“It’ll stop the swelling.”
“You didn’t even hit me that hard.”
Ignoring him, I grabbed the hem of his shirt, yanked it up, and pressed the frozen peas in the spot where I’d hit him. There wasn’t any redness, and hopefully, a bruise wouldn’t form later. Taylor hissed at the iciness against his skin, but didn’t bat the peas away.
We didn’t say anything for a minute. Taylor just sat there while I stood in front of him, staring down at his head. His hair looked soft.
“Does it hurt?” I asked.
“Don’t flatter yourself. You can’t hurt me.”
“I gave you a bloody nose.”
“Because I was asleep and vulnerable.”
“You weren’t asleep.”
A long pause. “I was half asleep.” He didn’t meet my eyes.
I still didn’t get what the big deal was. If I was in bed with Taylor — which I never would be again — and I was half asleep, then sure, I might kiss his neck too. A warm body is a warm body, etcetera, etcetera.
“I’m gonna shower.” He stood up, forcing me out of his way. “I’m fine.” He shoved the peas into my hand and headed towards the bathroom, avoiding my gaze the whole time.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Confession
For the first night since buying the dildo, I didn’t use it, not in the mood to jerk off. It was hard to fall asleep and when I woke up the following morning, memories of the evening before came rushing back, making me feel exhausted before I even got out of bed.
Eventually, I dressed and dragged myself to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. Taylor was standing in front of the stove, wearing an oversized shirt. It made him look strangely small.
“Morning,” I said, looking for my bread.
He glanced sideways at me. “Mornin’.”
I looked at the bacon and eggs sizzling on the frying pan. “Not eating brown sludge for once?”
He grunted. “You want some? I’ve got spare.”
Usually, I’d say no automatically. To other people, to save them the trouble. To Taylor, because I didn’t trust him. But something about his tone made me pause.
“Sure. Thanks.” I quit searching for my bread and stood there, then crossed my arms, then uncrossed them, feeling awkward.
If my mum was here, she’d tell me to make myself useful, so I set up the coffee table, putting down cutlery and a plastic jug ofwater with two glasses. Looking down at it, it looked like a dining table for children.
Taylor brought over two big plates piled with fried eggs, crispy bacon, and thick slices of cooked tomato. We sat opposite each other and began eating.
“How’s your tummy?” I ventured.
“Fine.”
“Can I see it?”
“You trying to perv on me, Archie?” He didn’t even throw in a smirk.
