Page 47 of Three Not-So-Little Words
Christ, this woman is going to kill me with that mouth of hers. Some women dirty talk, and you can tell it’s just an act for the sake of their partners. They watched some porn and copied what they heard.
With Ronnie, it’s different. I can tell she loves it just as much as I do.
When I don’t reply, she texts again.
That sound okay?
More than okay. I can’t fucking wait.
I don’t know that I’ve ever meant anything as much as I mean those words.
seventeen
Not the Way I do Them
Ronnie
“Veronica Jeanne, what the hell are you doing?” My mother asks as she comes walking into my house.
“Nothing,” I reply while lying on my couch.
She moves in front of me, blocking my view of the television. “I’m afraid that’s the problem, Veronica.”
“Please stop calling me Veronica. It makes me feel like I’m about to get scolded.”
“Well, buckle up, sunshine, because that’s exactly what’s about to happen.”
I grab the remote that I stashed under my pillow and turn the volume up. “Pass.”
She snatches the remote out of my hand in the blink of an eye. “I think it’s adorable that you think you have a choice.”
I close my eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “Why are you here?”
“Because I’m not going to let you fall into a pit of your own despair.”
“Despair? Mom, I’m just relaxing.”
Without even acknowledging what I said, she mutters, “Why is that when all of my daughters come home, they do this?”
“Do what?”
“Act like their lives are over and lay around like giant lumps.”
That gets me to sit up. I see my mom cleaning up my mess of junk food wrappers and empty water bottles.
“Mom, stop.”
She keeps going, completely ignoring me.
“Suzanne!” I shout.
That makes her snap her head in my direction. “What?”
“Come here and sit down.”
It takes her a second, but she does it after throwing everything in her hands into the trash.
She takes one look at the couch and opts for the chair instead.
