Beneath Our Faults (17 page)

“Thank you for sharing that with me and trusting me.” The fact that she opened up to me meant a lot. She was letting me in.

“Thank you for allowing me to trust you,” she replied, giving me a small smile.

“We should probably get some sleep now,” I said, exhausted.

“Goodnight,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.

“I
WOULD
yell at you for having your arms around me and your junk pressing against my back, but you’re keeping me warm so I will let it slide this time,” a sleepy voice mumbled in front of me.

I laughed and pulled the blanket tighter around our connected bodies to keep the freezing chill away from our heated wrap. “Is your dad going to come in here and arrest me since you’re in bed with me?” The bed shifted. She turned around and I lost my hold on her. Her charcoal eyes peeked up at me and she rested her head on her elbow.

"Arrest you? No. Shoot you? Maybe." Her sleepy smile morphed into a smirk.

"Well shit, you better give me something worth dying for then," I answered, wrapping my arm around her back and trying to bring her in closer to me but I was stopped by her hands hitting my shoulders.

"Nu uh, slick. Don't even try it."

"You suck," I groaned. "Are we heading home today?"

"Yeah, but is it okay if we stop by the hospital for a minute before we head out? I wanted to tell her goodbye before we leave."

"That's cool." I was in no rush to get back to Atlanta. I had a bag filled with deodorant and shit in my car I kept in case I ever stayed overnight anywhere, so I was good.

"Hey, did you ever tell your mom you were coming here?" She asked.

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"She wouldn't have cared, so it doesn't really matter. I try to limit all communication I have with her."

"Why is she gone all the time?" she asked.

"My mom is Layla Hudson," I answered.

She gave me a blank look, obviously not familiar with the name.

"Do you watch porn?"

Her head tilted to the side. "Uhhh… no?"

"You sure?"

She smacked my arm. "Yes, I'm sure. Jesus, why are you even asking me that?"

"Because she's a porn star," I explained, putting her confusion at ease.

"Oh." Her lips perused together. "Good thing I don't watch porn because that would be weird. But isn't she a little too old for that?" Her mouth went up to her hand at her outburst. "Shit. That was rude."

"You would think she would realize that, too, but obviously not. She's still got a pretty popular fan base or some shit like that." The fact that guys enjoyed watching my mom have sex was just gross but I'd learned to deal with it.

"Great," she mumbled. "Now, whenever I meet her all I am going to be thinking is porn star, porn star."

I laughed. "So you plan on meeting my mom."

"I was just saying, hypothetically,” she rushed out, waving her hands.

"You like me, you really like me,” I laughed, raising the pitch of my voice.

She elbowed me in the side and I let out an "umph."

"Jesus, has anyone ever told you violence is not the answer?” I asked, rubbing my side through the blanket.

"My dad is a police officer. He told me I could use violent force towards a guy whenever I wanted."

"I don't think that's how it works, sweetheart. Just because your daddy is a cop doesn't mean you can go beat the shit out of people and get away with it."

"Wanna test your theory?" She laughed, punching her hand with her fist.

"Whoa, calm down Rocky. I believe you." And I did. I bet my ass if Daisy clocked me and I went to the cops, they would laugh at my ass.

"M
Y LIFE
officially sucks," Gabby groaned, tossing her tray down on the table and sliding in to the chair next to me. "I can't go with you guys on New Years now because my mom is forcing me to go to my step-dad's family's lame New Year's party.”

It was the last day of the semester before Christmas break and I was going home for the holidays. My stomach was a bundle of nerves as I packed my bags the day before.

"I bet you are super excited for that one," Cora laughed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You just need to explain to your mom that you've had these plans with us for like, ever, and you honestly don't want to deal with his super uptight, asshole family that think they are better than you. You would much rather hang out with us."

I didn’t blame Gabby for not wanting to go to the party. They all treated her the same way Piper did, like shit, because her mother was her step-dad’s mistress before they got married.

"Tried it," she frowned, unscrewing the cap off her drink. "You can only get called a home wrecking whore so many times before you flip out and cut a bitch. I guess I have to be there just in case that happens.”

"Hell," Lane cut in, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "If that happens, be sure to give me a pre-warning so I can be in attendance. I love me a good girl brawl."

"You've never even witnessed a girl brawl," Cora said, calling him out.

"
World's Dumbest
on True TV, they have hour long episodes filled of girl brawls, sometimes ripping each other's clothes off. It's awesome."

Cora laughed. "I need to rethink my attraction to you.”

"Yeah, I don't think that technically counts," I added.

I had finally agreed to go on a trip to Lane's cabin in the Smoky Mountains with them for New Years. Now that Gabby was bailing on us, it meant it would just be the four of us going now.

Hell no. That was not happening.

The trip was not about to turn into some double date weekend trip.

I had to nip this shit in the bud real quick. "Since Gabby isn't going now, I'll just stay back too," I announced to the table, bringing everyone's attention my way. Apparently my canceling was now more intriguing than a cougar girl fight. "Why don't you two," my hand went back and forth between Cora and Lane, "go have yourselves a nice little romantic holiday together."

"Hell no," Gabby stretched out the two words, "you are not getting out of this." Her bony finger pointed my way. "You have to go have some fun for me since I will be stuck in freaking hell." I rubbed my hands together noticing the sweat already forming around them. Gabby was high if she thought I was going on this trip without her.

"Wait a minute now," Lane called out. "This romantic getaway weekend sounds kinda kinky and I like it. What does a romantic weekend entail exactly? Does it mean I get laid frequently? If so, count me in." He grabbed Cora's head bringing her cheek to his lips before giving her a kiss.

"Shut it, Lane," Gabby scolded. "Daisy is not bailing."

"Daisy isn't bailing on what?" The familiar husky voice came out of freaking nowhere behind me. Damnit! I swear he was some sort of freak hybrid with weird ESP that told him exactly when to show up and dip into conversations he didn't need to be in. The chair next to me shrilled against the floor and Keegan turned it backwards, flopping down on it with his legs straddling the back of the chair. He turned directly towards me with raised eyebrows awaiting my answer.

"She's trying to get out of going this weekend because I have to bail and attend the Annual Douglas New Year’s Party," Gabby tattled, making me want to strangle her tiny petite frame. Sometimes, I loved the girl yet other I wanted to wring her neck. I knew Keegan would eventually find out I bailed but I was counting on it happening when he was in the car heading there and too late to sweet talk me into going.

His face went sour. "The fuck you aren't going. You can't leave me alone with these two assholes."

"I'm sure Piper would be happy to go with you. Then you won't feel so alone," I quickly rebutted. That girl would walk on the damn sun without her beloved high heels if Keegan told her it would turn him on.

"Hell no," blurted out of Cora's mouth at the same time as "fuck that" bellowed from Lane's.

"Friends don't stick other friends with Piper Douglas," Cora said, applying lip-gloss. "Otherwise, you will have to come sneak me in beauty products in prison.”

"All of you guys can just shut the hell up now because I am going to be the tortured person who is going to be stuck with Piper," Gabby mumbled, frowning.

"Fuck, I forgot you two were related," Lane chucked over at Gabby, and she kicked his shin.

"I'm not related to that evil troll," she protested, clearly annoyed. "Just because your mom starts banging her boss doesn't mean you automatically become related to all his uptight family members."

"Daisy," Keegan said my name softly. "You're going," he demanded, "and we are going to have a fuckload of fun."

I shook my head. "It might be. …weird." Might be? Hell, it WAS going to be weird. Sure, I see him almost every day when he takes me back and forth to school and we've shared a bed a few times too many, but we were actually going to be by ourselves, unsupervised and most likely drinking. I was going to be toast on this trip.

"It's settled. Daisy will be there," Keegan proclaimed to the table. Grabbing a carrot from my tray and tossing it into his mouth, he moved in way too close for comfort. "Don't forget your bathing suit for the hot tub," he breathed into my ear. Goosebumps immediately popped up on every inch of my body. He chucked, noticing his effect on me. "I can't wait to see that tight little body barely covered for me." He finished the last word, got up and walked away from the table.

C
HRISTMAS MUSIC
played in the background as I stood on my tiptoes, grabbing two mugs from the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet and setting them down on the counter in front of me. I poured the hot chocolate, then added my final touches: nine marshmallows, hot fudge and chocolate chips (in that exact order.)

The doorbell rang and I stopped at a mirror in the hallway double check my appearance. I wanted no evidence of tears while she was here. Taking in my reflection, I noticed the slight puffiness but I could easily blame that on lack of sleep. Shaking my hands, I ran them through my messy hair before opening up my front door. "Merry Christmas!" I greeted, in a fake voice.

Tessa's bubbly face lit up. "Merry Christmas to you, too,” she said, hugging me. "God, it seriously feels like we haven't seen each other in forever." The last time I saw her was at the hospital a few weeks ago, but since then, we’d talked on the phone a few times.