Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“Of course not.” She placed her hand against her chest as if I’d wounded her, and I admit it made me feel guilty. “I’m your mother, and I won’t apologize for wanting the best for my child. You’re making me sound like the bad guy here.”
“You’re not— It’s just, I wish you would’ve talked to me and asked my opinion. And now I’ve finally told you so.” I stood up and took my plate to the sink, wanting to be done with the conversation. I doubted anything further would be resolved anyway.
The tension remained thick after dinner, and I begged off early.
I was frustrated the whole way home, and went to bed at a reasonable hour, hoping for a better perspective in the morning. When I felt the mattress dip in the middle of the night, I held my breath. The familiar heat of Skylar’s skin seemed to infuse my body, but I stayed perfectly still so he didn’t change his mind. After another minute, I sighed and fell into a deeper sleep.
17
Skylar
Okay, so I’d apparently moved myself into Clark’s bed, and I was confused as fuck about why. I mean, yeah, it was a comfy bed, obviously. He must have sprung for something super fancy for his room. Not that the one in the spare bedroom was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t like his bed.
Totally not the whole reason I was in there, though, and that nearly had me breaking into hives.
I…liked being close to him? Duh, he was adorable and a good friend. Reconnecting with him felt like finding my favorite childhood blanket I’d thought lost, and now it was warm and comfortable around me again.
I’d never done the share-a-room thing like this before. Sure, I’d slept in the same bed all night with someone I had sex with. I wasn’t the orgasm-and-go type of guy, but…I’d never slept with someone platonically before, or at least not on more than one occasion. I’d ended up in his bed four nights in a row, said no to hookups twice, and now, in the middle of the day, instead of focusing on the banging new design I was sewing, I was thinking about sleeping in his bed again.
My cell rang on the desk beside me. I glanced over to see Jesse’s name on the screen. “What’s up, Jesse?”
“We’re having a game night at Jake and Seth’s tonight. Seth said I should see if you wanted to go.” Seth and I got along, but we didn’t know each other well. He was very shy but sweet. He played piano in the Underground one night a week and was close with Jesse, which was how we ended up hanging out at all. We talked a little more since I’d gone to his and Jake’s house a while back, but I wasn’t surprised that he’d asked Jesse to invite me rather than doing it himself.
“Who’s going?”
“What, me, Dane, Jake, and Seth aren’t good enough for you?”
“Shut up,” I countered. He knew that wasn’t why I asked. “I just didn’t know if it was a couples’ thing and I’d be the oddball out.”
“You’re always an oddball, and it’s never bothered you before.”
I chuckled. “You fucker.”
“Whatever. Come hang out with us. You can bring your boy, if you want?”
My heart dropped to my feet. “Um…this is Sky, remember? I don’t have a boy.”
“I meant your friend, dumbass. Your roommate guy. I can’t remember his name—Superman.”
“Clark.”
“Yeah, him.”
“Then it’ll be even more awkward! Two couples and me and him, who are totally not a couple.”
Jesse sighed as if I was being unreasonable, but I wasn’t. I wasn’t at all. If he knew my mom, he’d get it. “Chill out and be there at seven. They have food.” He hung up, and I couldn’t even be annoyed because that was such a Jesse thing to do, and in a lot of ways, even a Skylar thing to do.
I started grumbling, but then I heard the front door open. My heart must have found its way back into my chest because it jumped in excitement, and I was out of my chair and heading for the living room like a puppy who was stoked their person was finally home after being gone forever.
Fuck my life, I was being weird.
“Hey, Clark Kent,” I said as he loosened his tie. Ugh. He didn’t always wear one, but it was super cute. I’d never crushed on a dude in a tie before—not that I was crushing on him.
“Hey. How was your day?”
He’d been a little quiet since going to his parents’ place the other day. I figured he must have told his mom about me, but I chose to pretend I wasn’t aware she hated my guts. “Fine, and I hope you’re not too tired because there’s a game night in like…an hour and a half at Seth and Jake’s. We’ve been summoned. Apparently, nothing is fun without us.”