Page 93 of Right Side of Paradise
Damn.
After tossing the condom in the trash can under her desk, I pulled on my clothes and turned to her with an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry.”
She had her arms wrapped around herself but looked up at me through her lashes with a shake of her head. “You know what you sorry for?”
“No.” I raised my hands in surrender when she sucked her teeth again. “But if you’re breaking up with me, it must be bad.”
“It’s always the fine ones,” she murmured. “I should’ve listened to my sister.”
“What did your sister say about me?”
“It doesn’t matter.” My girlfriend—ex-girlfriend—crossed her legs on the bed we barely messed up then her eyes raked over me, cool and…pitying?
“See you around, Rico. Good luck at State this fall.”
“Thanks.” I stood there, not knowing what to do with my hands or eyes before deciding against a hug. With a nod, I backed away from the bed and walked to the door with a scratchy feeling in my throat I couldn’t explain.
It had to be guilt because I didn’t feel rejected.
Lyric waited until I turned the knob to walk out before she said,
“I know you’ll deny it til you’re blue in the face, but you should really tell Harlow how you feel before y’all leave for school.”
“I don’t know?—”
“And don’t try to play it off like you don’t know what I’m talking about either.” She cocked her head and gave me a sad smile. “You just said her name while we were having sex.”
I probably should have stayedin my room when I got home to think about what I’d done.
But the length of my shower was the only time I took to reflect. The damage was already done, and I wanted to see Harlow.
She was supposed to be on the beach with Christian, but I’d just sit at her desk and wait until they got back.
Passing the driftwood wall fixture positioned at the halfway point between our doors, I walked in her room without knocking and relaxed when I saw her at her desk.
Harlow was lost in her own world, cutting our high school graduation program before she put double-sided tape on it and pressed it onto the page.
She had one leg pulled up to her chest as she bent over the open book in front of her.
Her hair was up in a messy bun, keeping the strands out of her face while she worked. Her denim cutoffs were unbuttoned andthe strings of her favorite pink bikini dangled at the center of her back.
As soon as I heard India.Arie coming from her phone speaker, I understood why Christian was asleep on top of her covers.
“Hey, Harlow.”
She turned to me with her default grin in place, watching me until I sat on the edge of her bed by Chris’ legs. “What happened? I thought you were on a date.”
“Long story.”
She jutted her chin over my shoulder. “I got time until Chris wakes up.”
“Lyric dumped me.”
Her jaw unhinged before she clamped her hand over her mouth. “On your birthday?” she whispered in disbelief.
“Yeah.”
