Page 52 of Bring Me To My Knees

My phone dings again, and I almost ignore it, but instead, I lean up and grab it from the table.

Justin: Hey there. ??

Marley: Hey.

Justin: What are you up to?

He probably doesn’t want to know that I just spent the last half hour getting myself off in front of my brother’s best friend.

Marley: Sitting on my porch, smoking. Trying to relax.

Justin: You at the beach this weekend?

Marley: Yep. My last trip before I head to school.

Justin: Can I come by?

Can he? Should I let him? I don’t know.

Marley: Sure.

Nobody tells me what I can and can’t do. Especially not a man that isn’t even mine.

I send him my location and tell him how to get to my room from outside.

It takes him less than fifteen minutes to show up. He must have been at the bonfire, too. It’s a shame I didn’t see him out there.

“What’s up?” he asks, walking up to the railing.

I stare at him, while taking a drag of my joint.

“You’ll have to climb over. It’s not really meant to have outside access,” I tell him.

He swings his leg over the ledge, joining me on the swing.

He smells like expensive cologne and fire. I offer him the joint and he takes it. We sit in silence for a few minutes.

“Are you excited about school?” he finally asks.

“I’m excited to get away from my hometown and my family,” I admit.

“I get that. I feel like a completely different person when I’m away from my family.”

“Exactly. They bring out the worst in me,” I tell him.

We look at each other, laying our heads on the back of the swing, just staring.

“Did you go out tonight?” he asks.

His eyes travel down my body. I’m still in my lace underwear and my black silk robe. I don’t even have it tied up, but I don’t fucking care. I’m finding it hard to care about anything these days.

“I did. I came home early,” I tell him, passing the joint to him.

We’re both thoroughly high. And fuck does he smell good. I’m still wound up from getting myself off in front of Clark earlier.

“It’s a shame I didn’t see you,” he says.

I know he’s trying to be subtle, but I can tell he’s moved a little closer. I can smell mint gum mixed with marijuana on his breath.

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