But I don’t tug too hard this time. Just enough for him to feel my wrath.
“Fine, fine, I’ll dial it back. Still, that’s part of what I wanted to ask you.”
“Huh?”
“Why? I know you said that Peeks and I scared everyone off and, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we did.” He doesn’t even grunt when I slap his abs. “But… you’re beautiful, Denny.”
“Shut up.”
“No, I’m being serious. You’re funny and sweet and loyal and a great listener.”
“You’ll make me blush.”
“You should. You’re awesome.”
“My worth isn’t defined by the guys who are interested in me, Zach,” I exclaim.
“I never said that it was!”
“Sounds like it to me.”
“My mind didn’t even go there. I’m just pointing out that you could have been with anyone you wanted. But you chose not to. Why?”
“A lot of reasons.”
“Like?”
I release a sigh. “You’re killing my first post-coital buzz, Zachary.”
“I want to understand. Is that so bad?”
When he puts it like that…
I stare at the ceiling in an attempt at getting my words together. “I wanted to sleep with Neil Randolph?—”
“That jackass?!” he barks.
“That’s exactly why I chose him. You hated each other.”
He sniffs. “Well, why didn’t that work out?”
“Because I caught him fucking Stephanie Delayne.” I rub my nose over his lat. “I swear senior year wasn’t my year.”
“Why?”
“I seemed to catch everyone fucking someone. Mom was screwing the pool boy. I came across Dad getting blown in his office by his PA. Jessie Narlan gave you head at homecoming, and Pecan, well, need I sayless.”
“Our little exhibitionist.” He guffaws then winces. “Sorry about… Jessie. And, well, everything.”
“I really wanted to just have sex. I wanted to know what was so great about it that someone would ruin a family for it. I wanted to know why you would be willing to get caught and charged with public indecency over an orgasm. It became my personal crusade—lose the V card. ASAP.”
“You clearly didn’t.”
“No. Neil sniffed around me a lot, mostly to piss you and Pecan off, I think. A part of me thought he might like me. But he didn’t. It was totally about you two, and looking back, I think I’d be fine with that now? Which sounds weird?—”
“He hurt you.”
“He hurt that version of me.”
