts with the pieces of herself that Bradley tried to destroy.
She matters to me. It’s the most honest and accurate way I can describe her.
“I’m sorry for what he did to you—I shouldn’t have pushed you to tell me about it,” I say after a moment.
Alondra was right. If she had told me right away that Bradley had hurt her, I probably would have ruined everything good I have going for myself. I want to believe I’m a bigger person who wouldn’t beat the shit out of her ex if given the chance, but I know I wouldn’t regret it if it happened.
She musters a smile. “I think he had too much to drink, and it’s why he didn’t care there were other people watching and listening. I doubt it’ll happen again—there’s too much on the line now.”
“Alcohol isnotan excuse,” I insist, and Alondra takes in a shallow breath, slipping away from me once more by skating backward from me.
Message received. I guess she’s done talking about this, but at least she didn’t tell me it doesn’t matter again.
“I promise I’ll wait to hear from you before coming over next time,” she says, a scarlet hue crawling up her neck to tint her cheeks.
“That’s bullshit. You’re welcome any time,” I insist, but I also feel my face heat. “Maybe just, like, knock on my door first?”
“In my defense, I did call out to ask if you were there,” Alondra says, and I force an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of my neck.
“Sorry, I was a little preoccupied.” More like I got caught with my dick in my hand, fantasizing about Alondra riding my thigh, but I don’t think adding the details will make it sound any better.
“You know, you might be a little less preoccupied if you went out with one of the girls I picked out for you,” she says, and I scoff because going out with another girl is the furthest thing from my mind.
“Pass.”
To my relief, Alondra laughs. “What? Are you afraid they’ll find out you kiss like a two?”
“Good thing I fuck like a ten to make up for it,” I say, winking at her, desperate to make her laugh again. I miss her laughter, her smiles, and I just miss Al.
Fuck, maybe I am whipped like Seth accused me of at the party before everything with Bradley.
Alondra shakes her head at me, and I feel some of the weight on my chest lift. “You talk a pretty big game, Jack,” she jokes, and I skate closer to her, flashing a slanted smile.
“Do you need me to prove it to you?” I ask, loving how her cheeks somehow flush a brighter shade of red. This feels easy and normal. Al makes it all too easy to push her buttons, and right now, I want to know how far she’ll let me take this before pushing back. “I told you I don’t always mind an audience, but if you ever want to do more than watch, you know where to find me.”
What the hell am I doing?
“I wasn’t trying to watch,” Alondra says, tipping her head up in defiance.
“Doesn’t matter. You still were, and then you ran before I could finish,” I tease.
She sputters, her pink lips parting, and she tugs at the sleeves of her sweatshirt. “I didn’t tell you to chase after me! But no, you ran out of your house half-naked to stop me from getting in my car,” Alondra says, sarcasm and sass bleeding into her tone while she tugs at the sleeves of her sweatshirt before skating away from me, leaving me no choice but to follow after her.
“I’m not saying you told me to go after you, but if it were anyone else who walked in, I probably wouldn’t have gone after them,” I say, catching up to Al in no time.
“I didn’t walk in. You didn’t make sure your door was shut and locked,” Al’s quick to retort.
“Okay, fine. All I’m saying is that if it were someone else, I would have probably, you know . . . finished.”
Oh hell. Did that really come out of my mouth?
Alondra raises a dark eyebrow, looking over her shoulder, telling me it did.
