Page 19 of Lost Soul

“Jessie isn’t my boyfriend,” I correct her, feeling a little stabby when her eyebrows raise enough to suggest that she’s pleased at that information.

“Sorry I just assumed.” She places her cup back on the table gracefully. My god, conversation is dry with this one. It’s time for me to liven things up a little.

“So, that guy last night. The one who jammed his tongue down your throat. He was hot, right?”

“I don’t really do the whole boy thing…” she tells me timidly. I feel my smile widen all the way to my ears. Who would have thought, Maddy Summers into girls? “I mean what with school and everything I haven’t really got time,” she adds, shrugging her shoulders and pissing all over my excitement.

“So were your parents mad at you for being late? We tried to be quiet when we dropped you off. Didn’t want to wake them,” I casually delve for some information on the folks.

“My mom was at work, she’s cool about stuff like that though. What about your parents? They cool too?” I’m surprised she even asked, everyone in town knows who my dad is and what happened to my mom.

“It’s just my dad and me,” I answer. “And yeah he’s cool, just a little… overprotective.”

Understatement of the century.

“I never knew my dad. He took off when I was a baby, so it’s always just been Mom and me,” Maddy admits, sounding a little sad.

“Well, that’s one thing we have in common then,” I say, taking her hand in mine. “Both of us have single parents.” I take the opportunity to act up on this whole friendship thing, impressed at how naturally it comes.

“Yeah, it can be tough sometimes, my mom works a lot. She’s not around very often, and I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not exactly popular at college.” Her finger traces around the rim of her mug as she speaks. “Why did you invite me to that party?” she asks me bluntly, like she’s been trying to find the courage for some time. “You have a ton of friends, you didn’t need me to go with you.”

Shit, I hadn’t prepared for this...

“None of those people are my real friends. Sure, they talk to me, and they hang out with me around campus, but none of them really know anything about me. I guess I just thought you and I could get to know each other a little better. You seemed lonely, and I guess deep down I am too.” I’m shocked at the relief saying the words out loud brings me, especially when I realize just how accurate they actually are… I am lonely. I don’t have anyone who I can call my real friend, apart from Jessie.

“Well, there’s another thing we have in common.” Maddy smiles warmly. “You wanna come back to mine? We can listen to some music, and you can teach me how to do that thing you did with your eye makeup last night. It looked hot.”

“Yeah sure. Sounds good.” I finish up my mug of lukewarm piss, and we leave the coffee shop together. Me, and my new best ‘friend’.

We spend the afternoon hanging out at Maddy’s, the place is small and very minimal. But it’s neat and cozy. Her mom isn’t there, and I wonder if she’s gone back out to work again already. Figure she must work hard, being a single mom and putting Maddy through college.

Maddy’s room is spotless, everything has its place, unlike my room which looks like it’s been raided by Vikings. We listen to her music, and I take a look through her makeup bag, it’s sparse to say the least, but I work with what’s there. Maddy is one of those lucky girls that doesn’t need makeup but damn, when she wears it, she pulls it off. When I tell her that, it makes her blush.

I find comfort in her modesty. Like if I wanted to, I could be myself around her. We chat about school and some of the other girls. She asks me again who Jessie is to me and I brush it off, not ready to tackle that one just yet.

She invites me back to hers after school on Monday, and by the time Nyx picks me up I’m battling to convince myself that I haven’t actually just enjoyed myself.

Nyx’s music blasts out from the speakers. Which I suppose is an improvement to the complete silence we had on the way here. When we drive past the clubhouse, I notice that Jessie’s bike is parked outside.

“You can just drop me here,” I tell him, and he grunts pulling the truck to a halt for me to climb out. I thank him for the ride and don’t get a response, but then I wasn’t really expecting one either.

He at least waits for me to shut the door just before he takes off with a skid of dust that catches at the back of my throat and clouds my eyes. I head straight for the club doors. It’s the middle of the day so Daddy’s rules don’t apply, and I want to give Jessie an update on how things with Maddy are going.

I’m distracted, brushing the dust off my jeans and not really paying attention to what’s in front of me until my path is obstructed by something solid. I follow the tall structure all the way up, stretching my neck to see Troj towering over me.

He’s tall and toned so tightly that you can’t help but stare and appreciate. His long, brown hair hanging wet over his thick-set shoulders, and he’s wearing nothing beneath his cut that’s open at the front enough for me to appreciate all those perfectly defined chest and stomach muscles.

“Where ya headin’, princess?” he asks me, his eyebrows raising. God, he’s beautiful. That golden tanned skin and well-kept beard team up perfectly with his warm chocolate brown eyes.

Still not a scratch on Jessie though.

“I’m just looking for Jessie,” I tell him, attempting a side step around him he immediately blocks me again.

“Now’s not a good time,” he tells me, any trace of a smile gone, his brows hooding his eyes.

“I’m heading on home, I can get someone to give you a lift. I look down at his hands, noticing the blood-stained T-shirt he has wrapped up in one fist and how the knuckles of the other are battered raw.

“Or you could give me a lift up?” I suggest, flicking my eyes over to his bike then back to him. I already know the answer, but it might distract him long enough for me to get inside.

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