Me: Y’all are giving me a headache. I’m out.
Jo: Go get her, big man.
Nick: <raised eyebrow>
Jo: What? He’s big.
Nick: Jo baby, you better brace yourself because I’m about to show you a monster.
Gigi: <eye roll>
I hit close on the text thread, letting them go back and forth with their bullshit without me being a party to their insanity.
I swing my legs over the bed, ready to get up and get the fuck out, when my phone rings.
“Hello.”
“Mello.” Arlo’s voice washes over me, knocking me backward.
“Hey, Arlo.”
“Sorry I didn’t call earlier.”
“No worries,” I lie. “I wasn’t expecting you to call so soon anyway.”
“I haven’t done much besides read, trying to keep my mind busy and off the pain.”
“That bad?” I ask, genuinely curious and concerned. Two things I usually am not about a chick.
“Just tender and I can’t get comfortable.”
“Have you been cleaning it?”
“Yeah, I’m following all the directions.”
I’m sure she is. I don’t even know why I asked. If she’s anything like my cousin, she’s following each step carefully.
“You in the mood to go out?” I ask her, never shy and always upfront about what I want.
“No,” she sighs. “I’m too sore for that, and it requires me getting dressed and putting on a bra.”
My mind instantly fills with naked Arlo, wearing her glasses and nothing else, curled up in her bed, turning the pages. Nerdy-girl shit that, for some odd reason, suddenly drives me wild.
“Want company? I can pick up some takeout and bring it to you. Check your ink while I’m there, too.”
God, I’m lame and I’m fishing, trying to make up reasons why she should say yes. I’ve never worked for a chick’s time, and this one has me begging.
Get your shit together, man.
“I’d be down for that, but only if you bring Chinese and don’t mind me looking like a total train wreck.”
“I don’t think that’s even possible, Arlo.”
“The Chinese or the mess?”
“The mess, babe. I’ll make the Chinese happen. Text me what you want, and I’ll be there within the hour.”
“I’ll do that, but be prepared for a messy bun and no makeup.”
“Are you wearing your glasses?” I ask.
There’s silence for a moment before she whispers, “Yes.”
“What else are you wearing?”
“Carmello.”
“Don’t move,” I tell her, hustling my ass off the bed. “I’ll find out for myself. Scratch the hour, I’ll be there in thirty.”
“I’ll be waiting,” she says, and my dick gets hard.
As soon as the line goes dead, I glance down at my cock and know the night isn’t going to go as he plans. “Down, boy,” I tell him and then go about ignoring him.
Fucking Lily.
10
“I’m so full,” Arlo says with her hand on her stomach, lying flat on her back while I sit on the floor next to her legs.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a chick eat so much food, and I have some eaters in my family.” I stare at her, still in shock at the way she polished off every bit of her food and then started on mine.
“I love to eat, but sometimes my body isn’t friendly about it.”
“Your body is great, babe.”
“Thanks, Mello. That’s sweet of you to say, but you don’t need to flatter me.”
“Not flattering, Arlo. Just telling the truth. You’re absolutely beautiful. All of you. When was the last time you cleaned your ink?”
“A few hours,” she whispers with a sigh. “I hate doing it because it sucks.”
“Want me to do it for you? I have a pretty tender touch.” I’m not doing this to be nice. I want to touch her, feel the softness of her skin, and be able to look at her body without having to worry about fucking up her tattoo.
She opens her eyes and tips her head down, staring at me. “You’d do that for me?”
I move onto my knees to look down at her. “I’m not being totally selfless, Arlo. I really want to touch you.”
“I trust you,” she whispers, her green eyes locked on mine. “You were nothing but a gentleman at work and the other times I met you.”
“What’s your endgame?” I blurt out.
She blinks. “My endgame?”
“Yeah, Ar. How did Lily rope you into this? I still can’t figure out how she got me to agree to it, but now that I’ve spent more time with you, I’m totally game for whatever is going to happen next.”
She pushes herself up, wincing as she does it. The sting is unmistakable, and I remember the soreness I felt for days afterward. She’s tough, but that spot is just a different kind of misery.
I’m perched by her knees, staring up at one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen—and I’ve seen a fucking lot. She looks amazing in the black spaghetti strap tank and loose-fitting shorts I’d give my left nut to shimmy down her legs with my teeth.
“Do you believe in love?” she asks me, her face serious but sweet.
“I’ve watched people all around me fall in love. Everyone in my family has been married forever, and they’re happy. I know it’s possible. I just don’t know if it’s possible for me.”
“I’ve spent my life reading romance books, where people meet their true love, change their colors, and live happily ever after. When Lily told me about you and how she thought you deserved that too, she told me she couldn’t figure out why you were stuck.”
I smile. “I’m not stuck. I made a life choice.”
“To be alone?” she asks softly.
I shake my head. “I’m rarely alone.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Meaningless sex doesn’t count, Mello. Technically you aren’t alone, but what about when you want to talk to someone because you’re going through some shit and need a person to listen?”
“I have my family.”
“Is that fair to them?”
“Fair?”
“They have their own things to deal with. Don’t you ever get lonely at night when you’re by yourself in bed?”
“I could have sleepovers, but I prefer not to have the ladies stick around.”
She reaches out, brushing her fingers across my skin, scorching me with her featherlight touch. “I believe in true love. I believe there’s someone out there for each of us. Lily wants that for you, and after meeting you, I want that for you too.”
“But why?” I prod, inching my hand closer to her legs.
“Because we all deserve happiness.” She smiles, her entire face lighting up.
“I’m happy.”
She burrows her fingers into my hair, and I do everything in my power to not close my eyes and bask in her touch. “I know you are, but what if your happiness is only a small fraction of what you’re missing?” she asks.
I stare at her, thinking about her words. “Can’t miss what I don’t know, babe.”