10
Susie
* * *
I roll over and check my phone. Eleven o’clock? How could it have gotten so late? I never sleep in, so I must have been tired.
After Brady left yesterday, I mingled some more at the party, but I really didn’t want to be there. I wanted to go over to Brady’s and do what we had just done again, and again, and again. Thankfully, people started leaving soon after and going to other graduation parties or just going home after a long day.
I helped my parents clean up and then I went out with Marcella and some of our other friends. I didn’t tell any of them what happened because I wanted to savor the moment a little longer. Marc and I hung out until about midnight and I came home and found Brady sitting on the porch.
He looked tired, but said he wanted to make sure I got home safe. Both of us were too exhausted to do anything but talk, so we just sat on the porch and caught up. We laughed about how we sent all those naughty notes and pictures back and forth. Then he pulled out a pair of sexy pink panties that I sent him in the mail. The lacy frippery looked so incongruous in his bronzed hand. I tried snatching them back, but he held them out of my reach and stuck them back in his pocket, saying he would keep them forever.
We talked for about thirty minutes and then kissed each other goodnight. I went home and fell right into a deep sleep.
Now, it’s morning. Or almost noon, in fact. I lay there for a moment, checking my phone. I see a good morning text from Brady and smile. I text him back and check my phone for other notifications. While I’m lying there, my stomach starts growling, which causes me to roll out of bed and peek outside my room. There’s no noise, which means that my parents are likely already gone and lunch is going to be on my own.
While I’m brushing my teeth, I look at myself in the mirror. Is something different? Do I look different? I feel different, definitely. I feel older and more mature. I smile sheepishly at myself and continue my morning routine.
I go down to the kitchen and glance out the window, hoping to catch sight of Brady in the backyard, but I don’t see him. I’m a little sad, but then start thinking of last night again. It was magical and I had sex. And it wasn’t the normal awkward, fumbling, sneaking around, two-minute pump high school sex that my friends have had. It was so romantic and passionate. Brady took care of me and made sure I was okay. It was better than anything I’ve read in my romance novels, and I never imagined that my body could catch fire like that. I start to realize I’m a little sore down there, which is to be expected given his size, but I’m not hurting. It is a good kind of ache.
I’m humming to myself while making a sandwich when my parents walk back in.
“Good morning dear,” my mom sings. Jackie’s in an unusually good mood. I think my parents went to the casino last night and are just now getting back in, to be honest. Most parents are in bed by 9 p.m., but not Jackie and Jim. Despite their suburban appearance, they love going out.
“Good morning,” I say, kissing them both on the cheek as they pass me in the kitchen. “Are you guys just getting back? Win a lot of money or something?” I ask, glancing at the clock. It’s almost noon.
“No, no, we just got up really early and did some shopping. Now we can get started with some summer cleaning!” my mom says excitedly.
I glance at my dad and we share the same brief, weary expression. No one likes cleaning like my mom and unfortunately, my dad and I are usually dragged into it with her.
“I’m going to go vacuum. Your father is going to start in the downstairs bathroom, and we’ll give you a task when you get done eating your sandwich. Sound good?” Jackie asks, pulling the vacuum out of the cleaning closet.
“Yep,” I reply with a weak smile. I plan on taking the slowest, smallest bites so hopefully she’s done by the time my lunch is over.
“Great!” my mom says, dragging the vacuum up the stairs.
“Where did you guys go last night?” I ask, turning to my dad who is putting away groceries.
Above us, the vacuum starts humming loudly. We can barely hear each other.
“Joe had some people over, so we went over there and stayed longer than we planned. Did you have fun last night?” my dad asks me.
“Yeah, it was fun just hanging out with the gang one last time. Some of them are leaving today for summer jobs, so it was a little sad, but still.”
He nods in understanding.
“It can be a little heart-wrenching to move on, but that’s life. You’ll have reunions, so don’t worry, you’ll see them again, Susie Cue. Well, I’d better get to this bathroom before your mom comes down and has a panic attack.”
I chuckle a little as he walks past me to the guest bathroom and closes the door.
Suddenly from above me, I hear a loud shriek and the vacuum cuts off immediately. I drop my sandwich and dash up the stairs. My door is slightly ajar, and I rush in.
“Mom, are you okay?” I ask before stopping dead in my tracks. Jackie’s sitting on my bed, mouth wide open and eyes filming with tears of horror and shock. She’s got the box where I store all my letters and photos in her hand and she’s staring at one of Brady’s drawings of me.
“What the hell is this?” she asks in a trembling voice, shaking the drawing at me. “Who did this? How did you get this?”
“I…how did you…uh,” I stammer, struggling to get a good answer out. I make my way over to her but she just keeps flipping through the materials in the box. My heart drops. There’s a lot of X-rated stuff in there, and now my mom knows.
She holds a letter before her, her fingers trembling, and reads from it: “Susie, I can’t wait to explore all parts of you with my tongue. Really? This is how you are talking to…Brady? Do you mean our neighbor, Brady? The grown man who lives next door?” she screams, looking at me in horror.
I start to feel flushed and hot. I have no words and am in shock myself. Then my mom jumps up. Her hair is practically sticking out from her head, like she’s just been shocked by static electricity. “Is this why you two disappeared yesterday? You’ve been taking up with him? He’s two decades older than you! He’s old enough to be your father!”
I am shocked and take a step back, insulted. “No, it’s not like that! Brady’s not like that, and what we’re doing is right, and real. He’s not taking advantage of me at all. I wanted it!”
Jackie stands up and lets out a bloodcurdling scream before chucking the box at the wall. The pictures and letters scatter onto the floor. I scramble to pick them up, but she grabs me by the arm and yanks me up.
We’re about the same height, but I’m probably twenty pounds heavier. Still, Jackie terrifies me with the disgusted look on her face and the way her mouth is curling up in a snarl.
“You dirty little slut. You think what, that the man loves you? That you’re special? That man took advantage of you, you naive little hussy. And guess what, it probably wasn’t that hard because you’re a fucking slut! You think he hasn’t been fucking dozens of women when he’s out of town?”
I start to well up and tears brim over, running down my face. “Mom, I’m not a whore and he does love me! We’re going to be-”
“Shut up! I can’t even look at you right now. This is what you’re doing? My perfect little Susie Cue is actually a dirty, shameful SLUT!”
I twist my arm away and run out of the room. My dad is standing at the bottom of the stairs, confused and in shock.
“Susie, what’s going on? What is your mother talking about?”
I push past him and run out the door. I don’t stop running and crying until I’m standing on Brady’s porch, pounding on the door desperately. I keep beating until I hear footsteps and a click as the door unlocks and opens.
“Susie, are you okay? What’s wrong?” my handsome soldier asks, immediately concerned.
I rush into his house and he closes the door behind us. I run and embrace him, a rush of emotions pouring out of my heart in a torrent. He holds me close and murmurs soothing words into my hair.
“It’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” he whispers. “Everything will be okay.”
And I know, in that moment that he’s right. Brady Firestone is my future, and I just need to take the next step.