Veintiocho
My eyes open under the rays of sunlight beaming in through the slots of the window blinds, and I instantly realize I’m looking at them horizontally, which is concerning since I was mostly vertical when I fell asleep.
My head’s on his lap and his hand is on my hip. I quickly push off his knee to get myself to a seated position. His hand slides up the side of my torso before he pulls me into him.
“You’re too far away. Come here, Ed.” I don’t like being touched by men. They take and take and take. But this feels different. His touch feels like he’s trying to give me something. Like he wants to show me something new.
I don’t think I’ve ever considered anyone to be cute until this very fucking second.
He’s got this adorable sleepy look on his face, and I can see the dark brown flecks scattered throughout his eyes.
They remind me of chocolate chip pancakes.
I’d fucking kill for a short stack right now.
Kings used to serve breakfast for lunch once a week, and I’d always get them.
“How’d you sleep?” His voice is rough, and he clears his throat. “You dream about me?” Pff, as if.
“Do nightmares count?” I’m lying. I didn’t have any dreams at all.
I slept like a fucking rock and could’ve stayed like that for hours if the sun hadn’t woken me up.
It’s probably because I was fucking exhausted.
Nope, nothing to do with him. It’s definitely not because I was curled up on his lap like a cat. Or that I felt safe. Right?
“Do you see my phone? What time is it? I didn’t hear my alarm.” I look around the couch and don’t see it on the armrest where I left it before I fell asleep on him.
“You had that shit going off before my practice alarm rings. I shut it off so you could sleep. You were snoring, and I didn’t want you to be disturbed.
” He looks proud of himself, like he did a good deed or something.
But he didn’t. I have shit to do. I have to shower, go to class, tutor, and I have a fucking schedule to keep.
“?Oye! ?cabrón! That’s what alarms do!” I shout and jump off the couch. “They’re supposed to disturb you to make sure your ass gets up,” I yell while standing in front of him. This motherfucker just smiles before hooking his feet behind my calves and pulling me toward him.
“You’re too far away again. Come sit on my lap and yell at me, Ed.”
“I’m serious, Hunter, where the fuck is my phone? Give it to me!” I don’t have time for this. I’m fucking hungry and need to fucking eat.
“Come get it.” This motherfucker reaches forward and grabs me by the wrists, pulling me over his legs until my knees are on either side of his hips. My body doesn’t even try to fight it, and I slide into his lap, fitting into him like a puzzle piece.
“Gimme my phone, now!” Pinche, pendejo . I hold out my hand and scowl at his ass. I can’t believe him. I’m getting fucking pissed now. “Hunter, I swear to Hecate, I’m gonna beat your ass like a fucking pinata if you don’t give me my shit.”
“Who’s that?” His big-ass man hands curl around my hips and settle on my lower back. He starts massaging his fingers into me, and I do my fucking best not to like it so much.
“A goddess that will make your life a living hell.”
“Like you?” His thumb digs into my tailbone, and it sends a shiver up my spine.
“Give me my phone, and then you won’t have to deal with me anymore. Problem solved.”
“You and me don’t work like that, you stubborn little shit. All I wanna do is deal with you. And you want me too, I can tell.” He sounds so sure of himself, and I can hear the patience in his voice. Like, he doesn’t mind telling me over and over again how he feels.
“What makes you think that?”
“You’re letting me touch you.” His hands slide up my back as his magic fingers knead into my sore muscles.
“You’re letting me be here with you.” He applies more pressure, and it feels so good that I close my eyes.
“And when your body starts to relax like this, I know that you’re starting to trust me.
” I hate that he’s right. Pinche, cabrón.
“I’ll give you your phone under one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re gonna take today off with me, consider it a vacation day.”
“I don’t get vacations or days off to fuck around, Hunter.
” The reality of how different our worlds are crashes into me, and it literally feels like an airbag deployed in my face.
He’ll never understand where I came from, what my life is now, and why I can’t miss a fucking day if I want to have a future.
I push off his lap to try to get off of him, but his hands hold down my hips. I squirm to try to get out of his hold, but he’s not letting me break free.
“Well, now you do. Cancel whatever it is you had planned.” His hands travel up my back, and he squeezes my shoulders. “This is all that’s on the agenda for today.”
“This might be the way you can spend your days, but I can’t. I don’t get a day off.” He lets me go this time and pulls my phone from his pocket.
“Then what are we doing first? Wanna grab breakfast?” He hands me my phone, and I nearly have a fucking heart attack when I turn on my screen. ?Chinga tu madre! Half the fucking day is gone!
“It’s fucking 12:34 PM! You missed breakfast when you shut off my fucking alarm! And I missed all of my morning classes. I have less than a fucking hour before my next tutoring slot.”
“Quick! Make a wish.”
“ ?Qué? A wish? That’s what you’re worried about?
Don’t you have hockey drills, or layups, or something?
A class that you need to go to?” I question him while digging in my bag for my deodorant.
I really need to fucking shower, and I’m pissed that I missed my chance.
Now I’ll have to wait until later on tonight.
I doubt he’s ever had to schedule a fucking shower.
“Make a wish because it’s good luck. And it’s hockey practice, and no, today’s a rest day, and I don’t have classes on Friday. ”
“I told you, I don’t believe in luck. I need to go. Enjoy your day off.”
“I’m coming with you,” he says while I dig through my bag. “Leave that here, Alvi won’t care, just take what you need.”
“I need all of it. I want to shower today, and if I can do laundry, I will.”
“Come to the house with me, you can use my shower, and we have washing machines in the basement. I’ll throw a load in for you.
I can make us egg sandwiches for lunch.” He’s not helping; he’s treating me like a problem that he’s trying to solve, and every suggestion is just another reason why this is dumb.
Us kissing, him staying with me here, whatever feelings that I have for him, it’s all fucking stupid.
I’m poor and homeless; he’s a star athlete with endless opportunities. Maybe I really was hallucinating .
“Stop trying to fix all of my shit!” I’m hungry, smelly, and oversensitive.
It’s like he can see the parts of me that I’m constantly trying to hide from everyone.
“It’s not your job to take care of me!” I feel fucking defensive.
Like I need to protect him from all the ugliness of my world and guard myself from his efforts to make it better for me.
He’s frowning while his chest heaves with each breath. His hands are fisted, and he looks like he’s on the front lines of a battle that he refuses to lose.
“I’m better off on my own, and you’re better off not having to worry about my problems.” The edge to my voice drops, and all that’s left is the fucking truth.
“No,” he says with a harsh hurt in his tone as he stalks toward me from his side of the room.
He looks angry and upset. It’s exactly how I feel.
I’m pissed that this is the reality and irritated that everything is always so fucking hard for me.
He reaches me in two steps and grabs me by the waist before hoisting me up so that I’m now sitting on the ledge of tattoo guy's desk.
“Let’s get one thing straight, Ed. I want to take care of you.” I can hear the distress in his voice as he emphasizes the word 'want.' He looks like he believes everything he’s saying and that he wants me to believe him, too.
His hands wrap around my face, and he tilts me toward him.
“It’s an honor and a fucking privilege.” He bends his head to kiss my forehead just below my hat.
I feel my heart explode, and the impact of his words obliterates my doubts.
“It’s not some fucking job,” he says as if the word ‘job’ is sour on his tongue.
“I’m gonna tell you this again, and I’ll keep saying it until it sinks into your pretty little head.
I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you.
So go ahead, keep trying to push me away.
It’s not gonna work. I’m gonna keep showing up for you and being what you need because I’m falling for you, and I’m bringing you with me.
Okay?” He gently kisses my lips and seals my fate.
“So get the shit that you need for today. I’m taking you to get some fucking food, you’re hangry as hell. ”
“You’re not scared? You sound so sure.”
“Ed, you scare the shit outta me. But I’ve never been so sure of anything in my fucking life than I am when it comes to you, little demon.”