Page 7 of Spare Me (Summersweet Island 6)

Chapter 3

Ryan

100% of people killed… die everytime.

“You went backto Giovanni’s and paid for the pizza, didn’t you?”

I just sigh, and my best friend Spencer chuckles as he takes his large coffee from the barista at Island Brew.

“The most exciting thing that’s ever happened to you, and you just couldn’t let it go and enjoy it.” He shakes his head at me as I step up next to him when my name is called.

“I would have never been able to enjoy pizza there again. I would have felt too guilty. Guilty pizza doesn’t taste the same as honest pizza,” I tell him, putting all the change leftover from my bill into the tip jar and grabbing my tray of coffees. “Besides, it’s not like I came clean and told them it was all fake. I just told them I felt bad not paying for it. I’m still living on the edge.”

Spencer just laughs again as we move over to the condiment station, taking the lid off his coffee to dump an ungodly amount of sugar into it, with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Spencer Marshall moved to Summersweet a few years ago, taking the classroom next to mine when he was hired as the new history teacher. For the first time in our friendship, I actually had something exciting to tell him about my weekend.

I probably shouldn’t have admitted the part about returning to Giovanni’s. It makes me look less cool.

“You definitely get bonus points for making out with a hot stranger in public. I can’t believe you didn’t even get her name or her number. You’ve been single for the first time in your adult life for far too long now. You should be fucking anything that moves.”

With ashushto Spencer to keep it down and a quick glance over my shoulder, I let out a sigh of relief that no one in the packed and noisy coffee shop heard him.

“I’ve dated plenty,” I remind him, setting my tray down while he grabs a drink stir.

“You’ve gone on nothing but awkward and polite first dates, that only got you a ‘thanks for the evening’ at the end of the night, and blue balls.”

“You know I like to get to know someone better before we jump into bed,” I mutter as he finishes stirring his coffee and puts the lid back on.

Although, if Giovanni’s would have been empty, and that nut job had kissed me for any longer, I would have thrown my five-date-minimum rule right out the window… and her onto a table.

“Tell me you at least jerked off when you got home to relieve some tension. You don’t just get a kiss like that and not go home and jerk off. I need to yank it if a woman so much as shakes my hand.” Spencer suddenly looks away from me with a beaming smile. “Good morning, Mrs. Filmore! Lovely day we’re having, isn’t it?”

My face heats in complete mortification when Spencer greets our librarian at Summersweet High, who quickly drops her hand she was holding out to him when she walked over here to say good morning. She’s in her eighties, still makes all the students use a hand-written card catalog, and should have retired a long time ago. But she’s a lovely, church-going woman, who is currently looking at my friend and then up toward the ceiling, like she’s waiting for God to strike him down.

I try to apologize to her, but she just huffs, hugging her coffee to her chest as she quickly shuffles away and out of Island Brew.

“Nice.” I roll my eyes at Spencer.

“Eh, she’ll get over it when the new shipment of young adult books comes in this week. I read one of those a month ago. They arespicy.A few of them have even been banned in other school libraries. Mrs. Filmore is a freaky little thing; don’t let her fool you. Now, back to jerking it…,” Spencer trails off.

“No, not back to…that.” I shake my head at him, lowering my voice to a whisper as he reaches over me to grab a few napkins. “I prefer doingthatto porn. Women I don’t know or who I’ve never made eye contact with. It’s more respectful.”

“There is nothing respectful about tugging your tool. It’s all about being a disgusting pig who can’t control himself.” Spencer snorts.

While I absolutely donotthink about how much I wanted to relieve some tension as soon as I got off the ferry and back to my place the other day. I made a cup of tea with honey to try to relax, and as soon as I took the first sip, I was… quite aroused, remembering what that crazy woman tasted like.

“I know you’re sick of me asking this, but you’re not still hung up on Emily, are you?”

I laugh as Spencer waits for me to grab some napkins, packets of sugar, and a handful of Italian Sweet Cream single serving cups, piling them in the middle of the drink tray.

“You know I’m not. I like Quinn. He’s a good guy, and Emily is now happier than she ever has been,” I tell him for probably the hundredth time in the last few months. “Does it sting a little that a professional quarterback has made her happier than I ever could? Maybe a tiny bit. But not because I’m still in love with her.”

Because I’m a guy, and my ego took a hit. All over the news and tabloids.

“Good. Then after school, we can discuss getting you laid. And then you can bore me to death, telling me about the new bowling ball you picked up before Tattoo Girl rocked your world.” Spencer holds the door open for me and then follows me out onto the sidewalk.

I laugh, because Spencer is neverreallymean about my love of bowling; he just likes to make jokes about me boring him. He’ll still give me all his attention and act interested while I rattle on, even if he isn’t, because he’s a good friend. Annoying at times, but still a good friend.

“Walk faster. I gotta get to class. Just because some people get to dick around first period, doesn’t mean the rest of us do.”

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