I Knew You Were Trouble - Cassie Mae Page 0,75
I can sense his trepidation through our playfulness, and if he asks me to, I’ll skip class and hold his hand through what he plans on doing.
I would skip a class for him. Dang… I really do love him.
“I love you,” I say, wiggling my nose against his. “A lot.”
“I love you a lot.”
“Say the word, and I’ll stay out here with you.”
“Are you avoiding your fear, Candace?” he lilts, tapping a finger to the inside of my wrist.
“Darn, you caught me.” He didn’t. I’m surprisingly calm about seeing Zach in the nude. I let go of Pete’s hand and snuggle into his chest instead, wrapping my arms around his middle. My ear presses against the beat of his heart, and I let the faster than normal cadence set my own heart’s speed.
This right here is more intimate than anything I’ll be doing in that art room. I think painting Pete fully clothed would be more intimate. Anything and everything involving him will be more meaningful and therefore, more nerve-wracking to tackle. But those are all fears I’ll jump into when I’m ready, and the fact that Pete won’t put added pressure on me to be someone I’m not makes it all the more worth it in the long run.
So, I’m a little nervous to finally take a look at some guy’s private parts, it’s not nearly as bad as it used to be.
I’m more nervous to come out of that room and find Pete in the hall upset. I really hope things go well for him.
“I mean it.” I tilt my head up from his chest, meeting his eyes. “Ask me to hold your hand or haul me off my stool in there or whatever, okay?”
The corner of his mouth picks up, and he presses a kiss to my forehead. “Same goes for you.”
Something breezes by us, and I break from Pete just enough to catch Zach swooping by in his robe. I let out a giant sigh and snuggle into Pete’s chest again.
“Boo.”
“Not ready?” He rubs a soothing circle on my back.
“For class? Yes. To get out of this hug? No.”
His body shakes with silent chuckles, and he squeezes me tighter for the smallest of seconds before pulling away.
“We both know you won’t be late.”
“Yeah.” Stupid punctuality quirk. I give him another quick peck and then jump away quickly so he doesn’t suck me back in with his adorableness. Time to be a rebel and paint some genitalia.
Pete
I toy with my phone, flipping it between my thumb and middle finger, pressing it against my leg, and doing it all over again. The tile floor of the hallway is cold on my butt as I sit, leaning against the brick wall. Candace hasn’t flown from her art room, so I’m guessing things are going well for her in there.
So I really don’t want to burst in and grab her no matter how much I could use her hand right now.
I stop flipping the phone and turn the screen on, hovering over my dad’s picture in my contacts. Mad and I had a long talk about what to do about Demi. Our younger sister called in tears just a few days ago, telling us that Dad had sold the iPad I got her for Christmas. It was a refurbished one, good condition, and cost me just under two-hundred, but that wasn’t even what set me off. Dad had the gall to hit me up for more money not twenty minutes after Mad told me what happened. Said the job hunt was at a standstill, and mortgage would be another no go for him this month.
I held my tongue then, still trying to piece together a solution. Maddie and I talked for hours, well past Candace’s bedtime, until we finally agreed on what to do.
Now to just pull the ripcord and do it.
I take a deep breath and press the call button, checking up and down the hallway to make sure it’s empty.
“’Bout time you called me back,” he answers. Residual anger flickers behind my eyes. He’s lucky I waited till now to call him; any time before my head wouldn’t have been on as straight.
“I’m not going to give you money,” I tell him without any preamble. That’s how he likes to communicate with me, so I’m extending the same courtesy.
“Come on, PJ. Promise it’ll be the last time.” He lets out a hearty chuckle, and I cringe against the state I imagine he’s in.
“Dad, are you high?”
“I don’t do