hand with a wooden spoon.
“Why?” He rubbed his knuckles.
“Sorry. I’ve always wanted to do that.”
“What is all this?”
“Nirvana!” Sarah hopped off the counter. “Kris worked at a five-star in Austin all through school and makes bouillabaisse better than the exec chef. Stick around.”
“I do not make it better, but thank you.” I wiped my hands on a towel.
Jericho went with Sarah to the living room and they sat down with the others to watch sports bloopers. I was sectioning grouper and snapper fillets when I heard the crunch of gravel and glanced out the window. An SUV parked and I struck the knife against the cutting board. Light brown hair, a lovely face, and a cut physique confirmed it was him. If Derek or Sarah had known he was coming they would’ve told me. The sound of trampoline springs started up in my mind. Jericho said my name but I couldn’t speak.
_______
The sun had set behind the trees when a hard shove put me on my back, my right hand caught underneath me, my other pinned by Joshua’s arm. His mouth slammed onto mine and I couldn’t turn away.
He brought his head back two inches and stared at me, a strange, crooked smile on his face. “You don’t have to pretend with me. You’ve been wantin’ this for a long time.”
The squeal of the springs got more frantic.
I dug my nails into his wrist. “Josh, stop.”
My shirt and bra were yanked to my neck, my body writhing under his weight. His hands, his mouth …
I screamed but the trampoline was so loud. With his forearm against my throat, the fingers of his other hand slid the zipper of my shorts. I pushed hard but he was too heavy, too strong.
“You’re gonna like me.” He said into my ear as his body covered mine.
The porch lights went on. Nick’s mom was home from her business trip early.
She opened the back door and called for him, her hand shielding her eyes—she couldn’t see us.
“Hi, Mrs. Black. He went to get carry out, should be back in a few minutes.” Joshua said, his voice totally normal.
On the other side of the tall stone wall in Nick’s backyard, two kids kept jumping higher and higher on a trampoline.
_______
Suddenly, Joshua was standing right next to me. Every part of my body tensed.
“I was looking forward to seeing you again but then you left. No call, no nothin’. I didn’t like that.” His fingers walked down my spine. “No worries, sweetness. I can play the game.”
I stood there.
“Do I make you nervous?” He whispered, his hand moving under my shirt.
“Josh, quit it.” I couldn’t look at him.
“Anyway, have you seen Mars Lee? Their drummer is tits. Come up for the Fourth, spend the weekend, and we’ll go see Prank at The Meadows. They’re new, alternative—your thing.” He pressed his body against mine, taking me a step back. “We’ll have a good time.”
“Why are you being like this?” I said to him quietly.
“’Cause you want me to.”
“No I don’t.”
Derek stood. “Joshua, let her be.”
“It’s nothin’. She just loves to tease me.” Joshua’s palm wandered below my hip. “Don’t you?”
“No.” I finally came around and batted his hand away.
He put it right back with no recognition of my action.
“Did you hear her?” Derek moved a foot closer.
Joshua’s shoulders came back and Derek’s face hardened as they stared at each other. Other than the TV, the room went silent.
Joshua strode to the island that separated them and put his hands flat on the counter. “You’d better call off your little dog, Nick, before it gets kicked. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
No. No. No. Derek’s gonna get stomped because of me. “Josh—”
“Guys, knock it off!” Sarah tossed a throw pillow into the middle of the room.
“Let’s go out, hit a buffet or somethin’.” Nick hoisted himself off the couch and stretched. “Kris is makin’ chick food.”
Joshua didn’t move an inch and the room was still too
“Why?” He rubbed his knuckles.
“Sorry. I’ve always wanted to do that.”
“What is all this?”
“Nirvana!” Sarah hopped off the counter. “Kris worked at a five-star in Austin all through school and makes bouillabaisse better than the exec chef. Stick around.”
“I do not make it better, but thank you.” I wiped my hands on a towel.
Jericho went with Sarah to the living room and they sat down with the others to watch sports bloopers. I was sectioning grouper and snapper fillets when I heard the crunch of gravel and glanced out the window. An SUV parked and I struck the knife against the cutting board. Light brown hair, a lovely face, and a cut physique confirmed it was him. If Derek or Sarah had known he was coming they would’ve told me. The sound of trampoline springs started up in my mind. Jericho said my name but I couldn’t speak.
_______
The sun had set behind the trees when a hard shove put me on my back, my right hand caught underneath me, my other pinned by Joshua’s arm. His mouth slammed onto mine and I couldn’t turn away.
He brought his head back two inches and stared at me, a strange, crooked smile on his face. “You don’t have to pretend with me. You’ve been wantin’ this for a long time.”
The squeal of the springs got more frantic.
I dug my nails into his wrist. “Josh, stop.”
My shirt and bra were yanked to my neck, my body writhing under his weight. His hands, his mouth …
I screamed but the trampoline was so loud. With his forearm against my throat, the fingers of his other hand slid the zipper of my shorts. I pushed hard but he was too heavy, too strong.
“You’re gonna like me.” He said into my ear as his body covered mine.
The porch lights went on. Nick’s mom was home from her business trip early.
She opened the back door and called for him, her hand shielding her eyes—she couldn’t see us.
“Hi, Mrs. Black. He went to get carry out, should be back in a few minutes.” Joshua said, his voice totally normal.
On the other side of the tall stone wall in Nick’s backyard, two kids kept jumping higher and higher on a trampoline.
_______
Suddenly, Joshua was standing right next to me. Every part of my body tensed.
“I was looking forward to seeing you again but then you left. No call, no nothin’. I didn’t like that.” His fingers walked down my spine. “No worries, sweetness. I can play the game.”
I stood there.
“Do I make you nervous?” He whispered, his hand moving under my shirt.
“Josh, quit it.” I couldn’t look at him.
“Anyway, have you seen Mars Lee? Their drummer is tits. Come up for the Fourth, spend the weekend, and we’ll go see Prank at The Meadows. They’re new, alternative—your thing.” He pressed his body against mine, taking me a step back. “We’ll have a good time.”
“Why are you being like this?” I said to him quietly.
“’Cause you want me to.”
“No I don’t.”
Derek stood. “Joshua, let her be.”
“It’s nothin’. She just loves to tease me.” Joshua’s palm wandered below my hip. “Don’t you?”
“No.” I finally came around and batted his hand away.
He put it right back with no recognition of my action.
“Did you hear her?” Derek moved a foot closer.
Joshua’s shoulders came back and Derek’s face hardened as they stared at each other. Other than the TV, the room went silent.
Joshua strode to the island that separated them and put his hands flat on the counter. “You’d better call off your little dog, Nick, before it gets kicked. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
No. No. No. Derek’s gonna get stomped because of me. “Josh—”
“Guys, knock it off!” Sarah tossed a throw pillow into the middle of the room.
“Let’s go out, hit a buffet or somethin’.” Nick hoisted himself off the couch and stretched. “Kris is makin’ chick food.”
Joshua didn’t move an inch and the room was still too
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