Page 79 of Reverse Pass

“Yeah, well luckily you’ve got the brother and the son on your side.” I wink at her, and she grins.

“Yes, lucky me.” She leans over and kisses me, and I grab her and pull her into my lap.

“Did you eat yet?”

“Some crackers and some yogurt.”

“That is not dinner. I’m gonna fix a salad, you want one?”

“Like with the croutons and the avocado? The fancy dressing and all that?” A little look of excitement crosses her face.

I nod.

“Yes.” She grins.

“All right. Just give me a couple minutes.” I kiss her one last time and then head for the kitchen after she slides back off my lap.

“You can’t tell my mom that though. That you cook for me and Joss. She will die.”

“I mean, I have to pay my rent somehow. Isn’t that reasonable?”

“Not according to her.”

“Oh, what if we tell her that’s why we’re fucking? I couldn’t afford the rent and you told me I had to find a way.” I grin.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“I might.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

“Then your mom would kill me, and she’s my favorite mom, so I would like to continue to be her favorite daughter.”

“You don’t think that’s Nora?”

“With all the times Nora snuck out of the house, and the time she found the cigarettes hidden in her closet?”

“I think the guy hidden in the closet was the bigger deal breaker for which one was her favorite daughter.”

“Oh, yeah, true. I almost forgot about that one. She was grounded through prom for that.”

“She was lucky it wasn’t forever since my mom also found condom wrappers under the bed.”

“See, you’re just making me more nervous.”

“It’ll be fine, Violet. I promise.” Hoping they aren’t going to be famous last words.

TWENTY-FIVE

Violet

I meetBen on campus after his last class. His car is already packed with our bags for the overnight stay, and we just need to get going on the road so we can get out to the cabin before it’s too dark. His eyes dance with amusement as he walks across the quad toward me, and I give him a puzzled look.

“What?” I ask, standing as he finally reaches me.

He slides his hand over mine, lacing our fingers, and he leans down to kiss me, softly and tentatively at first and then sliding his tongue along my lower lip until I open for him, and he dips inside my mouth. I forget for half a minute where we are and start to lean into him, until he breaks the kiss and grins down at me.

“Was just thinking how I was going to do that and then make you hold my hand all the way across campus.” He turns me and our hands so that his palm is against mine and tightens his grip.

“I see,” I say it like I’m annoyed, but in reality, I can’t help the little smile that comes to my lips.