Page 50 of Every Broken Thing

Angling my head, I looked up at him and grinned. “Yeah, Will. Of course.”

His forehead met mine, his fingers digging almost painfully into the back of my neck. “Good. That’s real good.”

Lying in bed afew hours later, I unlocked my phone and pulled up my text thread with Ben and shot him a message.

Silas: So my brother’s in town and knocked up his college girlfriend. Come graduation, I’m gonna be an uncle.

Ben: Wow. Is that good or bad?

Silas: It’s good.

Ben: Congratulations, Uncle Silas.

Silas: Thanks.

Ben: I didn’t know your brother was coming home for the holidays.

Silas: I didn’t either. It was a surprise.

Ben: That’s awesome.

I snuggled into my mattress as muffled voices echoed from Will’s room. My brother said something, and Cora laughed. It made me smile. Until her laughter took on a different tone.

Fingers hovering over my screen, I glanced at the bathroom door, Will’s voice deeper than it had been before. Like he was… trying to be sexy?

“Oh gross,” I said, opening my side table and searching for my headphones. I didnotwant to hear this.

Cora giggled.

“No, wait,” I whimpered as I grabbed my headphones and struggled to untangle the cords. “Don’t fuck yet.”

Will groaned.

“Why me?”

I finally managed to get my earbuds untangled when the creak of bed springs started. I opened my music app and blindly hit play, dialing the volume up. When I could no longer hear the sounds of coitus, I relaxed into my bed.

My phone vibrated, and I clicked the message logo.

Ben: You still there?

Silas: Yeah, sorry. Had to scramble for my headphones.

He sent me a lone question mark. With a snort, I sent him an eggplant emoji, a peach emoji, and a sweat emoji. The reply bubbles appeared, then disappeared. Then appeared again.

Ben: At least offer to buy me dinner first.

Silas: NO! That wasn’t a proposition. My brother and his girlfriend are fucking and I can hear it and it’s gross!

He sent me twelve laughing emojis.

Silas: This is not funny. It’s practically a hate crime!

Ben: Because they’re having heterosexual sex in your vicinity?

Silas: HATE CRIME!

Ben: You’re ridiculous. I’m going to bed.

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