She’s not wrong. Laney’s parentshateme.
Probably should confess to being responsible for that graffiti on their car not long after theleave Delaney’s no-no box aloneconversation in high school before her parents arrive.
But I’m pretty stunned myself at Laney’s response, honestly. She’salwaysworried what her parents will think.
Swear I overheard her whispering something about that to Sabrina in the last two days.
“I—you know parents,” Addison stutters. “They never let us go.”
“That’s their problem then, isn’t it?”
My stomach grumbles again. I ignore it.
Does she mean it?
Would she honestly, fully, truly tell her parents to fuck off if they weren’t willing to accept her choices?
Would she tell them to fuck off forme?
Laney frowns at me. “When’s the last time you ate? C’mon. Taco time.”
“I’m good.”
The frown turns into a full-onI will eviscerate you if you don’t stand up and get me the hell away from Addison immediately.
And it makes me smile like smiling is the only thing that matters.
“Yep. You’re right. I’m hungry.” I order my dick to get down, which works better when I pair the instruction with thinking about Aunt Brenda getting it on with my Uncle Owen, and I rise from the table and follow Laney to the line for tacos.
“I haven’t seen you eat at all in the past two days,” she muses.
“You’re not the only one with ninja skills.”
She meets my eyes, then looks down at where my shirt is gaping open.
“Don’t,” I mutter.
“You’re not eating.”
“I’m eating.”
“Why aren’t you eating?”
“I’m eating.”
“What are you eating?”
I force a smile. “If you give a Laney a bone…”
“This isn’t about me making sure you don’t pass out in the middle of Emma’s wedding and it’s not about me beingrightand it’s not aboutrules. This is about the fact thathuman beings need to eat, and you’re—you’re—” she waves a hand over my gaping shirt “—you’rethis, and that takes diet and exercise no matter how much all of those ripped guys on TikTok pretend it’s just natural and that men don’t have body issues.”
“I—” I cut myself off, not at all sure what to say in response.
“You’re a human being with needs that too many people around you overlook,” she finishes.
I’m stunned.
Utterly. Fucking. Stunned.
