Page 105 of Worlds Collide

No,I’ll cheer? What the fuck?

I scratch that last one, it’s dumb. Whatever you do . . . whatever you do . . .

Footsteps coming down the stairs have me discarding my notebook on the couch and standing to go meet CJ at the foot of the stairs. I left him barely awake and told him he had twenty minutes to get ready for work. Rich is already outside and the car is running, waiting for us.

We have to go to CJ’s place first so he can change and then we’re dropping him off at work. I’m not wasting a single second I have with him, and I’m pretty sure I’m well on my way to becoming one of those clingy boyfriends, but after what we’ve been through, I don’t give a damn.

“Morning, little rich boy,” I say cheerfully and hand him a thermos with coffee.

“Why are you so chipper?” he asks with a frown and takes it. He looks down at it, then up at me, then down again.

“You can have a sip before kissing me. I understand if the need for coffee is stronger than your love for me,” I tease him.

“Asshole,” he mutters and takes a sip. I just laugh.

“You want me to cheer you up, little rich boy?” I ask, risking ridicule, but in my eyes, it’s worth it. He looks at me for a moment, suspicion all over his face. “It’s something I didn’t want to say last night after you literally blew my mind.”

“Okay.” He sounds and looks nervous now, so I take his hand to offer whatever calm I have to give.

“Besides ‘oh, fuck, this is so hot,’ the one thing running through my mind last night was Madonna singing.” He stares at me blankly, so I sing for him. “Just like a prayer, I’m gonna take you there. When you call my name it’s like a little prayer, I’m down on my knees...” I trail off when I see a little smirk appear.

“I wasn’t down on my knees,” he corrects me, the smartass.

“I know,” I nod and walk him outside. “You will be someday, I have no doubt of that since you love sucking me off so much, but for your first time in a bed is best.”

He swats at my arm and I just raise an eyebrow at him, daring him to contradict me. Clearly he can’t because he changes the subject. “Who was your first time?”

I buy time while opening and closing the passenger door for him and rounding the car to climb in too. I’m sure this will not look good for me, but I did make a promise to myself to always be true to CJ, and telling him this falls under that category. “So?” he presses when I still haven’t spoken as the car starts moving out of the driveway.

“I don’t remember,” I confess.

“How?” CJ asks, innocently baffled.

“I was drunk,” I explain. “It’s one of the first times I got really drunk. I was only like, sixteen, and at some party full of celebrities and yeah, I don’t remember most of it, just snippets.”

“I’m sorry about that,” he tells me sweetly and takes my hand.

“It was a long time ago.” I shrug, but don’t let him pull his hand back.

“Yeah it was, ’cause you’re an old man.”

I hear Rich snicker from the driver’s seat and want to kick the back of it just to fuck with him. I won’t of course.

It may barely be six in the morning, but the streets are full enough to require all of his attention.

I settle in though, and the drive takes less than ten minutes—which was the first demand for a house I’d told my real estate agent about. We go up and CJ gets changed. Gracie arrives while I’m waiting and greets me with much more warmth than I deserve, but I accept the hug and even enjoy it.

“You working tomorrow too?” I ask her.

“Yeah, have another half shift from seven to twelve tomorrow night, why?”

“Birdie invited me and CJ to dinner and we’re staying the night. Thought you’d like to come too.”

“I would,” she tells me with regret all over her face. “The season isn’t even two months in and already I haven’t seen Derek in too long, but I’ll catch up with him sometime this week when we both have time.”

“All right then.”

“I’m going to go to sleep now. It’s good to have you back.” She squeezes my arm on her way to the hallway, and I just stand there. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do while?—

---