I can’t help but laugh, the chuckles bubbling out of me as she continues to rant.
“And then I’ll take some unflattering pictures of him and post them online. Do you know where we can get a sheep? Not to keep or anything, just to take pictures with.”
She spins in a circle, finally spotting Connor on the other side of the pool. “Connor,” she yells. “Where’s my phone? I need to add some asshole on Facebook.”
Connor comes over to our side of the pool and produces Alex’s phone from the pocket of his shorts. “Why are you adding assholes on Facebook?”
“Becca needs revenge,” she says, pulling up the app on starting her search. “Wait. What’s his last name again?”
“Yeah,” I drawl. “I don’t think I should tell you that. We need to try to keep you out of jail.”
She flips me off and continues searching. “Never mind, I’ll figure it out.” She starts pacing again, mumbling to herself. “Stevens? No. Ericson? No, not even close.”
“What’s happening now?” Johnny comes back and holds out a beer to me. “It’s not good, but it’s cold.”
“Thanks,” I say, twisting the top off and taking a long drink. “I told Alex about Freddy and she’s worked herself into a frenzy.”
“Fun.” Johnny sits beside me on the lounge chair, his still shirtless body giving off heat from when he was standing in the sun. I want to wrap my arms around him and soak it in. “Who doesn’t love a good frenzy?”
“She’s trying to track down Milo so she can meet him in a parking lot with her baseball bat.” I don’t think she remembers that the baseball bat in question is actually mine, not that she’d let that stop her. She’d go and buy a dozen new ones and test them all out. On Milo.
“Who’s Freddy?” Connor asks. He’s taking Alex’s freak out in stride. She’s been trying to teach him to cook these last couple of months and she tends to get frustrated easily in the kitchen, so he’s used to this. “I thought she was looking for some guy named Milo?”
“Freddy is my tattoo,” I say, guzzling back the rest of my beer. Johnny was right, it is not good. “Milo was the idiot who gave me the nickname when we were in high school. He tricked me into taking off my shirt so he could take a picture to show everyone in school what was under the clothes I wore. What he got was a picture of scars from a childhood injury. He and the entire school started calling me Freddy Krueger after that.”
Huh. That was a lot easier to tell than when I first told Johnny, or even when I just told Alex a few minutes ago. Weird.
“Freddy was the tattoo Becca got shortly after that incident, as her own way of saying fuck you to Milo and taking control back. She was fourteen when she got that, man. Fourteen!”
“And what did you say this guy’s last name is?” Connor asks, anger flashing across his face.
“I really don’t think it’s a good idea, guys. No one needs to get involved. It was so long ago, I barely even remember it.”
Alex hears me say that and shoots me a look that says she knows I’m lying. Fuck. I forgot she was still listening.
“Besides,” I say, pointing to the new tattoo. “Johnny gave me this awesome horror villain piece and I think it’s really helping to take Freddy’s power away. I just told you about the Milo thing, Connor, and it flowed out so easily. I’ve been telling therapists about that for years and have never had such an easy time with it. It’s getting easier and easier ever since Johnny did this for me.”
Without thinking, I reach out and grab Johnny’s hand. His body stiffens slightly, and he looks down to where his hand is in mine before looking up at me. He slides closer and brings his other hand up to cup my cheek, and I snuggle into the warmth of his palm. His resolve broken, Johnny pulls me toward him and seals his lip to mine. He kisses me softly, once, twice, and then pulls away slightly, before kissing me once more and dropping his hand.
I lean toward him, chasing the warmth, before I open my eyes and realize we have an audience. Connor and Alex are stood there staring at us, mouths open, eyebrows raised.
Fuck.
That’s another rule broken.
