Page 52 of When You Left Me Speechless

“I’m not sneaking out your window. Do you really have to hide this from your best friend? I’m sure you have already told her all about me. Let’s go tell her good morning, see if maybe she made some coffee?”

Her nose scrunches and her brow furrows. Before she can protest, I open her door and walk out of her room. Lacey is sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of what looks like tea. Her eyes flip in my direction. “Morning, Mr. Peterson,” she says with a big smile.

Poppy walks out behind me, “How long have you known he was here?”

“He left his shoes in the living room,” she laughs. “Figured you two were busy, so I didn’t want to interrupt.” Lacey winks in her direction. Poppy’s face flashes three different shades of red, and I can’t help but chuckle.

“I was wondering where those were,” I say with a smirk.

“Come on, let’s go get coffee. It looks like we’re out.”

POPPY

“Okay, let’s talk,”Logan says.

I take a sip of my coffee and take a deep breath. “I don’t think this can go past today.”

“Why not?”

“Well, for starters, if anyone at Pecan Grove found out about this, about us, it would all end so badly. For the next few weeks, I have to focus on school. I need to study. And God, what if they found out and you lost your job? I won’t let us risk our careers for some type of friends with benefits situation.”

His face falls.

“Don’t look at me like that. I told you last night that this was a bad idea. I can’t offer you more than sex. I don’t do serious relationships. I need to get to graduation. I’m already stressed as it is. I don’t need any other distractions.”

“What if no one ever found out?”

“What?”

“What if no one ever found out?” he repeats his question.

“I don’t know. I feel like it’s too big of a risk. You heard what happened at that middle school.”

“Look, hear me out, okay.” His eyes look at me like they are begging me to agree. I nod, and he continues. “You only have a few weeks left at Pecan Grove and then you will be moving on to graduate and work somewhere else. In a little over a month, I will be on summer break. No one can say anything once we aren’t working at the same place, so we just have to get through the next few weeks.”

“Okay, if I agree to that, which I’m not doing, are you seriously okay with it, risking it all for some casual sex? A way to let off stress when we need it.”

“If I said I was okay with it, would you agree?”

“I’m not sure because I don’t think it’s what you really want from me. I don’t do serious relationships.”

“I’m a big boy. I can handle casual sex.” There is something in his tone that makes me feel like he’s not telling me the whole truth, but I ignore it because I currently feel like I may explode if I never get to touch him again.

“There would have to be stipulations—rules—that we have to follow. Like, for starters, we only hook up at myplace. It’s where I’m most comfortable, and I don’t want to risk being caught anywhere else.”

“Done. What are your other rules?”

“Are we seriously considering this?” I let out a nervous laugh and take a sip of my coffee.

“I am,” he answers.

I shake my head.

“I know it seems reckless, but can you really wait another three weeks to touch me again?” he asks. “Because I know if I have to wait three more minutes to touch you, it’ll be my undoing.”

“No one can know. Well, other than Lacey.”

A smile erupts across his face. “And Tanner.”

---