“That James boy is just trouble waiting to happen,” I hear Mrs. Norris telling Mika, but I stay around the corner, just listening as I hold the ice cream cones in my hands. “Your father shouldn’t let you stay around him. You’re a good girl with a good future, yet every summer you two are glued to the hip. It’s not good for you.”
“Fuck off,” Mika groans, sounding annoyed. Painfully, I choke back a laugh.
The gasp of indignant horror from the high school teacher is loud. It’s rare we get out, but Mika wanted ice cream, and I wanted to feel what it was like to walk through town with my arm around her.
“See? He’s already influencing you! That’s not respect you’re showing me.”
“Respect is keeping your mouth shut about someone you know nothing about. So kindly… fuck off.”
My smile spreads, and that easiness in my chest settles in. She makes it all seem different. Nothing else fucking matters.
“You’ll see. When he proves he’s no better than his father or mother, you’ll see.”
“All I see is some incredibly bored woman trash talking a teenager because she gets her rocks off on stirring shit. Oh, and I see a woman who has probably fucked his father a few times. Mr. James has quite the reputation for more than just drinking.”
Another gasp widens my smile, and angry heels clicking against the pavement lets me know Mrs. Norris is leaving.
I turn the corner to see Mika smiling to herself, and remember why I’m in love with her. Instead of saying anything, I walk up and press my lips to hers, surprising her as I try to hold the ice cream away from us.
She wraps her arms around my waist, not giving a damn if anyone in town sees her kissing me. I’m not the dirty secret or a rebellious moment. I’m hers, and she doesn’t care who knows it.
“I love you,” I say against her lips.
“Then give me my ice cream,” she says back, smiling against me.
Snickering, I step back and hand her the chocolate cone, and she moans while licking a section. Damn it. Now my dick is stone.
Mika smirks at me, probably aware of what she’s doing, and I roll my eyes while trying to play it off.
“I need to swing by my house and check on Mom,” I tell her on a sigh, which immediately kills the hard-on.
“Of course,” she says with a shrug.
No one ever acts like they want to go to my house, but Mika never cares to. We laugh and talk and devour the cones before they melt. It takes a while to walk all the way there, but when we reach the steps, I release her hand.
“Wait out here,” I tell her.
“Nope. Sorry. Not getting rid of me that easily.”
Groaning, I turn and lead the way in, stepping over the laundry that is scattered right in front of the doorway. Unfortunately, Mom forgot to put up the sign, and we walk in on her sucking off the judge.
He doesn’t notice, and my stomach roils at the sight as I start to step back out. Mika doesn’t even react before following me outside, and she wraps her arm around my waist.
“Movie tonight? I was thinking we should watch something with some violence for a change. No chick flicks,” she says as though we didn’t just see my mother giving the judge his weekly freebie to keep her out of jail for prostitution.
“You don’t have to act like you didn’t just get sick. Even I’m sick. How the hell can you—”
“If I gave a damn about what your mother does, I wouldn’t be the girl for you, Chase. I’m not going to let a gross blowjob ruin our time. She really should remember to put the sign up though. That man’s ass was too hairy to be natural, and I can’t un-see that.”
She shudders, but she’s laughing.
Despite the fact I should still be on the verge of vomiting, I pick her up and crush my lips to hers, clinging to her. She wraps her arms around my neck, holding me close and kissing me back.
“Thank you,” I finally say.
“For what?” she muses, kissing a line down my cheek.
“For not giving a damn about where I come from.”
She wraps her legs around my waist as we stand in the middle of the dirt road, and she studies my eyes.
“I only care about you, Chase. Fuck the rest. You’re not them.”
“And you’re sure about coming here and dealing with this in two years when we’re both eighteen? I don’t want you to regret that decision.”
She smiles at me as though the world around us is getting brighter instead of darker.
“I can’t wait. And I’m not giving up anything to feel regret over. I get you. There’s nothing better out there for me.”
Getting into the psych ward is fucking impossible unless you’re a family member, and I’m going crazy in the waiting room. Aidan had to leave to get Dr. Stein from the airport three hours ago. She flew in just for Mika… To help her get out of this place.