Page 73 of Bad Love

"Nine minus alittle."

Words,hallelujah. I want to throw a parade. "Minus howmuch?"

"Twenty-twodays."

"That's basicallynine."

I watch him carefully untie his shoes. Next, he rummages in his bag and holds out a slip of paper and a clearbag.

I didn't expecthomework.

It better not bemath.

I blow out a sigh of relief as I read the sheet. "It says you have an art project to create something that representsyou."

He hands me thebag.

I take it from him, tilt it to get a good look at the dried pasta, glitter, and colorful paper cut into shapes inside. "This ishomework?"

"Most of the class did it in school. I didn't wantto."

He goes to the kitchen, gets a glass, and fills it with juice from thefridge.

"Do you want a drink?" It's stilted, as if his mom told him to askme.

I recognize the cups from when Kendall and I drank beer. Guilt kicks atme.

"I'll have what you're having." I cross to the kitchen and take the glass he passes me, but I fill it myself, then take asip.

He has a tentative smile, and I grin in return. "It's prettygood."

His smile fades, and I wonder what I've done now when his gaze glues to my mouth. "What isthat?"

Oh. The piercing. "It's a tonguering."

I open my mouth, then stick out my tongue so he can inspectit.

He frowns, reaching out a finger, then sucks in a breath when I grab it out of the air. "Bloody hell. Does ithurt?"

I swallow a laugh and shake myhead.

“Stainless steel?” heasks.

Weird question. “Um.Sure.”

But he looks satisfied. “I wondered if it got hot. Probably not. Stainless doesn’t conduct heat like aluminum orcopper.”

Who knew the way to get to know this kid was through my bodypiercing?

"Why do you have it?" heasks.

Because when I was twenty-two, I thought it was cool AF, and the college girls didtoo.

Go fish,Hunter.

"Ah. Because sometimes people like to express themselves. It's like wearing clothing. Or tattoos. Though with tattoos, you want to make sure it's something meaningful." I think about Monty getting a tattoo every year since he turned eighteen. "So, why don't you want to make something out of macaroni? You got a problem withpasta?"

"No." He goes to the cupboard, opens it, and reveals fusilli and fettuccini andshells.

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