Page 88 of Scoreless Nights

“Our parents are going to freak out,” she laughed.

“Is that a yes?”

“It’s always been a yes when it comes to you.”

“Your first love?” I asked, like the kid I felt I was inside my old room.

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Was I yours?”

“Yeah,” I said back to her. “And my last.”

Her breath hitched, and I kissed her again. We stood up, but I really wanted to throw her on my bed. I had a lot of dirty dreams about her in that bed, but we were on thin ice with our parents, and fucking her in their home seemed like a step too far.

“Now that we are good,” she shrugged. “Let's go face those two lunatics together.”

“Sounds better than doing it alone.”

I grabbed my jacket and she tucked the pictures back under my bed. “These can stay here and be our little secret.”

“Oh,” I stopped and set my jacket back down. “One more thing.”

I reached behind me and pulled my shirt over my head. While I worked my arms out of the sleeves, I smiled at her face as she tried to discern if I’d suddenly had a change of heart, and was going to fuck her right there.

But then my shirt fell to the floor and she saw exactly what I wanted her to see.

My new tattoo.

Her heart with the lilies, this time over my heart.

“I wanted one where everyone could see. Don’t be mad.”

Her jaw was open and her hand was up close to my chest, but not touching the fresh ink.

“We have a lot in common because I went to sleep in your bed, and accidently found your hiding spot.”

“Oh my God,” she whispered, not letting me know how much trouble I was in for peeking again.

“I didn't have time to get to San Francisco, but I know a guy in South Beach now. I had a few hours while I waited for my flight, and wanted it done.”

“What if…” she trailed off, not asking what I knew she was thinking.

“Didn’t matter,” I laughed. “Just like the first one didn't matter. Whether you wanted mine in return or not, your heart always belonged to me. And I wanted it on my body forever.”

ChapterForty-Three

Lily

Cruz and I walked hand in hand down to the kitchen. There was a huge breakfast prepared, and my mom pointed to our seats at the dining table. “Sit.”

We took our usual spots across from each other but instead of scowling, Cruz sent me a wink. Ivan was helping my mom bring everything to the table and then sat at one end.

Once my mom was finished, she sat at the other end, and just like when we were kids, we were having breakfast like one big happy family. Only Cruz and I were frozen, not sure what kind of trap we had just walked into. He and I were good, but did my mom have enough time to realize I wasn’t a kid anymore? Was she magically okay with Cruz and me?

“I’m not okay,” she sighed, being magical enough to read my mind. “But I have lived my entire life scared out of my mind for you, Lillian.” She grabbed a bowl of scrambled eggs and dished some on to her plate, then passed the bowl to Cruz while she spoke. “You know I loved your father, but I hated him so much, too. We didn’t know anything about what he was dealing with when we had you, but I hated him for making you sick.”

“Mom,” I reached for her, but she shook her head and kept making her plate.

“Let me finish.”

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