Page 73 of The Love of My Next Life
I pull my phone from my pocket as I stalk toward my car. I dial and it’s answered on the third ring.
“Yeah?”
“You alone?” Julian laughs at my tone.
“You still hiding from Sam?” he asks. I roll my eyes at the humor in his voice.
“Fuck you, Jules.” I climb in my car and turn the key. “You got weed? I’m out.”
“Yep,” Julian grunts. “Sam’s got some better shit, though. We’re going to the fairgrounds tonight if you wanna come.”
“Pass,” I say, turning my car in the direction of Julian’s house. “But I’m on the way over. I’ve got cash.”
I hang up without waiting for a response but kick myself for it when I pull up to the curb five minutes later.
“What the fuck?” I groan. Sam’s stupid fucking red coupe is parked in Julian’s driveway. I’m going to fucking murder him.
I wait for a minute. Consider my options. I could go see Josh, but the chance he’d nark on me is too high now that he’s boning Claire regularly. I don’t want to drive to Suffolk and see the hippie chick, and Casper never buys weed. He just puffs when we pass.
“Fuck,” I mumble under my breath, then turn off the engine and make the death walk to the house.
“The prodigal son returns,” Julian says when I enter the backyard. He and Sam are lying on sun loungers around his pool. It’s too cold to swim.
“Thanks for the warning, douche,” I deadpan. I walk up to him and drop some cash on his chest, paying no attention to the she-devil next to him. “Appreciate it.”
Julian snorts, then grabs the cash and heads inside. I turn to follow him, but Sam’s voice stops me in my tracks.
“Have you fucked her yet?”
I roll my eyes. “Jealousy doesn’t look good on you, Samantha.”
“Jealous?” She scoffs. “Honey, I’ve had you. I can’t wait for her to see what a lousy fuck you are.”
I bark out a laugh, then stalk toward her lounger. Her eyebrows lift higher which each step I take, until my hands are braced on the arms of the chair and I’m leaning over her.
I take my time. Watch her chest rise and fall with pants. Note the way her lips partjust soand her tongue peeks out to wet them.
“Lousy fuck?” I repeat, then drag my knuckle down her jaw. She gasps as if on cue. I move my thumb to her mouth, pressing it between her lips, and she sucks just like I knew she would. She swirls her tongue, laving the pad of my thumb, doing her best to imitate a blow job.
My dick doesn’t so much as twitch.
I pull my thumb out of her mouth with a pop, then smear her spit over her lower lip.
I lean closer, leaving just inches between our faces, and wait.
She breaks sooner than I expected, rising to close the distance between us. I step back just before her lips land, my smirk turning to a sneer.
“I’ll make sure she reports back on ourlousy fuck, then,” I say. “Since you’re so invested.”
She growls, slamming her hands into the cushions on the lounger, just as Julian comes back outside with my weed.
“You’ll be back,” she says through clenched teeth. “I’m the only one who can give you what you need, and you know it.”
My chest aches and my fingers itch to shake her, to pat her down for loose pills. I wouldn’t even have to do much to get some. Make out in her car. Some groping. It doesn’t even have to be sex. I could probably get away with just letting her blow me. Pills for a week, probably.
But then I see Lennon’s face. The hurt I caused. The anger.
I hear her voice crack.I hate you. Feel her tear-soaked pillow. Taste the salt on her lips.
