Excerpt:
“When did you know?” Everett asks, her fingers twirling your chest hair. You can’t see herface: her brunette hair spills over like a closed curtain. Feel her shiver, though. Perhaps she’s
cold—you are outside in freakin’ October in your father’s open truck bed.
“Know what?” you smartass back.
She yanks.
Ouch.
“And here I thought nothing ever hurts you, Reed.”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
“No, I'm serious. You never show it.”
You shrug. “I don't let much get inside.”
Everett holds what looks like a silent conversation with herself before asking, “Since your mother left?”
Hadn’t really thought about it. Stings like the truth. So much didn’t seem to matter after mom left. You nod.
“Do I get inside?”
Your voice wavers. “Yeah, you kind of do.”
“So answer my question. When did you know you loved me? Was it after we first, you know…”
You shift your arm under her head—this sleeping bag is snug for two, and the truck bed is hard underneath your back. “Nah, you can’t know then. Too busy with the getting and the having.”
“Okay, so what about after you got me?”
“A bit after that.”
“Huh.” She twirls your chest hair some more. “How’d you know, for sure?”
“When you’re not all about looking for where your boxers are, and, ‘Hey, look at the time.’
Happy to feed your girl popcorn, listening to her tell you about some guy who dumped her for a gymnast.”
“Little Miss Bendy…”
“That’s what you called her, all right.”
“You never did believe that daddy-chased-him-away story,” she says, exhaling it out.
“Maybe for about a second and a half.”
She lifts up the bag of cheesy popcorn you’ve been sharing. “Wait? That means you knew…now?”
“Right now.”
“Oh.” Everett lifts her head off your chest. Pulls back her hair, revealing wet lines down her face. She says, her voice rising to a squeak, “Don’t you want to know when I knew?”
“Nah.” You stroke her hair. “I already do.”
The whites of her eyes grow huge.
“Remember? You dropped the L-bomb on me a week ago.”
Everett shudders with laughter. “Oh, yeah. I did do that, didn't I?”
“Then I was like, ‘Smart girl like that. Damn. Didn’t see right through me?’”
Her laugh tinkles like glass. “Shut up!”
“I was pulling for you, really.”
“Keep that up, and I might start believing you.” Evil smirk. “I’m just glad I never told you how I got even with Hernando.”
“Did you, now?”
“That’s the one thing I could never take, Reed. Legitimately. You choosing someone over me.”
“Why would I do a fool thing like that?”
She scrabbles on top of you, all warm, the sharp bones of her hips resting on your stomach.
Her dark hair hangs down on both sides of your face—taking the stars away, leaving only her eyes. “You love me, then?”
"Yeah.” You clear your throat. “Want some more popcorn?”
A teardrop falls on your cheek.
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