I tried the hold the laughter in, but it was impossible. Kootch was so put-out about it.
“As you can imagine, I’m peeing my pants out in the middle of the street, but Kootch isn’t done.”
“I was offended, okay?! Wouldn’t you be?” He looked at me. I just shook my head in disbelief, biting the insides of my cheeks to keep from laughing at him.
Jasmine continued the story. “Kootch starts yelling, ‘Why didn’t you just take the garbage last week? You didn’t have to skip our house over it!’ And the Garbage Man’s like, ‘What? You tryin’ to kill me, man! Maybe next time you’re gonna put a rattler in there or somethin’, finish me off! You people livin’ in these cul-de-sacs are all the same! Only one way in, one way out. Nutjobs, every one-a y’all. You don’t like the way I put your can back on the curb? Go ahead and try to kill me, then!’”
Kootch joined in with the storytelling. “I was like, ‘A rattlesnake?! Come on man, where am I gonna get a friggin’ rattlesnake?!’ And guess what … he didn’t have an answer for that.” Kootch shook his head. “Ridiculous. A friggin rattlesnake. Guy thinks I’m gonna kill him with a poisonous snake when all I wanted to do was give him a fucking Coke.”
Rae was laughing her butt off. I had a smile that wouldn’t go away and my stomach hurt with the pain of keeping the laughs in. “So how did it end?” I asked.
Jasmine responded. “Well, after I peed my pants and rolled around in the street in hysterics for a little while, we convinced the guy to pick up the garbage.”
“I had to swear on my mother’s life that there were no snakes in the can.” Kootch smiled evilly. “Little does he know I could give a crap about my mom since I don’t even know where she is, and I’m in the market for a boa right now.” He rubbed his hands together. “I couldn’t find a rattlesnake.”
“No you’re not, shut up. That’s bad karma.” Jasmine pushed him away. “So, as you can see, you’re missing some seriously good entertainment, the kind you can’t even pay for … Kootch setting up his own punking.” She looked over at him and put her hand on his cheek tenderly. “Have you ever met anyone so adorably stupid in your entire life?”
He shoved her hand away and put his face right in the camera. “Sorry, guys. Butts has to go. She’s about to get a wedgie so far up her ass crack that she’ll have to get it surgically removed.”
The computer bounced around and then turned sideways before shutting off entirely.
“Well,” I said, looking at the blank screen for a few seconds and then at Rae, “I guess Jasmine and Kootch are doing okay.”
We both started laughing then, collapsing into a heap of stupid giggles on the bed.
Chapter Fifty-Seven: Rae
MALCOLM AND I WERE IN bed together, the darkness enveloping us in its velvety shroud and making me feel bold and sexy. Being naked next to the cutest guy in the world didn’t hurt either. I moved my legs against his muscular hairy ones, reminded again what a strong man he is. He makes me feel petite and cared for, but not because I’m weak. He takes care of me because he feels lucky and knows what it’s like to be alone. Just like I do.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” he asked me for the tenth time, his hand resting on my hip.
“Yes. I am really truly ready, I promise. Are you?”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve been ready since the minute I laid eyes on you in Mr. Adams’ class.”
I pushed on his chest, but he didn’t go anywhere. We were too close together for me to have any strength, and I didn’t want him to move away, anyway. I wanted him here. Naked. Next to me. Ready to take the plunge. We’d waited all this time, making sure it was right, making sure we weren’t going this far out of desperation or fear. We both wanted to be as intimate as a couple can be, but only after all the other garbage had fallen away. Tonight was the night we were finally free.
“Do you have any regrets?” he asked me kissing me once and pulling away.
“No way.”
“Are you sure? If you’d never gone to that party, you could be going to school right now, going to gym class…”
“Beating your butt in basketball again.”
“Please,” he said, kissing my neck. “You know we beat you girls. Jasmine was cheating. Points off for cheating.”
I moved my head so I could kiss him back. His hands had roamed up to my chest and he was doing that thing I loved. I pressed against him, begging him silently to do more. I was ready to go all the way this time. No more holding back and waiting for me. I was going to seize life and live it like a normal girl.
“Rae, I have to tell you something.” He pulled away a little, looking me in the eye. I could barely make out his features in the dark.
“Confession time?” My heart raced, wondering if he was going to say what had been on my mind for days. Since almost the first moment I saw him.
“Yeah, I guess. It’s just … I need to tell you something before we do this.” He swallowed loud enough that we both heard it. He was nervous. “All my life I’ve wondered if I’d find someone I could be with. Like I am with you. And for the most part, I’d given up on it.”
“I know,” I said, reassuring him so he wouldn’t be nervous and think he was alone in this. “That’s how it was for me, too.” I ran my hand up and down his arm, reveling in the muscles I felt there. All mine. He’s all mine. How did I get so lucky?
“And then there you were, and I tried to ignore the feelings or make them go away, and it didn’t work. I was worried it was your Rainbow stuff making me feel so strongly about you.”
“But it wasn’t.” I clung to him, praying he knew that to be true.
“No, it wasn’t. It was just … it was just love. I guess that’s what I’m trying to say. I love you, Rae. I hope that doesn’t freak you out.”
The tears came rushing out of my eyes. I couldn’t have stopped them if I wanted to.
“Oh, shit. I made you cry. That can’t be good.”
He tried to pull away, but I wouldn’t let him. “No, it’s good. I’m happy.” My breath hitched.
“I’d hate to see you sad,” he said, kissing me on the mouth and wiping my tears away with the edge of the sheet.
“I love you too, Malcolm. I really do. I’ve waited for you my whole life.” I kissed him quick, desperate for him to know I meant it.
“You do? Oh my God, that’s such a relief. I was so worried you’d tell me to go away.” He kissed my neck, sucking on the skin a little and making a chill move over my body.
“Go away? Never. You’re stuck with me.” My breath was coming quicker as my pulse began to accelerate.
“I think love is a bigger deal for people like us,” he said, pulling me over to lie on top of him.
“I agree.” I knew exactly what he was saying. “I’ve always been at the far end of the spectrum of emotions. Happy, happy, happy … all the time, people around me happy.” My hair fell down over his cheeks. He reached up with one finger and touched one of my dimples.
“And I was at the other. Sad, sad, sad. People miserable around me. Until I met you.”
“Together we meet in the middle.”
“The middle’s good,” he said, rolling me over onto my back. His voice dropped lower to almost a growl. A shiver of anticipation ran up my spine. The friendly part of Malcolm left and only his sexier self remained. “But right now, I don’t want to be in the middle … I want to be somewhere else.”
I wiggled my hips around, totally ready to give him whatever he wanted, ready to hear what he was going to say.
His breath came across my face and tickled my neck when he whispered, “I want to be inside.”
I fell into the emotions we made together, letting them take me over and smother me. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t afraid of the happiness that overwhelmed us both. Being with Malcolm taught me everything I needed to know about life: Happy is good. Sad is good. And everything in between is definitely worth waiting and fighting for.
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Other Books by Elle Casey
War of the Fae: Book One, The Changelings - FREE!
War of the Fae: Book Two, Call to Arms
War of the Fae: Book Three, Darkness & Light
War of the Fae: Book Four, New World Order
Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 1, After the Fall
Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 2, Between the Realms
Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 3, Portal Guardians
Apocalypsis: Book 1, Kahayatle
Apocalypsis: Book 2, Warpaint
Apocalypsis: Book 3, Exodus
Apocalypsis: Book 4, Haven
Duality, Volume I, Melancholia
Duality, Volume II, Euphoria
My Vampire Summer
My Vampire Fall (Coming Soon)
Wrecked
Reckless
Aces High
(co-written with Jason Brant)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elle Casey is an American writer who lives in Southern France with her husband, three kids, Hercules the wonder poodle, Monie the bouvier, and a few other furry creatures. In her spare time she writes women’s fiction and young adult novels (you can find her Women’s Fiction work under the pen name Kat Lee.)
A personal note from Elle …
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving positive feedback on Amazon, Goodreads, or any book blogs you participate in. More positive feedback means I can spend more time writing! Oh, and I love interacting with my readers, so if you feel like shooting the breeze or talking about books, please visit me. You can find me at …
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Oh, my dear readers. Always my thanks go out to you for investing your time and money in my work. And to those who spread the word to their reader friends and reach out to me to talk about the books, a special extra hug. I love interacting with you. It’s for my readers that I write.
To Theresa who’s always eager to jump into the beta reading and proofreading. To Margaret whose attention to detail keeps me on the right track. And to my husband, who’s always a listening ear to my process of working through the stories. You are all so very important to me and my readers (even if they never know it.)
To Amazon, who first gave me the platform to publish my books and how now gives me a helping hand whenever I need it. You guys are awesome! Especially Lael, Phoebe, and Lauren. Super hugs.
To my family who waits patiently for me to finish writing, who celebrates my successes, and who nurses me through the low points - thank you. You guys are my rock.
Elle Casey, Melancholia
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