Chapter 16
sixteen
. . .
Demi
Romeo found a blow dryer for me beneath his vanity, and I dried my hair quickly, still coming down from the sexiest shower time I’d ever experienced. He was sitting on the counter in the bathroom, watching me dry my hair.
He was all long legs and big muscles and sexy smirks.
I turned it off and used his brush to make myself presentable before I hurried back to work.
“Is it obvious?” I asked, looking in the mirror.
“Is what obvious?”
“I feel like I’m having my sexual awakening at twenty-two years old.”
He chuckled, and it was this sexy, gruff sound that had butterflies swirling in my belly.
“We haven’t even had sex yet.”
“Oh, I know. But that was my first shower experience, and my first—” My teeth sank into my bottom lip, and I felt my cheeks heat.
“Your first what?” He tugged me over to him, and I settled between his legs.
“My first orgasm with a man.”
This sexy grin spread across his face. “Yeah? And that was just my fingers. Wait till you see what I can do with my mouth and my dick.”
Oh. My. God.
I squeezed my thighs together and covered my face with my hands.
“You don’t need to be shy with me. You’ve obviously had shitty partners.” His fingers circled my wrist, and he pulled my hands away so he could look at me.
“I’ve only been with one guy. My college boyfriend. He was two years older than me. He’s actually a really good guy,” I said.
Romeo growled, which made me laugh. “Fuck him. I hate him already.”
“Stop. We’re still friends.”
“Why’d you break up, then? Because he sucked in the sack?” He tugged me closer and buried his face in my neck. His scruff grazed my skin, and I groaned.
“No,” I said over my laughter. “Maybe I suck in the sack.”
“Trust me. You don’t. How long were you with him?”
“Three years. We lasted a year after he graduated, and it just wasn’t the same after he started working full-time. He wanted marriage and kids and all of that, and I was twenty years old at the time. I just didn’t see a future with him that way.”
He nodded. “And not one orgasm in three years? How is that possible?”
“He was the quarterback for our college football team. He worked out hard, and he’d be pretty worn out most of the time. So, it was usually pretty quick but always sweet.”
“I just ran seven miles with a forty-pound backpack on my shoulders, and I made you come with just my fingers. Trust me. Working out has nothing to do with it.”
“Apparently not. So, what’s your longest relationship?”
“A year. But I’ve always had volatile partners, if I’m being honest. Lots of drama and breakups and fighting. This feels different.” His hands were on each side of my face, his eyes staring at my mouth like he couldn’t wait to kiss me again.
“It does feel different.” I sighed. “Well, you’re clearly more experienced than me. I’m curious—what’s your favorite sexual position?”
He smiled, and my stomach did these little flips. “This really is your sexual awakening, isn’t it?”
“Are you avoiding the question?”
“No. You can ask me anything. Sex is my favorite topic. Before now, my favorite position was doggy style. But I don’t see myself doing that with you. Not unless we’re standing in front of a mirror and I’m behind you.”
My mouth fell open. “Why not?”
“Because I love your face. I loved watching you come apart for me. You’re so fucking pretty. I want to be looking at you all the time. At those soulful eyes of yours. Those plump lips and your cute-ass nose with that perfect little sprinkle of freckles.”
“That was a really good answer.” I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his neck. “You’re definitely going to get lucky soon, Golden Boy. But I need to go deal with the lunch rush and then get this conversation with my parents over with.”
“All right. I’m going to eat some breakfast and get to the gym. Call me if you need me, okay?”
“Yep. I’ll see you later?”
I started to walk away, and he caught my hand and turned me back toward him. His mouth was on mine, his tongue slipping inside.
When he pulled back, I was breathless. He jumped down off the counter and led me to the door. I expected him to say goodbye, but instead, he linked hands with mine and walked me across the alley.
It had finally stopped raining, and I chuckled. “It’s a twenty-foot walk at most across the alley. You didn’t need to escort me.”
“What can I say? I can’t get enough of you, Beans.” He smacked my ass and jogged back to his house.
And I stood there gaping at him before heading back to work. The next few hours went by quickly, and Peyton agreed to stay while I went over to my parents’ house. I called my grandfather and asked him to meet me there, as well. I needed to know who was involved in all of this.
My stomach twisted as I made my way to the home I grew up in. The rain had started falling again, and I watched the road through my windshield wipers as they moved back and forth. I pulled up the long driveway and saw Gramps’s car parked there.
I stepped inside, and Mariana was the first to greet me. “Hey there, sweetness. I just brought some tea into the living room. I figured you’d want something warm with all this rain today.”
“Thank you,” I said. The nerves were there now because I knew this was going to be a very heavy conversation. I wanted there to be an explanation that would make everything okay, but I couldn’t think of one that would even be a possibility. How could what they did ever be explained?
“You all right?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Is Peyton covering Magnolia Beans for you?” She walked beside me as I made my way to the living room.
“She is. She’s got it down. And I’ll get back there in time to close up for the day.”
“Sounds good.” She squeezed my hand as she continued on to the kitchen, and I turned into the living room area where we liked to hang out and chat or play board games.
“Hey,” my mom said, with a big smile on her face. “I’m so happy you were able to sneak away from work. But we were surprised you wanted Gramps here, too, so we’re hoping everything’s okay.”
“I told you that our girl is a brilliant businesswoman. She’s always thinking of new ideas.” Gramps sipped his tea.
My father looked up at me with all the pride in the world. Not a clue about the bomb I was about to drop. I poured myself a cup of tea and sat in the chair across from them, as they were all three sitting on the couch.
“It’s not about work, actually. It’s about something that is pretty upsetting, and I’m hoping we can make sense of it and figure out how to move forward.”
My mother’s eyes widened. “Are you sick?”
“No. I’m not sick, Mom. But what I’ve learned has made me feel pretty horrible, if I’m being honest.” My gaze locked with my father’s, and I saw something there. Fear, maybe?
“What is it?” Gramps asked.
“Do you remember years ago, before Slade’s boating accident, there was a situation at The Daily Market? Two teenagers apparently stole something and then shoved Walt down, and they were sent to a juvenile detention center for the crime.”
“Yes. That young man who owns the gym, the boxer, he was involved. And his father had just gone to jail, as well. It’s all everyone was talking about back then. And his friend was there, as well. He was a few years older. The whole thing was very sad.” My mom set her teacup down on the table.
“I remember this,” Gramps said, as he ran a hand over his jaw. “They could have killed Walt. He hit his head and was hospitalized for some time.”
I turned my attention back to my father. “Do you remember this, Dad? I believe you went to see Walt in the hospital.”
“Why are you dredging this up? This has nothing to do with you,” he said, pushing to his feet and walking to the window to look out at the gray skies as the rain continued to fall.
“I’m bringing it up because I just learned about it.
That boxer, the one you are so quick to label as trouble or a bad kid—he had nothing to do with what happened.
The irony of this whole situation is unbelievable.
And I just want to know who was involved in this.
I know that you were,” I said, waiting for my father to turn around and look at me.
He finally did, and he glanced over at my mother before his gaze moved back to mine.
“I did what needed to be done. For this family.” He wasn’t even going to try and deny it.
I should be glad that this lie was finally going to be out in the open, but knowing Dad had done what he’d done made me look at him differently.
“I don’t know what we’re talking about,” my mother said. I didn’t miss the slightest tremble in her voice.
Gramps looked between me and my father, as if he were trying to figure out what was going on.
“Romeo and River were not the people who stole anything that day, nor were they the ones who pushed Walt over. They were just two teenagers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. And you let them take the blame for something that Slade did.” The tears were falling now, because even saying the words aloud made me sick to my stomach.
“What? Is this true, Jack?” Gramps asked, and his hands were fisted at his sides.
I knew in this moment that my father was the only one involved in this whole mess. And as devastated as I was that he’d done this, I was relieved that my entire family hadn’t taken part.
“It’s not as devious as you’re making it out to be.
” Dad shoved his hands into his pockets.
“I found out that Slade and Ronny were there. Ronny had been in town with his father, and apparently, he’d convinced Slade to skip school that day.
They stole a bottle of whiskey. He told me that they ran out and that the other two boys had been there, as well.
I thought they were all in on it. I just did my part to keep Slade and Ronny out of it. ”
My heart raced at learning that Ronny had been the other person there that day.
“How, exactly, did you keep him out of it, if they’d been at that store?” Gramps’s voice was ice cold now.