When I turn around, Gio has poured us both glasses of juice and he holds his hand up for a high five. “Nice threat.” He snorts, and I shrug, slapping his hand.
“What? It works. Luckily, you’ve cultivated this don’t fuck with me persona, and everyone is either scared of you, wants to be you, or wants to do you.” I go to the cupboard, pull out a box of cereal, and slide it across the counter, followed by two bowls and spoons. Sitting next to him, I wait for him to finish pouring his and hand it to me before I pour myself a bowl.
“Did you have a good time last night?” Gio asks as he shovels sugary goodness into his mouth. He always likes to check on me after a party. He knows it’s not really my scene, but he always tries to make me feel welcome.
I can’t help the snort of amusement that comes out of my nose, as well as some milk as I had a mouthful at the time.
“Ewww, gross, Tori.” He swipes at the milk that landed on his arm and gets up to get a dish towel, scowling at me.
I get my choking under control as he cleans up my mess. “Sure, don’t help me or anything,” I grumble as I take a sip of my juice. Standing, I head to the coffee machine. The girls had turned it on but hadn’t gotten any further. I’m not sure how since the damn machine is automatic. It grinds the beans, and the water is already in it. Putting my cup underneath the spout, I press the one cup option and let it run, turning back to face Gio with a shrug. “You know it’s not my kind of scene, but I think Stacey had a good time and would have preferred to stay down here instead of up in my room. She got drunk and high and passed out.”
Gio grunts when I mention Stacey’s name. He has never really liked her, but I’m not sure why. It was a miracle he even let her sit next to him on the couch last night. Usually, he does his damnedest to not be anywhere she is. Then again, I don’t really like any of his friends either. It will be interesting to see if he makes any new ones when he starts college in a couple of weeks.
“Man, I’m really going to miss you when you move into the dorms,” I tell him, feeling a little sad. Dad’s spending more and more time traveling for business, so it’s going to suck being here alone. I switch out the cups, sticking another one underneath, and press the button for him before grabbing the sugar out of an overhead cabinet.
“Aww, sis, I love you too.” He smiles at me, but there’s a wicked glint in his eye. “And you won’t be alone, you’ll have Penelope to keep you company.”
The mention of my stepmother’s name has me cringing. We can’t stand the woman. Our own mother died not long after I was born, and we had an amazing nanny/housekeeper who looked after us for years—or she did until I was thirteen and Dad came home and announced he was getting remarried. He promised us we would always be number one for him, but he was lonely. For his sake, Gio and I tried, but Penelope is a bitch. Luckily we were thirteen and fourteen and already knew how to take care of ourselves, because although she was here when Dad wasn’t, she had no interest in cultivating relationships with us. She puts on a good show when Dad’s around, but the minute he’s gone, we don’t see her. She’s happy spending his money and lunching with her friends. Cliché Real Housewives stuff. Gio and I confronted him with the truth. His response was, “Things happen for a reason, kids. One day, that reason will become apparent.”
What a load of shit. When my seemingly no-nonsense Italian father spouted off that spiritual crap, I asked him if he had a tumor. He just laughed and gave me a kiss, assuring me he was fine.
The less I have to see her, the better, and Gio knows it, the asshole.
“Fuck off,” I grumble as Stacey stumbles into the kitchen. Her blonde hair is in disarray, and she’s still wearing the outfit from last night.
We both watch as she waves a hand in our general direction before sticking a mug under the machine. Gio quickly finishes his breakfast. I know he’s looking to escape as swiftly as possible now that she’s here, but I can’t help watching her with a newfound appreciation.
Her dress hugs her sexy curves in a way that draws my eyes to her body. The hem sits just below her butt, making her legs look longer and causing me to wonder what they would feel like wrapped around me.
Crap, did I just think that? Am I really having these thoughts about my best friend?
A gasp escapes my mouth, and I run a hand over my face. Fuck, I’m checking her out like Gio checks out a chick he wants to sleep with. Is that kiss from last night enough to trigger a sexual response like this? I’ve never really felt this way before, neither attracted to either males or females, especially the ones that go to our school. I can appreciate an attractive guy as much as the next girl, but all the kids at school come across as shallow, and I’m not interested enough in anyone to put in any effort to get to know them.
Do I feel this way about Stacey because I know everything there is to know about her? Sure, she and I don’t have a lot of the same interests, but I know her better than anyone else except for Gio.
“Tori… Tori, are you okay?” Stacey has spun around, coffee in hand, and she’s frowning at me.
I blink once, twice, before responding. “Yeah, I’m good,” I assure her, and when a blinding smile crosses her face and my stomach lurches, I know I’m in trouble. I’m attracted to my best friend, and Stacey is completely boy crazy. Last night’s drug and alcohol powered kiss was nothing but an experiment, and now I’m going to be left pining over my best friend while she moves on to bigger and better and more male things.
“I’m out,” Gio announces, getting up and putting his things in the dishwasher. Stacey’s smile dims a little at his announcement, and my stomach lurches again, this time in disappointment. Of course the smile was for him.
“Make sure you clean your party crap up and get all the stragglers up and out of here,” I snap, taking my disappointment out on him.
His head tips to the side in question, unsure what to make of my cranky attitude, but he decides to leave it alone, not wanting to stay in the same room as Stacey any longer. “Sure, little sis, don’t you worry.” He kisses the top of my head and bolts with a quick wave at Stacey. I watch her watch him as he leaves. Her smile drops, and cool calculation slides across her eyes before they return to me. Stacey is starting to make me question her motives with her behavior. Maybe this has been all about Gio from the start. Before I can question her, however, she brightens up again.
“So I woke up a little while ago, and I was thinking about what we talked about last night.” She comes around to sit on Gio’s vacated stool before grabbing my arm and swinging me to face her, placing her soft hands on my naked thighs just below my sleep shorts. My skin prickles and goosebumps cover them, and I can feel my cheeks flush. I hope she doesn’t notice my reaction.
“What about last night?” I’m not sure where she’s going with this, but there’s no way I want to put my foot in it in case she means something else.
“What did you think of the kiss we had?” she asks straightforwardly, and I feel my eyebrows crinkle into another frown as I try to hide my surprise at the question.
“What about it?”
“Well, was it any good? Do you think a guy would get turned on or off by it?” There’s no hesitation or embarrassment in her question, and she obviously can’t see my discomfort.
Fuck my life.I thought for sure she would have forgotten about it this morning, that it was the drunken rambling of a girl rejected by my brother, but it seems like there might be more to this.
“Yeah… I mean, I don’t have a lot to compare it to, but it was pretty good,” I tell her, not wanting to make a big deal out of it in case she doesn’t feel the same way. She bounces up and down on the stool.
