Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
What?! I’m a guy. It’s what we do…
I hold the phone out in front of us as Cecelia slowly wraps her arms around my waist, her fingers tickling my ribcage and spine. “Hey, are you trying to molest me or give me a hug? Make up your damn mind.” I tease.
“Both,” she smarts back, earning herself a smack on the lips. I let my mouth linger on hers before pulling away, sucking on her tongue before releasing her to clear my throat and get back to the task at hand.
“Okay. On three. One… two… ten.”
I snap the picture, and afterwards, we put our heads together to study the image on my phone.
Wow, is all I can say. Just… wow.
Cecelia
We look… so…
Well, okay, honestly - we look like we’ve just had raucous sex. My hair is a rat’s nest, and it’s pretty obvious my shirt has been hastily re-buttoned (and not very well). I have slight beard rash on my chin from Matthew’s five o’clock shadow, and my lips are slightly puffy and swollen. Even from the profile, you can tell I’ve been thoroughly kissed.
Matthew, for his part, looks cocky and well… perpetually horny. Like he’s just bagged a conquest and is damn proud of it. His lips are twisted in a sardonic smile, but it’s his eyes that give him away. Rather than the arrogant look I’m sure he was going for, they look oddly… content.
In the quickly snapped picture, I’m placing an open mouth kiss on his collarbone with my eyes closed; and, while Matthew has his eyes open and is staring straight into the camera lens, his fingers are curled around my neck almost possessively and his smiling lips are buried in my hair.
Sweet jeezuz do we look sexy.
But besides that, we look so blissfully… happy.
Later that next day, when I’m alone in my bedroom, I get a text.
Matthew: What are you up to…?
I cram a few books, a notepad and my ear buds into a Vera tote before tapping out a reply.
Me: Getting ready to go write one last paper! You?
Matthew: Trying to be so irresistible you won’t be able to find an excuse not to see me tonight. I’ll let you know when I come up with something…
This makes me smile.
Me: You’re headed in the right direction
Matthew: Wow. You’re surprisingly easy.
Me: Awww. That’s what all the boys say ;)
Matthew: Wait. What?
Me: LOL
The phone pings again, but I’m interrupted by a knocking on my door frame, and I glance up to see Molly standing in the doorway of my bedroom, arms crossed and tapping her foot impatiently.
“Do you have something you want to say to me?” she asks, stepping over the threshold and crossing the room to my desk, plopping herself down in the rolling chair. She swivels it around to face me, raising her eyebrow expectantly.
“Um… I’m not sure what you’re… um….” I let my thought trail off, not sure what to offer up to her. I certainly can’t blurt out that I had sex with her brother last night, or that I spent the night at his condo, or that he’s quite possibly becoming my best friend.
The phone on my bed pings again, breaking the silence but also making it more awkward because Molly and I both know who the ping-ing is.
She pulls her cell out of her back pocket, taps it a few times, and holds it out.
Not surprisingly, it’s the SnapChat photo of Matthew and I. My face heats up and I look away, embarrassed.
“Molly, um….”
“This is on his Snap Story, Cece. His Story.”
I freeze and my body tenses up. “What?”
“Haven’t you looked at it?”
“Well, I mean… after we took it.”
Molly nonchalantly studies her nails and swivels back-and-forth in the desk chair. “If I were you, I’d take a look at it.” Without looking up at me, she thrusts her cell in my general direction.
I grab the phone and find Matthew’s name in the Story index, the little pie chart indicating one story. Tapping it twice, I hold his name down and our photo pops up, along, of course, with the tag line ‘Off the market’ and a few heart emoji’s.
My mouth falls open and Molly continues. “That’s not even the best part. Have you been online today?”
Unable to speak, I shake my head.
“The picture and an article have been picked up by ESPN dot com.”
“Wh… what?”
“You heard me.” she stands up and straightens her shirt, pulling it down and dusting off invisible lint before casually strolling out of my bedroom, waving a hand over her shoulder. “Toodles!”
I grab my phone the bed, reading and rereading Matthew’s last messages.
Matthew: So is that a yes for tonight?
Matthew: This time I promise not to take you to an ice rink. ;)
I’ll be honest: I panic a little. Now I don’t know if I should be seen with him in public. I mean – he’s a public figure, for crying out loud. Now that our private picture is out there for world to see… Oh my god. What if his parents have seen it? Oh my god. What if my parents have seen it?