Page 6 of White Hole

“So, what’s it going to be, Georgie?” Gianna backed up to the bed, pulling my hand to accompany her. She laid on her back and lowered her lingerie, spreading her legs wide open and exposing her core. “Eat.” She commanded. Kneeling at the foot of the bed, I pulled her by the legs closer to my mouth.

In my fantasies, I had a real girlfriend. One that I wanted. One I had chosen. I figured I’d be pretty good at pussy eating by now with all my practice. Keeping that image in mind, I got her off as she demanded.

“That’s a good boy. Now, go. Run along and play with your friends.” Gianna dismissed me with a pat on the head. Hurrying to my bedroom, I locked the door and reached the attached bathroom before puking in the toilet. I fuckinghatedher taste. After brushing my teeth twice and washing my face, I felt somewhat normal again.

Football season was over. Drug testing was done. Rolling up a blunt, I laid on my bed, and smoked it. Then, I watched the stars through my telescope until I passed out, not caring that the party was still raging in my garage. Dan could take care of it, for once. Dad let him get away with everything.

The next morning, I awoke to screams and glass breaking—ah, the telltale signs of the end of another relationship for Chief Turner, Senior. Gianna was clever, more cunning than any of his other wives. She could cause a serious problem for all of us. Eavesdropping from my cracked bedroom door, I had to listen to ensure I wouldn’t be roped into her manipulations.

“Who is she?” Gianna screamed from the kitchen. Alenna peaked her head out of her room, hair in a tangled mess. When her eyes spotted me, she shut the door with an embarrassed squeal.

“There’s no one else. Things are not working between us. I want a divorce.” My father was using his patronizing voice.

“Bullshit! Who is it, George? You know I’ll ruin you if you get rid of me.”

There was a long bout of silence. “Then you know what kind of man you’re dealing with, Gianna. Maybe you should be more careful about what you say.”

“Are youthreateningme? That would not be wise.” Another long pause. “Did youfuckmy sixteen-year-old daughter, George?”

Oh. It all made sense. Thatwaswhat he probably did. Was Alenna going to be my next stepmom?

“Gianna. We’re done. Pack your shit and leave. Alenna is welcome to stay if she wants or go with you.”

Gianna cackled like Harley Quinn. “Oh, I’m sure Alenna could stay… My underage daughter is coming with me, you sick fuck.” Gianna’s hypocrisy was a double-headed, fire-breathing dragon. Something shattered, then rapid footsteps pounded up the stairs. Gianna stood at the end of the hall and glared at me, her green eyes blazing. “Don’t worry, Georgie. I’ll be back.”

CHAPTERONE

KINSLEY

Pay attention,Kinsley.

The Russian literature professor was prattling on. My hand cramped from taking notes and I stretched out my fingers, glancing around the room, welcoming any distraction. The class was one of my non-major degree requirements before enjoying all chemistry classes for the three semesters I had left at Northview University. Chemistry was my favorite subject, so I couldn’t wait to be able to take what I was interested in.

Sitting in the back row of the auditorium, I had an unfortunate view of Cale with Sydney, his girlfriend for the last two years. Sydney had a whittled waist and big breast implants. Her blonde hair was perfectly highlighted, and she wore a full face of makeup to each class. Every outfit she wore matched whatever color of nail polish she had on. Matched!

Cale was always touching her in some way: playing with her ponytail, kissing her neck, smiling like he’d never been happier. Why was she taking Russian literature when she was an interior design major? An interior design major! I was fucking pre-med with a perfect GPA!

But I didn’t have breast implants. And my giggle didn’t sound that cute when he used to kiss me. My nails were short because organic chemistry lab kept my hands stinky. And I usually looked like I had just rolled out of bed and put on sweatpants to come to class. Because I usually had.

Despite the distracting show, I was doing well in the class so far. I received an A on my first paper. There was only one class I struggled with, or had struggled with, my entire college career at Northview University… Astronomy. For some reason, I couldn’t see the patterns in the sky. Rotating bonds? Double helices? Those made sense. My mind could envision the shapes. Venus? Ursa Major? I was lost.

After class, I hurried to gather my things before Cale could catch me. Today, I had put in effort to get myself together by wearing an argyle sweater vest over a white Polo shirt with navy blue slacks. I even took the time to put on some eyeliner and colored lip balm. But it wasn’t cut-off-shorts-and-tight-V-neck-shirt sexy. She probably smelled like vanilla, or some exotic perfume Cale got her for Christmas.

Cale spotted me, and I groaned internally. “Hey, Kins. Wait up!” Sloppy tongue-kissing his girlfriend goodbye, he gripped her ass cheeks that were hanging out of her shorts. She walked down to the front of the room while Cale made his way up the risers to me. I didn’t even want him. I was just hurt he didn’t want me.

“What’s up, Cale?” My toes tapped when I slung my bag over my shoulder and waited for him before we walked to inorganic chemistry. I hated that I had almost every class with him. Despite my enmity for the stars, at least astronomy was one hour I didn’t have to look at my ex-boyfriend.

“Just hadn’t spoken to you in a while. You look nice today, by the way. Big date?”

“Um, yeah.” Cale broke up with me after our high school senior prom, saying I had changed and he couldn’t take the “scars” from my accident (I assumed he was referring to the ones all over my legs).

After that, I had only been with one other man. Matt was a three-night stand and one of the best weekends of my life. He picked me up at the Ginger Lizard Lounge after a set he played on his guitar for open mic night. I had never been with anyone other than Cale, so I hadn’t known sex could be so good. Matt had a huge schlong and knew how to give me multiple orgasms.

When we tried to go out on a date after our weekend in bed, I couldn’t stand being around him. Matt and I had nothing in common besides needing each other’s bodies for a short while, but he had been a nice way to get over my sadness about Cale. The last time I looked him up, Matt was in culinary school in New York City. Sometimes I wondered if I could put up with him to get more dick, but then I remembered what an insolent imbecile he was, and my impulses would be squelched.

It was disheartening after my car wreck when I wasn’t accepted to the Ivy League schools I wanted. Still, I was secretly delighted when Cale showed up for orientation on the Nighthawks’ campus during my freshman year. He said he didn’t go to Harvard because he was trying to “save money.” At least I got a full academic scholarship to NU. I had given up caring where I got into medical school, just so long as I did. Hopefully, one far away from Cale Dafoe.

Walking over to the science building together from our last class, Cale pushed the door open for us. As we entered, I accidentally dropped my bag in the hall. Cale bent over and picked it up for me, placing it back over my shoulder. “Sorry,” I mumbled. It was embarrassing that my hands didn’t work right—that I kept dropping things or couldn’t open jars… or hold a tennis racket.

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