Page 70 of Defect
“That’s my dessert,” I told her with a smirk.
“Oh…well, okay then,” she stammered. When she tipped her head down I could see the deep red blush scattering across her cheeks. “Ezra, we’re in public.”
“I know. It’s mine in publicandin private. Right?” I found her clit through the silky fabric of her panties and she squirmed beside me, trying to act interested in her breakfast. She didn’t give a damn about food once my thumb was massaging her plump clit under the table.
“Right,” she nodded.
“Good girl.” I kissed her cheek then moved my hand and she pushed out a relieved breath.
“You are so bad.”
“Me? Nah. I’m good.” I winked at her and started eating my food. I really wanted to eat her though. It would definitely help me forget about the fact that my mother had been lying to me since the car crash. I didn’t know how to process any of that shit.
How could she do that to me?
How could she do that to Ev?
I forced my brain to stop chewing on it by talking to Solana. Every time she tried to gauge how I felt about things, I dodged the topic. “Ezra, can you at least tell me if you’re going to sleep at home tonight or if you’re staying at my place.”
“Do you have to ask? Of course, I’m staying with you tonight.” A part of me was still nervous about openly not coming home. All the other times, I snuck out and locked my door so that my mother thought I was being an anti-social dick. If she knew I wasn’t there all night she would have lost her shit.
Why did I care what she thought after hearing what Dr. Chin said though? Had she wormed her way that deep into my psyche? Even though I heard straight from the neurologist’s mouth that I would heal, I still worried about pissing Mom off. I still worried that my brain was broken.
“Solo, what if the doctor was wrong?” I asked, clearing my throat.
“Wrong?” She laughed. “Ezra, don’t let your mother live that deep inside your head. You have to know you’re okay. She was lying to you.”
“I guess so. I’m just…so mad I don’t know how to unpack all the different ways it’s making me feel.”
“And that’s why I don’t want you to go home and confront her tonight. I want you to get your thoughts together.” There was nothing that would help me get my thoughts together more than being around Solana. I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed her knuckles. The fourth finger on her left hand still bothered me. Eventually, I wanted to fix that problem.
Across the diner, I saw Sierra staring at us while her friends laughed and talked around her. Looking at her made me realize what I told her was true. I absolutely wasn’t the same kid I was before the accident.
“Let’s go,” I said, waving for the server. “I want to see if those guys I went to school with are still out front.”
“Ugh, they’re disgusting. They make my skin crawl. I can’t believe you went to school with them.”
“Yeah. Even before the accident, I was never like them.” The server came over and put the check on the table. I pulled out my wallet and paid then we left.
All but two of the guys from school were still hanging around outside. “Go ahead to the car. I’ll be over there in a minute,” I told her.
“No, I’m going wherever you go. I don’t trust them.” Once she folded her arms across her chest and tipped her nose in the air I knew there was no making her leave.
We walked over to the guys together. One was lounging against the side of the diner, looking down at his phone when I approached. It was the same asshole that disrespected Solana and called me Defect.
“Yo, I need to ask you a question,” I said. He looked up from his phone and took a step away from me. Fear rippled across his irises.
“I told you, Ezra, I don’t want any trouble.”
“Good then answer my question. What’s the rumor about somebody paying Toni’s boys to jump me?” His gaze shifted over to his boy and they both looked at me with uneasy expressions.
“I don’t think you want to hear about that rumor. It’s crazy as shit.”
“I asked, so I want to hear about it.” I moved closer and Solana was right in step with me. She drove me fucking crazy sometimes because she was so fearless.
“He said he wanted to hear it so tell him,” the other guy said, nudging his friend with his elbow.
“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you it was crazy. The rumor is that your mom paid Toni’s boys to beat your ass the second you stepped foot outside the house. They said she knew you wouldn’t turn down the fight because you’re so fucked up in the head. So they took the money and sure enough you stepped your stupid ass out of the house and well…you remember the rest, right?” Solana dug her nails into my forearm as a warning for me not to lose my shit. It was hard because everything in me wanted to fuck him up right where he stood. I drew in a deep breath and nodded my head.
