Page 79 of Scattered Glitter

“That’s not a problem. I can’t get pregnant.” He furrows his brow, confusion flickering across his face as if he’s worried he put his foot in his mouth again, so I add, “I tied my tubes. I don’t want kids.”

“Okay. Me neither.” His fingers draw lazy circles on my thigh as he continues, “That leaves safety, though.” Then, the warmth of his fingers leaves me as he pulls out his phone. I watch him, curiosity piqued, and a few moments later, he glances back up at me, his lips twitching into a grin. “The testing center is open right now.”

I blink at him. “What?”

His grin widens. “Want to go on anotromantic date to test for STDs?”

A laugh bursts out of me, and I shake my head, amusement warring with disbelief. “You’re serious?”

“I mean, why not? If we’re gonna do this, we might as well do it right and safely. I’m not going to risk you.”

“And I’m not going to be exclusive with you,” I warn.

“That’s fine, but I’m gonna be with you, and I want you safe so I can fill this perfect pussy up,” he replies with a playful grin.

“What if I get some STD from someone else and give it to you?”

“Then we can be STD twinsies and go through ittogether.” He shrugs as if that wouldn’t phase him one bit. “I’m fine with that, as long as I’m not the one giving it to you.”

“That’s not funny, it’s serious.”

He’s joking, right?

Hottie nods, his expression softening. “I know, but honestly, if you get an STD, I’d rather be right there with you anyway. That’s what friends do, right? I’m your person, Sparkle.”

I look at him, the sincerity in his eyes, the ridiculousness of what he’s suggesting, and something inside me eases just a little. Maybe Icantrust him, at least for this.

“Fine. Let’s go get tested. But if you think this means anything more than what it is, I will kick your ass.”

He grins, pushing himself off the bed and holding out a hand to me. “Noted. Come on. Let’s make this the weirdest date ever.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Novalee

We leave the testing facility into the bright late afternoon sun, the Strip buzzing around us, the chaotic energy of tourists and locals blurring together. Hottie stretches his arms over his head, and a grin spreads across his face as he looks at me. “Well, we’re both in the clear. Gotta say, Sparkle, knowing that is hot as fuck.”

I laugh, shaking my head at him. There’s something about him that makes even getting tested for STDs kind of fun. I’m not used to this, to laughing at life, even the shitty parts. But he just rolls with it, no matter how ridiculous the circumstances. And even though my head is still pounding, and I’d kill for a drink, having him here makes it all a little more bearable.

“You know.” I nudge him with my elbow. “Hanging out with you is almost not terrible.”

He lets out a mock gasp, placing a hand over his heart. “Almost not terrible? Damn, I must be doing something right.” He reaches into his pocket with his free hand and pulls out his phone. “Here, give me your number.”

“Why?” I ask warily, almost regretting my positive thoughts about him a second ago.

“How else will you text me for late-night booty calls?” He wiggles his eyebrows, and I can’t help but laugh. Doing so frees something inside me just enough that I only hesitate for a second before taking his phone, typing in my information quickly, with the nameSparkle,of course, and handing it back to him.

He studies the screen after he takes it, but before I can ask him to text me his number, his phone pings. His expression loses some of its light, his brows furrowing and shoulders slumping as he reads whatever text he received. Hottie sighs as he looks at me, a mix of frustration and apology in his eyes.

“I’ve gotta go do something for my brothers. Should I drive you home first?”

I shake my head, waving him off with a casual smile that feels more forced than I’d like. “Nah, it’s fine. I was actually thinking of grabbing a bubble tea and calling an Uber. Might be nice to enjoy some time alone for a change.” The lie rolls off my tongue easily enough, but inside, that lonely girl screams for him to stay, his sunlight to linger, even as hurt briefly flickers across his face at my easy dismissal.

Internally, I wave that off too. I can’t have him seeing how much I don’t want him to go.

Which is so fucking crazy.

What the hell is he doing to me?

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