Page 71 of Five Summers

Right now, I’m with Ace and I see Poppy chilling in her usual spot, totally engrossed in her e-reader. To see Poppy dancing in the rain and touching herself was mind-blowing. When she was riding me, I felt an overwhelming surge of emotion towards her. An impulsive thought almost led me to make a big mistake by suggesting she come along with us. It caught me off guard, and I'm relieved I didn't invite her to join us. I need to keep that shit in check. Thankfully, I came to my senses and didn't follow through on that crap. When I got home, I had a serious chat with myself, to make sure it didn’t happen again.

“Hey,” Ace interrupts, bringing me back to the present moment.

“Hmmm,” I respond, turning to him. I notice the mischievous grin on his face and instantly anticipate what he’s about to ask. It’s the same question he’s been pestering me with for weeks now.

“Why don’t you just admit that you’re fucking her? What other reason do you have for constantly staring at Poppy Reeves?”

“All right, fine. I’m fucking her. Are you satisfied now?” I snap back, feeling both frustrated and relieved that I don't have to lie anymore.

“You gotta tell me, man! Where does she rank? And do you think she'd be down for a threesome like Jade?” he suggests mischief in his voice.

Hearing Ace talk about sharing Poppy stirs something inside me. It's annoying and it seriously pisses me off because I don't want anyone else touching her except me. I don't want him to see her that way, like the other girls who are so quick to give it away. I suppress my emotions, hiding the turmoil inside so that Ace remains oblivious to how I feel about Poppy. I don't want him to think there's more to it than there is, because honestly, I can't figure out what the fuck is going on with me, either. The confusion is overwhelming.

“Nah, I don’t think she’s into that,” I add, trying to keep my voice even to act like this conversation doesn’t bother me. It pushes me to the point where I want to tell him to just shut the fuck up about Poppy. But I don’t because I don’t want to bring attention to any of it. I fold my arms over my chest, attempting to release the tension rising in my body. But it does nothing.

“Well, have you even asked if she’s interested?”

The lump in my throat makes it difficult for me to swallow, a physical manifestation of the tension I feel.

“Yeah, I might have mentioned it,” I reply, avoiding eye contact desperately hoping he doesn’t catch onto my lie.

It pains me to deceive Ace, my best friend since forever, who has always been by my side through thick and thin. We’ve endured lives filled with constant misery, thanks to our equally shitty lives. We've shared everything, all the pain, the anger, how we feel about ourselves. However, I can't have the same discussions about Poppy with him as we did in the past, rating girls and sharing our thoughts. There's no way I can do that to her.

“Well, she must be good if you're going back for more,” he says. “I know you haven't been messing around with Jade or Savannah because they told me.”

“So you’re keeping tabs on how many chicks I fuck these days?”

“No, fuck off. You're not usually like this, man. What's going on?”

“Nothing is going on.”

I sense him watching me, waiting for my reaction, trying to figure it out. I don’t know what to say to him. How can I tell him, yeah, she’s fucking incredible? That she never fails to blow my mind every time we’re together. However, I must remain silent about all of that, understanding that if I were to reveal anything, he would eagerly want to join in on the action and pursue her. Instead, I casually lift my shoulders in a shrug, downplaying the situation.

“She’s alright, I guess,” I add.

Ace smirks, and at that moment, I wonder if he can see right through my lies.

“She’s right there, two doors down, so I don’t have to go far to hook up. Plus, I get a free meal out of it while I’m there.” I can't stand talking about Poppy like this, but it was the only way to get Ace to back off.

“So, if I'm feeling horny, do you think she'd be up for it?" Ace asks.

“Nah, I've already told you she's not into that.” My voice comes out firm, laced with a bit of anger because I don’t want him anywhere near her.

“Relax, dude, she's all yours,” he says, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

I know he's fucking with me and he can totally see right through my bullshit.

“If you’re horny, go see Jade,” I add. Turning slightly, I notice Jade standing off to one side. “Jade!” I call out.

“What are you doing man?” Ace asks.

Jade immediately turns around to the sound of my voice. “Yeah,” she responds, her face lighting up as she runs over.

“You want to hook up?” I ask, keeping my eye on Ace, who gives me a puzzled expression, clearly wondering what the fuck I’m up to.

“Of course I do. I’m always down for it, with you, Xander,” she says, sitting next to me, sliding her fingers up my thigh.

Her touch makes my skin crawl. It repulses me, but I am forced to suppress my urge to push her away with Ace's eyes fixed on me. All I desire is the touch of my sassy princess.

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