Page 164 of Something Rad
I repeat the statement to myself in my head, but it just doesn’t seem right. I keep replaying the events in my head. I keep seeing Denise standing between us, making her ridiculous attention-seeking demands. And then I see her fading into nothing, the only thing between Robbie and me being a thick cloud of tension and the blaring music of TOTO. I see it all, and I just know. I know that’s not the full true story.
BecauseRobbie Summerskissedme.
Just as much, if notmore than, I kissed him.
A sharp tingle shoots its way down my spine at the realization.
I kissed Paul, and that infuriatedhim.
I resist the urge to slide down in my seat and melt into a puddle of hot embarrassment on the car floor at the next thought that makes itself known in my mind.
Apparently I made a sound while I did it too.
I try to remember it. Try to recall when that little noise might have escaped me. I try to replay the scene of me and Paul. Of me allegedlyclimbing him like a tree…
But I can’t. It’s been totally replaced. Recorded over. Wiped out.Demolishedand entirely rebuilt with the wrecking ball of the memory that isRobbie. His mouth on mine. His skin on my skin. Every soft part of him pressed against me.
And every…not so soft part–
“Cooper?”
I jolt slightly, blinking hard and swallowing down the gravel in my throat. “Yeah?” I breathe.
He doesn’t respond right away. Long enough goes by for the voices in my head to quiet and for me to register the beginning of Prince’sPurple Raincoming out of the car speakers. The air becomes thick as the seconds go by, and with each flick of Robbie’s head in my direction. I keep my eyes on his reflection, not ready to truly look at him yet.
“Can we talk?” Robbie finally asks, an unusual huskiness to his voice
“I’d prefer it if we didn’t,” I say.
“Why not?”
I don’t answer him.
“Why?” he asks again.
Again, I don’t respond. I can see the irritation forming between his brows as he continues to shift his stare between me and the road. And then it finally happens. His gaze shifts and he makes eye contact with my reflection in the window. He shakes his head.
“Cooper–” His arm reaches out to grip my shoulder, but I whip my body around, ducking out of his reach and going for the dial on the radio, giving the volume control knob a hard twist to the right.
Purple Rainturns to full blast and, with the help of Robbie’s upgraded JVC speaker system, full blast is veryveryloud. So loud it makes Robbie jerk the wheel slightly in surprise, sending me slamming against my door and drowning out the rest of whatever Robbie was trying to say.
Robbie reaches out, turning the volume back down to its previous level, shooting me a look like I’m insane. “Jesus, Cooper. What the hell was that?”
I stare forward, pretending I don’t hear him. We’re not that far from my house. If I just ignore him, he’ll have to stop.Right?
“Listen, Cooper.”
Not right, apparently.
“Things got a little out of hand back there,” Robbie continues. “I never meant for–”
Nope.
I thrust my arm out, turning up the volume once again before he can finish that thought.
Robbie blows out a breath, turning it back down. “Big Prince fan, Cooper?” he asks, deadpan.
“The biggest,” I say, not meeting his eyes as I turn the music back up.
