Page 60 of The Pact

I love the fire in Ausra’s eyes. It’s the sexiest thing about her. “You’re eighteen, right? Move out. Be independent.”

Lynda sighs. “How? I don’t have a job, and I have no work experience. I have no money to my name.”

Fire and generosity. Ausra takes Lynda’s hand. “Maybe I can help you. I could see if they need anyone at the library. Bobbie took pity on me and trained me.”

Lynda smiles for the first time since I entered the room. “That would be awesome. For now, you letting me leave my clothes here and allowing me to change here is awesome of you.” She then looks at me. “So, you’re here early. The party isn’t for a few hours.”

“I came to pick Ausra up. I wanted to take her somewhere before the party,” I inform both girls. “Just the two of us,” I then state. Not that Lynda could tag along, since I came on my bike.

“Aww, can I come with?” she whines, right on cue.

I explain that I rode here and offer her an olive branch. “I’ll call Bode and have him pick you up in a bit. Ausra, are you ok with Lynda waiting here?”

Ausra shrugs. “Sure. There isn’t a lot to eat I’m afraid, but make yourself at home.”

I quickly guide Ausra out of the door, putting a hand on the small of her back and fighting the temptation to let my hand slide lower, toward her toned, shapely ass.

“I didn’t know you and Lynda were friends,” I say as I grab the spare helmet I brought with me.

She reacts with something between a flinch and a shrug. “We really aren’t. I don’t know her that well. But she asked me for help the other night at the bonfire and I’m very experienced when it comes to ridiculously strict parents, so ...”

That makes sense. I take a step closer and she backs off, her ass touching my bike. When our chests touch, she’s effectively caged between the bike and my body. I can’t get over how pretty she is, I can’t take my eyes off of her. “Well fuck, that’s very nice of you. But I’m glad I rode here; I didn’t want her to invite herself to hang with us. We went to school together but we aren’t that close. I’m sorry if I sound like an asshole but I wanted you all to myself, at least for a bit today.”

Her lips part in a sweet smile that reaches her blue eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m such a bad friend. Happy birthday, Kelley.”

“Thank you,” I whisper closing in for a kiss.

“Oh, no!” She gasps when our noses are touching, making me jump. “I got you a present and I forgot it inside. Let me go get it—”

“Fuck, no.” I chuckle. “If you go back in there, she’ll find a way to guilt us into staying. I can text Bode and ask him to make sure they bring it with them to the party. Right now the best present you can give me is to come with me for a ride and then a nice walk on the beach. It’s one of my birthday wishes.”

I flash her my best lopsided smile and she giggles. “Ok. I guess the birthday boy should get what he wants.”

“Hmm,” I murmur right before seizing her lips in an unhurried kiss, “Is that so? I might have a few more requests then.”

I love the way she melts against me as I attack her lips with my own, grazing her plump bottom lip with my teeth. She offers no resistance when I tease the seam of her lips with my tongue and I have to remind myself that we’re in the parking lot of her apartment complex, where anyone could see us if I give into the desire of taking this further.

I should cut this short and take her to the beach, where hopefully we could find a more private spot. But I can’t stop kissing her, her lips are too inviting.

What finally makes me break the kiss is the insistent buzzing of my phone. I want to ignore it so badly, knowing that it’ll probably ruin my plans of alone time with Ausra, but my sense of responsibility is too strong.

“Fuck.” I groan, taking the phone out of my pocket. “It’s my mom.”

There’s a text message flashing on my screen.

Come home, 911.

I know better than to ignore something like that. I weigh my options. If I take Ausra with me, maybe I can salvage at least part of our afternoon. If Mom’s emergency isn’t a monumental fuck up, of course.

I’m reluctant to show her how messy my home life is, especially since with Mom I never know what I’m going to walk into. But if Ausra is hanging out with us for the whole summer, maybe it’s good that she knows that sometimes I have to disappear to go clean up Mom’s messes.

“Baby, it’s my mom. Do you mind if we drop in quickly to see what she needs?” I ask cautiously.

Her eyes flash with concern as her fingers trace the line of my jaw. “Sure. I hope she’s ok?”

Yeah, I hope so too with everything I have. “Look, my mom has some ... problems. She cheated on my dad about ten years ago and the guy was an abusive asshole. That’s why we moved here from Texas. Recently he’s found her. Don’t ask me how and he’s been trying to contact my mom. Whenever that happens, Mom loses it. I found her drunk and about to pop a whole bottle of barbiturates. Once she tried to cut her wrists. I don’t know what we might be about to walk into.” I warn her, feeling ashamed and furious at the same time. I hope she won’t judge me for whatever she might see today and at the same time I’m so fucking mad that Mom couldn’t even keep herself together for my birthday. As usual, guilt follows straight after because even in her flawed way, she’s always tried her best to do right by me.

I put the helmet on Ausra’s head, making sure that it’s buckled tightly under her chin. I can’t resist the urge to place another kiss on her lips but I keep it brief and shallow. The sooner we sort this shit out with Mom, the sooner I can have some alone time with my girl.

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