Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
“Here,” I said, tossing them to her. She let them land in a heap on the couch, and I realized that she had the used condom in her hand. I could feel the back of my neck getting hot from embarrassment. “Shit, you don’t have to do that.” I reached for it, but she scooted away and headed for the bathroom.
“It’s just a condom,” she called over her shoulder. I could practically hear her eyes rolling.
“It’s my job to clean it up,” I called back, watching her ass sway as she walked. She was wearing these tiny black underwear, and I was pretty sure they were the kind that you bought in a five pack at the grocery store, but I didn’t think I’d ever seen anything sexier.
It was just her. Nova was just innately sexy no matter what she had on, and I couldn’t figure out why I hadn’t noticed it before. I’d always thought she was hot, but not give-me-heart-palpitations-hot.
I put the rest of my clothes on while she was in the bathroom and by the time she came out, I’d put the tequila away and was sitting on the couch again.
“I had to go in there to clean up anyway,” Nova said cheerfully as she ruffled my hair.
“I wasn’t tryin’ to be nasty,” I explained, watching her throw my clothes on. Now, why was that so satisfying? “I was plannin’ on picking it up when we were done.”
“Why are you being so weird about it?” she asked with a laugh, dropping back onto her spot on the couch. “It’s not like I haven’t touched every one of those fluids before.”
“I just don’t usually drop them on the floor when I’m done with them,” I countered.
Nova smiled at me and rested her head against the couch. “I would’ve been way more bothered if you’d pushed me off so you could go throw it away right when we were finished.”
“Okay, that’s fair.”
“Mmhmm.”
“You wanna order some food?”
“I could eat.”
“What do you want?” I asked, picking up my phone.
“Surprise me,” she replied happily. “I’m going to pick a movie.”
“No sci-fi,” I ordered as I searched through my phone for the Thai place she liked.
“Why no sci-fi?”
“Because you always pick shows that have no fuckin’ ending.”
“I do not!”
“You do. The last three we’ve watched just stopped. No resolution, no sequel, just dead air.”
“Okay, that’s true,” she hedged. “But they’re not all like that. Just the low budget ones.”
“Horror,” I said, only half paying attention at that point. “Or drama or action or a fuckin’ western, no sci-fi.”
“I’m going to turn on a rom-com,” she threatened.
“No you won’t,” I muttered. “You know I’ll talk through the whole thing and ruin it.”
I was anticipating the foot that shot out to kick me and I caught it, rolling her little toe between my fingers just hard enough to make her screech and pull it back.
“You told me you weren’t doing it on purpose,” she snapped.
“I don’t do it on purpose,” I countered, putting my phone away. “They’re just so fuckin’ cheesy that I can’t help it. Food will be here in twenty.”
“You’re the worst. What food did you order?”
“You told me to pick, so you’ll have to wait and see.”
Nova growled and I laughed.
“You suck.”
“You said to surprise you,” I replied in mock defensiveness, raising my hand to my chest. “It’s not a surprise if I tell you.”
“Whatever,” Nova mumbled, pulling the blanket off the back of the couch. “I’m not sharing this. You can freeze.”
“Like hell.” I reached over and dragged her across the couch, tucking her in under my arm as I threw my feet up on the coffee table. “What movie did you pick?”
“It’s a surprise,” she mocked, laughing when I squeezed her head between my chest and forearm.
“I missed you,” she said with a sigh as the movie started. “I’m glad we both had time to hang out tonight.”
“Me too,” I murmured, giving her a squeeze.
“If you were busy, I was going to have to hang with Bird again.”
“Bird’s cool,” I pointed out.
“Bird’s my brother,” she said with a groan. “And he’s eleven. He needs more friends so he doesn’t get stuck hanging with his loser sister all the time.”
“Loser friends instead?”
“That’s the problem. His friends already are losers and they get grounded all the time.”
“Ah,” I replied knowingly. “Which is why he’s stuck with you.”
“He’s been asking about my mom more lately,” she said, her eyes still on the TV. “I’ve been torn between telling him the whole unvarnished truth and sugarcoating it a bit.”
“Like you said, he’s eleven. He can probably handle some truth.” Nova’s little brother was the smartest kid I’d ever met. I couldn’t believe some of the shit that came out of his mouth.
“Maybe,” she hedged. “Once you know that shit, you can’t unknow it.”
After that, she was quiet.