Page 128 of Toxic Wishes

“Also, who’s this Abigail chick? I mean, I get having a younger woman to bang, there’s nothing like young pussy. But what happened to Naomi? She was smoking hot. Is it true that they are cousins like Bodie told me?”

“Shut up,” I turn around so fast Cliff bumps into me once I reach the top of the stairs.

“What? I’m just saying, son. You are a famous NFL player. Why are you banging that when you could have the hottest chick on your shoulder in a heartbeat.”

“Don’t talk about her like that. Abigail is a hardworking, respectable human being, unlike you. Besides, she’s Josh’s friend, and that’s the only reason I’m helping her because he asked me. They are friends from college.”

“Oooh, that makes sense.”

I ignore him and walk into my room. “In that case, do you mind if I put the moves on her? She’s got a smoking hot body, and it’s been a while since, you know, I had a woman's touch. I could explode with her just being naked in front of me. It’s been that long.”

I slam my dresser drawer shut. “No, she’s off limits.”

“Why? I mean, I thought you s?—”

“No, don’t look at her or even breathe in her direction. I wouldn’t want her tainted by your fucked up life and soul even if we weren’t together.”

“Weren’t. So you did bang her?”

I take my pants off and start putting my shorts on. I needed to go for a run. If I didn’t, I think I might kill my dad.

“That’s none of your business,” I say as I tie my sneakers. He picks up a picture of my dresser—one of Bodie and I smiling after I won my first Super Bowl. My face was dirty, and my hair sweaty from the intense game we won against the Dallas Cowboys. One of the best games I played in my life.

I brush past Cliff’s shoulder and out back to the hallway.

“So is that a yes then?” My dad shouts behind me.

Without saying another word, I jog down the stairs and open my front door to the outside world. I start running as fast as I can, hoping to blow off the steam that’s been building ever since my dad stepped foot in my house. As I ran, the haunting ghosts from my past crept in, causing me to run faster until I couldn’t feel my legs underneath me.

41

Abigail

“Some people have lives; some people have music.” — John Green, Will Grayson, Will Grayson

“Yes, that’s called bravado. You can make that noise with the guitar or the violin.”

“That sounds so cool.”

Bodie and I’ve been in the car, trying to give Cliff and Colt space. I’m not sure what is going on with them, but I could sniff out the scent of fierce tension boiling in the room, so I figured it would be wise to take Bodie away from the growing animosity between them. Within thirty minutes, Bodie discovered my addiction to candy and gum from the stash I kept hidden in my glove department. That his uncle, who died, played the guitar and was super cool, and that my least favorite candy to suck on was peppermint since that's what I had left in the bag.

“What’s the name of this song, Abigail?”

I look up and see Colt running back to the house. His hair was drenched with sweat. He slows up as he nears the house.

“Abigail?” Bodie’s voice forces me to take my eyes off Colt's perfect body.

‘Oh, um. You Make My Dreams Come True by Darrell Hall and John Oats.”

“Just like Walt Disney says. Dreams do come true.” he starts shaking his head as the beat continues.

“Yeah, like him,” I say as I ruffle his hair.

“You stay here for a second. I’m going to check on your dad real quick, okay, bud?”

“Okay,” He starts playing with an air drum, pretending he is jamming out, and my heart melts at the sight, and I take one long look before closing the car door. Colt is bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

“Hey,” I say as I approach him. “You okay?”

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