“Here.” I open my phone and choose the music app. “Scroll through and play something you like.”
“This feels like a test.” She bites her lip again, and I swear every time she does it, it drives me crazy.
“Not a test. I just want to know what you like.” I wink at her as I put the car in drive and exit the parking lot.
The first song she plays surprises me because it’s one of my favorites too. I’m not in a hurry to end our time together, so I drive around the island while she plays songs and we talk. It’s easy with Celeste, as easy as breathing, and it feels like I’m filling my lungs for the first time.
“I’m just at the end of the street,” she says and points to the blue house on the corner. As I make the turn, I notice the dark SUV coming in my direction. The way the sun is hitting against the windshield, I can’t see who it is, but it looks like my dad’s car.
“What’s wrong?” she asks as I pull into her driveway.
“Nothing, I just thought I saw someone I know.” There’s something tickling the back of my mind, and I’m wondering why my dad would be on this street. Maybe he was checking on a rental property or something. I push the thought away and put the car into park. While the music still plays softly, I turn to face Celeste.
“How bad is my face?” she asks as she looks up at me and then to her house. “My mom is going to ask a million questions.”
“You might have a bruise, but nothing major.” I take her hand again and rub the tips of my fingers against hers. How is her skin so damn soft?
“Thank you again for taking care of me. It seems like you’ve been doing that a lot lately.” She looks up at me through her lashes, and like this she looks so sweet and innocent.
“I hope to do it again.” I lean in close and slide my hand up her neck to cup the back of her head. “Maybe not so dramatically next time.” She smiles as I lean in closer, my lips only a breath from hers. “But yeah. I want to take care of you.”
Gently I press my lips to hers, and when I feel her mouth move against mine, I thread my fingers in her hair. Her hand goes to my chest, and I feel her grip my shirt as she pulls me closer. Her soft lips part, and I slide just the tip of my tongue along them, and she moans. The sound resonates through me like an electric shock, and I pull her closer, angry that the center console is separating us. The kiss goes from seeking permission to demanding submission in a nanosecond, and all of a sudden I’m a man with needs.
There’s a loud knock on the glass, and we pull apart to see a woman standing outside the car with her arms crossed.
“Shit, that’s my mom.” Celeste flushes and grabs her bag. “Sorry, I gotta go.”
“Hey.” I grab her wrist to stop her from jumping out so fast. “There’s a party at my place on Saturday. Will you come?”
“Um, I’ll see. Maybe if I’m not grounded.” She opens the door and looks back at me once more.
“I’ll text you,” I say quietly, and the corner of her lips turns up as she nods. “Hello, Mrs. Binx,” I say, and she scowls at me before slamming my car door. “Goodbye, Mrs. Binx,” I say, but neither of them can hear me as they go into the house.
This was not the way I wanted to be introduced to Celeste's mom. But kissing her is exactly how I imagined it would be.
Life-altering and perfect.
Chapter Seven
Celeste
“Is there something you want to tell me?” Mom asks, following me into the house. I can’t hide my blush. Heck, who am I kidding? I can’t hide anything from her. It’s the downside to my mom being able to read people so easily.
She never talks much about her childhood and always avoids the subject if I bring it up. If I had to bet, I’m guessing she learned to read people at a young age. I don’t want to think about why she would have needed those skills as a child.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” I toss back at her as I open the front door to go inside. She’s all dolled up for a weekday afternoon, and her makeup and hair are done to perfection.
My lips still tingle from the kiss Apollo gave me. It was soft and sweet but somehow explosive too. I didn’t know kisses would feel that way. I wonder if they all are like that. He’d been so sweet to me all day, not only with taking care of me when I’d gotten hurt but also in gym class where I was sure I was going to make a fool of myself.
I guess I did, but at least it wasn't my fault. The way Apollo snapped at Amber in my defense felt good. It was nice having someone on my side because when I’m in school I'm an outsider. Everyone else has already formed their cliques or whatever you want to call them. Most have even known each other since kindergarten.
It also helped that he shut Amber down quickly and snagged me as his partner. Apollo is turning out a little too good to be true. Something has to give. I still kind of wonder what’s up with Amber and him from before. This could be some conquest thing. He gets one girl into bed then he’s on to the next… Gah! Why am I always trying to find the bad when it comes to boys? Oh yeah, because my mom taught me that.
“What?” Mom feigns innocence.
“I saw the SUV.” Is she already working people over? I’m not sure how I feel about that. It’s what she’s always done, and it’s never bothered me before. Why would now be any different? Mom always goes after people with money. She never sets out to con someone that is already down on their luck.
If anything, she would give them a handout. She really has this weird balance, like it’s some kind of Robin Hood complex. Rob from the rich and give to the poor. She always teases that she is leveling her karma out by giving back to people in need. I think she just has a soft heart under that hard exterior she’s built around herself. I’m the only one that gets to see that sweet, soft side of her. Most of the people she gives a handout to don’t even know it came from her.
“This one is too easy not to. The man is practically begging me to take his money.” She shrugs. “Besides, he’s so rich it won’t make a dent in his bank account. I could cover your college off this man.”
“Mom,” I sigh. “I don’t know if I’m going to college, and if I do, I can get loans.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it then.”
We will. Somehow Mom always figures things out. The woman truly has a ton of talents. Still, there’s something off with her, but I can’t place it. I watch as she moves about the kitchen, having no clue what she’s doing. The woman can’t cook to save her life. Even my turkey sandwich today was terrible. How does someone mess up a sandwich?
“Aren’t you going to grill me?” I ask, because I thought for sure she’d be all over me.
This is the time where she would start her long list of warnings about teenage boys and all they want. She got pregnant with me when she was barely sixteen, and my father split. I don’t think her family helped her, either, which is why I’ve never met them. It’s always only been the two of us.
“Right.” She spins around with a rolling pin in her hand. Okay, this is getting weird. “Let’s talk about your nose first.”