CH

sik

throwing herself at him. The same one he swore he wa

nothing but his white button-up shirt. The shirt hung loose on he

crossed one smooth leg in front of the other, holding the door half-

anything underneath, my heart t

Nathan's voice called fro

babe? He actually called Jessika babe. The wo

r smirk growing wider. She leaned against the do

into my palms. She had mumbled the last part of

this... standing here in Nathan's shirt, fresh from his bed, throwing those wo

front bulged obviously, still half-hard like he had just been interrupted. His hair was messy, skin flushed. His

ere?" he asked, not eve

d, my voice cracking as I foug

laughed

what you really are?" She turned he

Nathan's hand slid around her waist, f

r in that sarcastic way and sauntered back inside, her

he package so tightly the r

ut small. "You're calling her J

hut behind him. He reached out and grabbed my shoulders in that fake

s, Fat-suh," he said, grinning li

I blurted louder, tears burni

miling like none of this hurt. "What's this

lly wanted, and had picked the perfect jersey, writing that long note, pouring my feelings onto the paper. Now it

ice shaking. "Why is she wearing your s

like I was bei

"Jessika and I have a thing going, alright? It's not serious. I promis

y hand again. I

im. My shoulders trembled. Jemy's words from the li

partment, hearing him call her babe while he stood there half-n

ight like he was doing me a favor. "Jess made food. It's a

ier with every step. The package bounced against my side. I coul

k. The cab I had taken earlier was long gone. I start

had ever called me played on repeat... Fat-suh, beanbag, sack of potatoes, marshmallow. He said them w

door. All the secret kisses, all the times I laughed at his jokes even when they hurt, all the n

wed up with a gift and a love not

t, probably Jemy checking in and I wasn't

oy who never deserved the attention I ga

seen how my stepdad looked at me. I hated to admi

subtle ways his hairy hand brushed mine, my breath had hitched at that point, and I saw

atever Jemy thought rub off on

ed noticing my stepfather a year ago. I had believed maybe dating a ho

tched and allowed them to taunt me with their mean words. But today was different, I

the white building I called home. Skye, our golden retriever, booed and burst

leaping all over me. Then I looked up, th

nd down, his thick body covered in nothing but a light apron across his ches

e. Oh, gosh! The temptation I had to fight daily

u're back early." He