Page 38 of Scoreless Nights

It felt like hours, but it was probably only minutes before he found his voice. “I don’t believe you.”

ChapterTwenty

Cruz

There was no way someone as gorgeous as Lillian Harris made it to twenty-four and still hadn’t had…anything. I knew Gloria was overprotective, but she couldn’t spend every night in Lil’s bed. She couldn’t have prevented Lil from doing whatever, or whomever, she wanted. Not unless Lil was a goody two-shoes.

And she wasn’t.

She may have been extra cautious and careful when it came to her mom, but she had friends no one knew about, wasn’t truthful about her job interview the other day, and didn't call to check in when she was supposed to. It may not have seemed like a lot for an adult woman, but the signs of rebellion were there. Lil was capable of feeling things her mother probably didn’t think she knew the definition for. I saw it in her eyes a few times, the way she looked at me, especially the way she reacted when I said I was going to spank her.

“How can you not believe me?”

“You’ve been known to lie,” I teased, hoping she confessed. “I won’t tell Mom and Dad, ya know?”

“I had a boyfriend in college,” she blurted. “He was supposed to be my first. But I opened my big mouth and spilled my guts to him. Scared him away, and I never heard from him again.”

“What could you have possibly said to scare him away?”

“That my first time was going to be special because it was with him.”

“He left because of that?” My arms got tighter around Lil. Some protective side of me came out, and I was thinking of looking the guy up and paying him a visit. I surmised that wouldn’t make me much better than Gloria when it came to ‘Lil the Princess,’ but it wasn’t like I chose to feel that way. “You still waiting for someone special?”

What are you doing, Cruz?

“Just waiting on life to finally begin,” she sighed.

The tears had stopped, and I could tell she was starting to get tired. It was the perfect chance to end the conversation. But did I do that? Not really. My mouth just kept thinking of things to say that would probably get me in trouble.

“You owe me.” I pushed her up and held her by the arms, looking into her eyes.

“Owe you?”

“For pretending I didn’t know you at the game. First time in a while I had someone in the stands, and I had to act like we were strangers.”

She rolled her eyes, knowing I was being intentionally dramatic, but a small smile played on her lips. “Then I guess I owe you one.”

“Be my date Friday for the Archer Athletics dinner.”

“Excuse me?”

“We’ve been on a date before. Did you forget dinner by the water already?” I stood and started pacing the tile in front of her lounger, making a scene at how devastated I was. “I slaved over a hot stove for hours for you, and you don’t even remember.”

“So I tell you a huge secret about being a virgin, and you decide I need to be your date? Do you hear how creepy that sounds, Cruz?”

I stopped and rested my chin on my hand, thinking about her logic. “It sounds perfect to me. I need someone that won’t fall in love with me and expect sex afterward. You hate me, and my shadows, and you won’t beg me for sex.”

“Well,” she laughed. “You do make a very valid point.”

“So you’ll go?”

“You do realize that being a virgin isn’t the same as being a nun, right?”

“Are you saying if I take you, you’ll beg me for sex?”

“What? No!” She stood up and huffed, placing her hands on her hips. “I just mean that your reasoning isn’t sound.”

“That’s true, Sister Lily.” She immediately got my joke and narrowed her eyes at me, fighting a laugh.

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