“I’m pretty sure I understand it very clearly.”
“You do, do you?” She leans back, eyebrows climbing. “Please, do share how?”
Why is everything so dramatic with her?
“I met his cult following.”
“Cult following?” She laughs, leaning forward, then straightens and stills. “I’m jealous.”
“Don’t be. It’s just a bunch of ladies swooning over him like he’s the last piece of chocolate on earth.”
Like me in the hallway not five minutes ago. I don’t mention that.
“But, did you see his cock?”
“Tess!”
“What? It was right there. He wasn’t hiding it.”
“I’m not here for a guy. In fact, it’s the opposite.”
It’s been a year since my breakup. Took that long to realize I’d only stayed for safety and familiarity. Not love. I mean, I cared about him, but I was never in love.
Now I know that I’m here to figure out the rest of me—what I actually want, and where I want to go. And I’m not about to let some guy mix it all up.
“It was huge—”
“One more word about naked Cash and I’m hanging you up.”
Her rosy mauve lips press together. Not in anger, but restraint. I know she has so much more to say.
“Fine.”
“Thank you.”
She smirks, and I know her head has dipped into the pit of her dirtiest thoughts.
“Stay right here. I've got a new addition to my collection to show you.” She jumps off the oversized chair in her cozy apartment.
The pile of mismatched throw pillows and half-burned candles lights the room.
“The notable word here was ‘my’,” I shout at her. “As in personal and no need to share with me.”
I don’t even want to imagine which one of her many collections she’s referring to.
Objects she hides when company comes over—sometimes.
Decorative paddles, not for decoration.
Her trove of smutty mafia novels with shamelessly bent spines.
Not when I’m still heated up from my bump in. My thoughts kept drifting back to him. Even when I know they shouldn’t.
But every inch of him that brushed against me is still stamped into my skin. Hot and heavy like a brand I can’t erase.
And the scent of him lingers. It’s faint but intoxicating. I’d washed it off me the first time, but it’s back again.
“You’ll really want to see this one. Trust me.” She’s still not in sight.
