Page 84 of CowSex

“Goes without saying,” Lee replies. His eyes now on me, a smile lighting up his face.

He’s wearing a grey hoodie, the hood is up and covering his head, probably because it’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey outside. Jeans cover his legs, and the customary biker boots are on his feet. A jean jacket finishes his outfit. He looks cool, in a laidback surfie kind of way. Lee is as fair as Koa is dark. His hair a dirty blond and long. He’s good-looking to the point of being pretty, and although I know he went to school with Koa, if I’d have had to guess his age, I’d have put him at five years younger.

“Watch your step, Gracie, it’s slippery out here.”

He takes my hand and leads me out to a silver truck. Like Koa’s, it’s huge. Like Koa, he helps me into the passenger seat, his grey-green eyes on me. He shuts the door behind me, he walks around the front of the truck, and climbs into the driver’s side.

We belt up and pull away in silence.

The radio is playing quietly in the background, but I can’t make out the song.

Once we’re on the road, he asks, “Did I interrupt something back there?”

“What? When?” I know full well what he’s talking about and am acutely aware of when. I’m just stalling.

“Gracie, come on. Don’t fuck with me. You know when. I stood and watched the pair of you before I knocked on the door. Thought about walking away if the truth be told.”

I turn and look at him; his eyes are fixed firmly on the road.

“He told me he’s not what I want and that I’m not what he needs.”

“Carmichael has no fuckin’ clue what he needs,orwhat he wants for that matter.”

“Oh, he does. Lexi is both, and she’s going over to see him tonight.”

“What?” He tilts his jaw down towards his chest and frowns. “How’d you know that?”

“He just told me.”

“Motherfucker. Sorry, Grace, but yeah.”

We continue driving in silence. The snow has stopped falling, but the roads are quiet.

My phone vibrates. Because time zones suck and my notifications tend to go off twenty-four seven, my phone is almost always on silent, but usually in my hand.

I look at the screen.

Koa:I lied.

Me:About what?

Koa:There’s no one coming over. I filled and heated the hot tub for you.

I let out a deep sigh. I actually feel a little dizzy at his confession.

“You okay there, Grace?”

“Koa just text and told me that he lied, he has no one coming over tonight.”

“And why would he do that I wonder?”

“He ain’t said. Should I ask?”

“Depends. Do you wanna know?”

“Much like Koa, Lee, I have no fucking clue what I want or need.”

“Jesus, you two are messed up.”