Page 72 of Kiss-Fist
Making my way around the room, I point at pictures and learn who everyone is. Mom, Dad, siblings, and cousins. Friends.
Then we come to a photo with Robbie and an obnoxiously good looking guy whom I dislike immediately. They’re a little too cozy in the photo Robbie has up, and yeah. I hate him. Robbie is mine.
‘This?’ I ask.
Robbie rolls his eyes. ‘Rome. Friend.’ But there’s something in his face that tells me there’s more to their story. My stomach twists with jealousy even though I have no right. Right now, we’re nothing more than fuck-buddies. At least, officially. But I want to be more. I want to be his everything because he is definitely starting to become mine.
Before I can ask how good of friends he and Rome reallyare, Robbie’s cell phone buzzes, and a light on it flickers brightly. He turns and picks it up, giving a gurgled moan of frustration.
I can’t help but move toward him, letting my hand land on his bare hip, tucking the tips of my fingers beneath the waistband of his boxers. He leans into me, sighing loudly.
My eyes move to his phone screen, and my eyebrows rise. It doesn’t take me long to decipher the text because the guy uses simple, easy words, just like Robbie does.
It’s one of his friends, and they all want to meet up. They want to meet me. Apparently, Robbie has been talking about me.
Shit. Will it be all Deaf people? Will I even know what’s going on? The answer is probably yes, so I can’t figure out why I want to go so badly, but I do. I meant what I’d told Robbie last night: I’m going to show everyone how good I’m going to be to him. And for him.
I’m going to spoil the absolute fuck out of him.
Robbie turns his head slightly and points to his screen. ‘Meet friends?’
I press a kiss to his neck and sign, ‘Yes.’ He looks a little surprised, but he grins and leans up on his toes to kiss me properly. I feel a surge of triumph in my chest.
Of course I’ll meet them. I want to. I want to see who he hangs out with, how he communicates with them, and what he’s like around everyone else.
I want to know every part of him.
‘Sure?’ Robbie asks, and I nod, turning him slightly and kissing the chocolate syrup from his lips. He groans into it,and we haphazardly set our mugs down as I lift him up, pushing him against the wall.
For the moment, talk of his friends is forgotten. It’s time to throw him around a room.
“I’m gonna meet Robbie’s friends tonight,” I tell Leaf, feeling dread build up inside of me. It was a good idea at the time, but now I’m freaking out. “I think I made a huge mistake.”
Leaf grins at me, pulling the goggles off his forehead. He’s slightly sweaty and a little mussed, but I haven’t asked him why yet. I showed up in a panic without considering that he might be, you know, busy trying to commit groundhog murder.
And now I’m in a full-blown anxiety attack because I’m going to meet Robbie’s friends. A hearing dude only just starting ASL.
What if they hate me? What if they convince him to divorce me? I mean…break up with me.
Fuck, I’m all jumbled.
“You’ve made a huge mistake. Just like Michael when he burrowed under my cucumbers and ate them like a fiend.” I arch an eyebrow as Leaf huffs. “But you’ll be fine. I bet there will be a hearing person there who will take pity on you and interpret.”
“What? Why would they do that?”
“Because we’re total pushovers with big hearts. We can’t help ourselves.” He scrubs some dirt from his face and walkstoward a large box. He wrenches it open and starts pulling wires out.
“What is this? More cameras?”
“Yes. More. I need to know his activities. I need to know where he’s going so I can track the little shit. I even have a map inside.”
“Leaf—” I begin, but he glowers at me.
“Don’tLeafme. I know what I’m doing. I know what I have to do to survive.”
“But why the goggles, dude?”
“Recon.” A laugh bursts from me, and Leaf pokes me in the chest. “Less laughing and more helping. And maybe if you’re nice, I’ll give you some pointers.”
