by E. L. Todd
His eyes brightened. “I promise you, I’m not doing it intentionally.”
I leaned close to him. “I think you’re full of it.”
His hands moved up my shirt slightly, his warm skin pressed to mine. “I’m not. You’re cute, but I’ve had better.”
“You’re such a terrible liar.” I pulled away, leaving his hands in the air.
He returned them to his pockets then trailed behind me. As I picked up the letter, he pressed his chest into my back then placed a gentle kiss on my neck. Then he grabbed my shirt and stretched it down my shoulder, exposing the skin. When he pressed his lips there, it made me feel warm everywhere. “You’re the only one who can read between the lines.”
“Because I know you like no one else.” I skimmed through the lines of the letter, feeling elated that I’d accomplished something for once in my life.
“What’s that?” His lips were pressed to my ear.
“A letter.”
He chuckled lightly. “I figured that.”
I turned around then started to read it out loud.
“I can read, you know.” A playful smirk was on his lips.
“But this is above second-grade reading level.” I returned his smirk with my own then kept reading. When I finished, I tossed the letter onto the table.
“Your work was nominated for an award?” he asked in surprise.
“Yep.” I couldn’t stop smiling.
“I guess I’m not surprised. You are a nerd.”
I shook my head. “I’ve never been particularly good at anything. I just skate by doing the bare minimum.”
“That’s not even possible,” he said firmly. “So, when is this ceremony?”
“In two months.”
“Cool. I’m sure you’ll get it.”
I shrugged. “I don’t want to get my hopes up. I’m just thrilled I’m even considered.”
“Well, let me know how it goes.” He stepped back then headed to my couch.
Whoa…what? “You’re coming as my date. You’ll know when I know.”
He stilled then slowly turned around. “You aren’t serious, right?”
Was I missing something? “Why wouldn’t I be?”
He leaned against the couch then crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not stepping foot on that campus. All I’ll do is embarrass you.”
“With an attitude like that, you will.” My playful mood was gone, replaced by annoyance.
“Silke, I don’t belong there.”
“You belong with me.”
He looked away and sighed. “I have more important things to do instead of making a bunch of nerds feel cool with my presence.”
“You think I care?” I challenged. “I want you to be there, Arsen. End of story.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “No. Forget it.”
“No? Forget it?” I asked incredulously. “This is important to me, Arsen.”
He rubbed the back of his neck while he stared at the floor. “I realize that. I wish I could support you. I do. But attending this shindig would be a bad idea.”
“No, it won’t. You’re my boyfriend. That’s what boyfriends do.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t exactly excel in that category.”
“Because you haven’t tried,” I snapped. “Now grow a pair and get over it.”
He moved to the couch then sat down. His shoulders were tense, and he had an annoyed look on his face. He seemed more interested in staring at the floor than me.
I decided to drop the subject. I’d pushed Arsen hard and fast, and I knew I needed to slow down. He was doing the best he could, and asking for too much at one time would make him crack.
I moved to the couch then crawled into his lap. “You know what I want?”
He leaned back and rested his hands on the couch, not touching me. He didn’t respond to my question. He acted as if I hadn’t said anything.
“For you to satisfy me.” My meaning hung in the air.
His eyes darted back to mine. “Sex will postpone this fight, not end it.”
“We aren’t having a fight. You’re going to that ceremony with me. End of discussion.”
He growled in annoyance. “I like that you see the good in me, but you shouldn’t see things that don’t exist. I’m not ready for that.”
“You will be. Give it time.”
He looked away again, the annoyance brewing in his eyes.
“Now are you going to make love to me, or will I have to do it by myself?”
One side of his lip upturned in an involuntary smile. “I wouldn’t mind watching that.”
I slowly moved off his lap then headed to my bedroom. “Then hurry up before you miss the previews.” When I reached my door, I heard his quick footsteps behind me.
“I wouldn’t miss that for anything.”
Theo was quiet and thoughtful. His face was set in a permanent scowl, and every now and then, he released a random grunt like he was pissed about something.
“Why are you acting like a caveman?” I asked.
We were sitting in the library at our usual table. It didn’t feel the same without the rest of the group, but we made do without them. I missed Skye and Trinity, two of my close friends, and I hated being the only girl left in school.
Theo narrowed his eyes at me. “I’m not acting like a caveman.”
“You growled at me.”
“No, I didn’t,” Theo argued.
“You growled at me too,” Conrad added.
“I did?” he asked. He shook his head quickly. “Whatever. I’m just tired.”
“Is it that girl?” Conrad asked.
That caught my attention. “What girl?”
Theo rolled his eyes. “This stupid girl at my studio is making my life a living hell.”
“What did she do?” I asked.
“She’s just annoying.” He pulled out his phone and avoided eye contact.
I turned to Conrad, silently asking him what the problem was.
He shrugged then looked away.
“You want me to take her out?” I asked.
Theo laughed lightly. “She’d rip you apart, Silke.”
“I could take her,” I said firmly.
“No, you couldn’t.” Conrad was smiling broadly. “Because she kicked Theo’s ass in a match.”
Theo looked as if he might explode. If he had a gun, it would be pointed at Conrad. “She did not!”
“He’s still touchy about it.” Conrad’s eyes were bright with mischief.
I covered my mouth and tried not to laugh. “A girl beat you up?”
“She didn’t beat me up,” he argued. “We were sparring.”
“But she beat you?” I asked.
“No. Well…technically. But only because I let her.” He leaned back in his chair with a sneer on his face.
The idea of Theo being thrown to the ground by a girl was hilarious. “She and I would probably get along well.”
“You and everyone else I work with,” Theo said miserably.
“I want to see this chick,” Conrad said. “She deserves a medal.”
“She challenged me to another match,” Theo said. “Loser has to apologize to the other.”
Conrad’s jaw dropped. “I’m so going to that—with popcorn.”
“Me too,” I said. “She’s my hero.”
“I’ll beat her this time,” Theo said. “I won’t go easy on her.”
Conrad winked at me. “Sure, man.”
“I will,” he hissed.
“We aren’t judging you,” I said. “Lots of guys get beat up by girls.”
“They do?” Theo asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yeah, in second grade,” I said with a laugh.
Conrad cracked up and tried to keep his voice down.
“Go to hell.” Theo ignored us and played with his phone.
I exchanged a smirk with Conrad then pulled out the letter. “I’ve got news.”
“What?” Conrad asked.
“That guy left you alone?”
I forgot about that. “Yeah, he’s not a problem. It’s something else.”
“What guy?” Theo’s voice was serious. He went from hating me one second to being protective a second later.
“Nobody,” I said. I handed the paper to Conrad. “One of my sculptures has been nominated for an award.”
“Seriously?” Theo asked.
Conrad read through the letter. “Sick.” He nodded enthusiastically. “Congrats, Silke.”
“Thanks.” I felt my cheeks blush slightly.
“Let me see.” Theo snatched the paper away. “Cool. That’s awesome.”
“I’m pretty excited. Even if I don’t win, I’m flattered I was considered,” I said.
“Is this the Oscars?” Conrad asked sarcastically.
I hit his shoulder playfully. “Shut up.”
Conrad looked at the paper again. “I’ll be there.”
“You will?” I asked.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Conrad asked.
Theo looked at the date and time. “Me too.”
I didn’t even ask them to come, and they were planning on it. It meant a lot to me, even if I didn’t say it. I wished Arsen had had the same reaction. He spooked easily. I had to be patient with him, but sometimes that was difficult.
“Did you tell your parents?” Conrad asked.
“Not yet,” I said. “I’ll call them.”
“Don’t expect Slade to show,” Theo said.
“I think he will,” I said. “He’s a jackass, but I think he cares about me—a little.”
“Sometimes I’m not sure,” Conrad teased.
I turned back to my textbook and tried not to fall asleep because it was so boring.
“So, what’s the deal with this guy who was stalking you?” Conrad said.
“Stalking you?” The threat was in Theo’s voice.
“He wasn’t stalking me,” I said immediately.
“You needed me to pick you up because he was blocking your car,” Conrad said.
“It wasn’t like that,” I said. “He was just trying to talk to me.”
“Blocking your car?” Theo asked. “I think this guy needs an ass-kicking.”
I rolled my eyes. “Knock it off. He’s fine.”
“He left you alone, then?” Conrad asked.
“We made up,” I said. “We’re fine now.”
“Is this guy your boyfriend?” Theo asked.
I’d never told anyone about Arsen before, and I was tired of keeping him a secret. If he wanted to have a real relationship, we needed to act like we were in a real relationship. “Yes.”
Conrad’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”
“Why is that surprising? I’m a young and attractive woman. You two may think I’m ugly, but other men don’t,” I said.
“Debatable,” Theo said.
“Who is this guy?” Conrad asked. “He goes here?”
Should I be honest about him? I wasn’t sure. “No, he doesn’t. He’s a few years older than me.”
“How many?” Theo asked.
I was getting really annoyed. “You guys are acting like really annoying and protective brothers.”
“Because we are,” Conrad snapped.
“I’m not related to either one of you,” I insisted.
“But we’re family,” Theo said. “If some guy is trying to get to you, he has to go through us.”
I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, knock it off. I can look after myself, and I know he’s good enough for me. I know my value.”
“Is he coming to this art show?” Conrad asked.
Arsen said he wouldn’t, but those were empty words. “Of course he is.”
“I’ll size him up then,” Conrad said.
I packed up my books. “If you guys are going to be stupid, I’ll study somewhere else.”
“Works for us,” Theo said. “Now it won’t stink.”
I stood up then glared at him. “You want to get beat up by another girl?”
Theo’s face went pale.
Conrad laughed.
I walked off with my head held high.
I called my mom after dinner. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, honey. How’s it going?”
“Good. How’s work?”
She sighed into the phone. “Too much to do in so little time.”
“I know how that is…”
“And then when I come home, your father expects a feast to be on the table. This week, I told him to get off his ass and do it himself. Otherwise, he’d starve.”
I laughed. “I have a feeling dinner has been pretty bland.”
“And burned,” she said. “Sometimes I wonder how he survived before I came along.”
“It’s called fast food.”
“If that’s true, your father’s health took a drastic turn for the better when he met me.”
“If I were you, I’d divorce him.”
“Maybe I will divorce him.” She said it loudly like she wanted my dad to hear. Then she chuckled. “So, what’s new with you?”
I felt my insides tingle before I spoke. “I actually wanted to tell you something.”
“You got your nails done?”
“Well, yeah. But that’s not what I wanted to say.”
My mom patiently waited for me to speak.
“One of my sculptures was nominated for an award. The ceremony is in a few months.”
There was a pause before my mom exploded. “Oh my god! Congratulations, baby. I’m so proud of you.”
“Yeah, I—”
“Ryan!”
I sighed when I realized I’d be ignored for the next few minutes.
“Our baby got an award for one of her sculptures!” Mom yelled.
“No, I was nominated!” I said over the phone. “I didn’t win yet.”
“What?” my dad yelled back. “She did?” Excitement was in his voice.
“She just told me,” my mom shrieked. “This is so great!”
“Keep it down!” my brother yelled in the background. “I’m trying to watch TV.”
“That’s my girl,” my dad said. “She’s talented, just like her father.”
“You mean like me,” Mom said.
“Sure,” he said. “Whatever.”
My mom turned her attention back to me. “We’ll be there, honey. We’re so proud of you. I just want—”
“Let me talk to her.” My dad snatched the phone away. “Hey, kid. Talk about great news!”
I heard my mom smack him on the arm. “I was talking to her first.”
“Shut up and go away,” he said. Then he came back to me. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“I hate you, Ryan!” my mom yelled. “Let me talk to my daughter.”
“You’ll get your turn,” he snapped.
“Shut the hell up!” my brother yelled. “I don’t care if Silke won the Nobel Prize. I’m watching the game.”
I started to feel a headache behind my eyes.
“How did this happen?” my dad asked. “Did you enter it into a contest or something?”
“Well, I—”
“At least put her on speakerphone!” Mom yelled in the background.
“Go away,” my dad hissed.
They started to fight over the phone, screaming at each other.
“I can still hear you!” Slade yelled in the background.
“Give me the phone!” Mom was screaming at the top of her lungs. “I’m her mother!”
“Shit, you’re annoying,” Dad snapped. “Why don’t you just—”
The line went dead.
I sighed then tossed the phone aside, knowing my parents wouldn’t even notice for several minutes. Even though they were annoying, at least they were excited about it. My brother was indifferent, like always.
My phone lit up with a message.
Congrats, sis.
I smiled when I read the message from Slade. That
was all he wrote, but it was the nicest thing he’d ever said to me. Thanks.
“Denise wants to go on a double date tonight.” I was painting my nails at the kitchen table with the phone in between my neck and shoulder.
“Okay…what’s that have to do with me?” Arsen asked in a bored voice.
“You know, you’re dumber than I give you credit for.” I blew on my fingernails so they would dry.
He chuckled. “Why don’t we just do something alone tonight?”
“We’re always alone,” I snapped. “I want to go out with my friends and my boyfriend at the same time.”
He sighed. “But I don’t want to.”
“Too bad. Now pick me up.”
“Why do you have to be so bossy?”
“Why do you have to be such a pussy?” I countered.
He chuckled again. “Fine. Whatever. What am I supposed to wear?”
“Wear whatever you want. I’m not your mother.”
“Then I’m wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and my leather jacket.”
“Good.” I finished my other hand then blew warm air on the paint. “You look hot in that.”
His smile was audible in his voice. “Well…I try.”
“Now hurry and pick me up.”
His playful attitude was gone. “Seriously, Silke. I’ve never done this before. Are you sure you want to go through with it?”
I didn’t even bother responding. I just hung up.
“Knock on the door!” I glared at him over the threshold.
He was standing near the landing.
“Stop being weird and just be normal.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Why don’t you stop hanging up on me?”
“I will when you stop being annoying.”
“That’s never going to happen.”
I walked inside my apartment and searched for my jacket.
He followed behind me and shut the door.
I came back to him and adjusted my jacket. I was wearing a short black dress with red flowers imprinted on it. My red jacket accentuated the color.
He looked me up and down. “I like that.”
I ignored his compliment. “Why don’t you ever knock on the door?”
He shrugged. “You know I’m here anyway.”
