Page 79 of Getting Over You

I’m reverting back to my sorry sack of shit era, and it’s all because I miss my girl.

“Are you okay?” EJ asks as I throw open my door and shuffle to the fridge.

“Yeah,” I grunt. “Why?”

“Well, you’ve been holed up in your room, blaring music. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re a heartbroken teenager.”

“Just bummed,” I confess. “I expected to hear from Eddy by now, you know?”

EJ sighs, shaking his head. He runs a hand over his beard as he says, “Funny how you’re hardly concerned with that when Gigi is in your proximity. The sex distract you or something?”

My eyebrows raise. “You know I’m fucking Gigi?”

“You don’t do a very good job of being discreet about it. Plus, she’s here as much as Rory now, fuckwad. You thought I wouldn’t pick up on that?”

“Also, why I’m bummed,” I admit, my chest sinking.

“You miss her when she’s not here,” my brother realizes.

I expect him to laugh or mock me. But he’s staring at me, stone faced.

“Yeah,” I mumble. “I guess you could say that.”

“There,” EJ says, his voice light, shrill. “Now, was that so hard?”

“Man, fuck you,” I groan. “Just when I thought you were being normal.”

“No, no.” EJ chuckles. “I am giving you shit, no doubt. But I’m not giving you shit about whatever it is you got going with Gigi. I’m giving you shit for not letting yourself like her.”

“I do like her,” I say. “I like fucking her.”

My brother groans. “You and I both know that isn’t what I meant.”

“Hey.” Gigi’s whisper comes right after the light from the living room floods into the dark cocoon I’ve created out of my bedroom.

I groan, shielding my eyes, and she’s quick to push the door shut behind her. “You okay?”

“Come here,” I mutter, sitting up and holding my arms out.

I hear her soft laugh. “Already? At least let me reapply deodorant.”

“Baby,” I whisper into the dark. “Please come here.”

She obeys, kicking her shoes off and discarding her T-shirt at the same time. She slides into bed next to me, slender arms looping around my frame.

“I missed you,” I whisper, kissing her neck.

“I missed you,” she confirms, fingers gliding into my hair.

“You still have pants on,” I mutter against her ear. “Why don’t we fix that, huh?”

She shrieks as I get up quickly, moving to the foot of the bed. I crawl up to her waistband, toying with belt loops. “Cade,” she giggles. “Please, just do it.”

“Why?” I counter, eyebrows raised. I lean my head against her hipbone, stare up at her.

Her eyes glitter. God, she’s so fucking beautiful.

“What if I want to take it slow this time, savor it?”

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