Page 72 of The Scars I Bare
Every fevered glance and every dirty thought I’d had of this man since I moved to town—no, since I met him all those years ago, had been building to this very moment.
And, now, I wanted to revel in it.
His hand was in my hair and down around the curve of my waist. Everywhere at once. I straddled him, feeling a completely different hunger build between my thighs as our kiss deepened, and my heart raced.
Finally, he cupped my face and pulled away, just staring into me with such a deep emotion, I found myself doing something I’d thought I’d never do.
“Do you want to meet my dad?” I blurted out, causing his eyes to widen.
“What? Like, now?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “No. But soon?”
He sat up a little straighter, his hand still at my hip. “Does this mean, you’re going to tell him? Because showing up at his door with another guy would be really confusing, and I refuse to be your gay best friend.”
I grinned before turning serious. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Today, right before Molly called her sister, she said something about being homesick, and it hit me. I’m homesick. So much so that it hurts.”
“Then, go back,” he said. “But you don’t need to bring me. I mean we’re just starting something here and—”
I smiled. “I want to. Even if you’re just moral support.”
He seemed pleased with that. “Okay, but don’t you think you should at least meet my mother first? You might change your mind.”
I shook my head. Firmly. “Oh no. No way. You haven’t met my family yet. Your mom can’t be nearly as weird as my crazy family.”
Amusement painted his features as he said, “Now, I’ve got to go!”
“Yes, well, just remember you said that when my dad starts quizzing you on Star Wars trivia.”
“Huh?”
“So, you know how some families bond over football or other organized sports?”
He nodded, his hand still firmly wrapped around my waist.
“Well, mine is a little different. A little geekier. We like to bond over fandoms.”
His eyes got all squinty as he contemplated the foreign word. “Fandoms?”
“Yeah, like, okay…let me try to explain. My dad, he’s really into movies and television. He’s always the guy in the front of the line for any Marvel movie, and he’s always binge-watching something with aliens in it. And my brother? He loves comics. Spent every dime he’d ever earned growing up on them. I’m pretty sure his entire basement is probably filled with them to this day.”
“And you?” he asked, seeming mildly amused by my story.
“Books,” I said. “I’m pretty obsessed with books.”
His brow rose. “Any kind of books? Like, what is your ultimate favorite?”
I bit my lip, making him all the more interested.
“Oh, come on. Now, I really want to know.”
“The Princess Bride.”
“Wait, I thought that was a movie.”
I laughed. “It is. But, first, it was a book. A really amazing book.”
“Any other really amazing books I should be aware of?”
