Page 46 of Bending Under Pressure

“Let’s switch up the nights first.” I grab my phone to text Haley of the news.

He nods in agreement. “Haley any good at driving your stick?” He grins and I laugh.

“She did well, yeah. You still nervous about sleeping with Jess?”

Cam loses his smile and groans. “Man, every time I kiss her now, I hear Mom’s voice in my head.” He pitches his voice higher to mimic her voice. “If you don’t want to be a daddy, don’t have sex. Condoms aren’t one hundred percent. It could be more special if you wait until you’re married. You’re too young to be having sex in high school. Too much responsibility.” Mom has told us each of those things before.

“It’s the parent one that gets to me,” he continues. “No way do I want to be in that situation.” His heavy exhale and lost gaze lets me know he’s remembering the beginning of his life. Cam shakes his head. “All this time, I’ve been waiting for her to be ready, to say the word, and now? I don’t even know if I’m ready.” His knuckles graze his jaw at a steady pace. “What is that going to do to us if I tell her that? I love her, Keelan, but I don’t know if I can do it, especially if Mom keeps popping into my head when I kiss her.”

“What in the world are you two talking about?” Dad asks with a confused, wary expression on his face as he enters my room. He clearly heard the last bit of what Cameron said. Dad sits on the edge of my bed. “Well?” he asks Cam.

“I don’t want to tell you,” Cam answers in a low voice.

“If you’re thinking of Mom when you kiss Jess, then we probably need to talk.”

I laugh at Dad’s joke and Cam narrows his eyes at me. Dad ignores us both, keeping his focus on Cameron.

“Fine,” Cam groans. He presses his knuckles into his jaw. “You can’t tell Mom.”

Dad folds his arms over his chest, not making any promises as expected.

Cam huffs. “Jess wants to have sex, and I’m freaking out,” he rushes.

Dad oddly seems relieved as his shoulders sag and he takes a deep breath. “You two haven’t yet?”

“No.”

“Good. You don’t need to. If you haven’t yet, then you can keep on that way. I know kids your age either are doing it, or say they’re doing it, but you’re still kids. There’s no rush when you have the rest of your lives.” Dad seems to mull something over. “Do you know why Jess all of a sudden wants to?”

Cam shakes his head. “She only said she was ready.”

Dad laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “Girls aren’t that simple, son. Find out. Wait longer. If you’re freaking out at the thought of it, it’s a sign. You don’t need to do it.” Dad looks to me and then back to Cam. “Both of you need to wait. The last thing we want is grandchildren. We’re too young for that.” They are in their mid-sixties. This time, his laugh is genuine. “I hope Mom pops into your head all the time now.”

Cameron doesn’t get to make his retort because Mom has walked into the room. She sits next to Dad, who wraps an arm around her shoulders.

“What are my boys doing in here? Scheming?”

“Catching up on their day,” Dad answers.

Of course, we now recount our day to our parents. I can’t help but think about Natalie. Where does she fit in with this picture? Does she fit at all?

Holy Hales.

Haley in a bikini.

The girl is hot. As hot as the day seems to be as the sun burns through the cloudless sky. We’ve been in the water for the most part, because it’s the obvious place to be. But then I get thirsty, so I hop out for a minute. Something makes me check my phone. After wiping my hands dry on my towel, I pick it up as it begins to ring.

Natalie.

I debate on not answering before remembering I’m supposed to give her a chance. I swipe the screen and step away into the yard and away from the loud party.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Keelan. Are you busy?”

“Sort of. I’m at a pool party.”

“Oh, okay. I won’t keep you long then. I wanted to make sure it was okay with you if I gave your number to Keira. She would like to text you.”

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