Page 51 of Unsupervised
A smile creeps over her face. “No, I’m not worried about him. I sent his ring back. There’s nothing else he’s getting from me.”
Her words take a moment to register. “You were engaged?” Not to be judgmental or anything, but she’s so young.
“For a few months.” Her hands thread into my hair. “I didn’t love him.”
“But you were going to marry him?”
“My parents sort of arranged it, and I didn’t feel like I had a choice. But I did. That’s why I left. They think it was because he was cheating with his receptionist, but I never wanted him.” She blinks up at me, hesitating. “You said you were engaged. Why did it end?”
It’s come up before, but I didn’t elaborate. It still makes me feel stupid, that I didn’t know what was going on, but it looks like she’s been through a similar thing. “She was a cheater too.”
Sighing, she nuzzles my neck. “People suck.”
We cuddle for a few minutes before dragging ourselves out of bed. I have essays to grade, and she has to be at work soon. “Pick you up for the barbecue tomorrow?”
“I’ll be ready.”
We’re just stepping into the hall when a yell comes from Serena’s room and Owen steps out, shutting the door behind him. “Sorry! I was just going to grab a joint! I didn’t know you slept naked!”
Serena comes charging out with a blanket wrapped around her. “That’s why you don’t go in people’s rooms without knocking, asshole.”
“You sleep naked?” Kelly says. “What if the house catches on fire?”
Serena flips her hair back. “Then I’ll walk out of the flames like Daenerys.” She spares Owen one more withering look before retreating into her room.
Kelly giggles and shrugs. “It’s never boring here.”
Midnight is happy to see me when I get home, and I take him for a long walk after feeding him. The rest of my evening is spent grading essays and practicing the chords Kelly showed me on the piano. It’s more difficult than Happy Birthday, but I think I can do it. Kelly pointed out that most people won’t notice a mistake anyway, unless they play.
The concert she’s planned for the retirement home has grown to five students last I heard, who will play an array of instruments or sing. I’m not sure who is more excited about it, Kelly or Grandma and her friends.
Thunder wakes me the next morning, and I have a text that the barbecue Travis planned to hold today is postponed since the rain isn’t forecasted to stop. When I message Kelly to tell her, she gets right back to me.
Kelly: Do you want to come over here? The girls are gone until late tonight.
As I’m typing my reply, I get another message.
Kelly: If you can’t tell, this is me propositioning you. The sharks aren’t circling anymore.
It takes me half a second to realize what she’s saying.
Me: Be there in an hour.
Kelly: Just so you know, you’re coming off a little eager.
Me: You’re going to be coming on my tongue.
The length of time the little dots blink as she types her message makes me chuckle. Caught her off guard with that response.
Kelly: Stop messaging and get over here.
She doesn’t have to tell me twice.
When I arrive, she’s the only one home, like she said. We make an attempt to watch some TV and talk but it’s clear we’re both just trying to keep our hands off of each other.
She glances up at me, and I can’t take it anymore. Our lips crash together, and I lift her up, kissing her as I carry her to her bedroom and strip her clothes off. Mine are next, thrown haphazardly around the room.
“I’m not…very experienced with this,” she whispers, an anxious look on her face. “I might not be very good.”