Playing Patience

I didn’t mean it that way, but I didn’t feel like correcting him.

“So, where are we going?” I asked.

“I thought you could come hang out with me at Finn’s house for a bit.”

It was then that I remembered I was in sweaty practice clothes.

“But look at me. I can’t go around people like this.” I motioned to my clothes and hair.

“What’s wrong with how you look?” he asked.

“Um… I have on sweaty clothes and I look like ass.”

He laughed.

“You should know, I think those cute little, gym shorts you run around in are sexy as fuck.” He looked over at me and lifted a brow.

I could feel the heat in my cheeks and instead of responding, I looked out the window to hide my blush.

When we pulled up to Finn’s house, I was surprised by the amount of people there on a weeknight. Didn’t these people have jobs or go to school? They were lounging around his garage and the inside of the place smelled like it was on fire. It wasn’t until I saw the guy across the room smoking a joint that I realized what the smell was.

“Patience? What the hell are you doing here?” Megan ran up to me with a big smile.

“Um… I’m with Zeke. What are you doing here?”

She flashed me a big, goofy grin and pointed across the garage to Chet. He threw up a hand and I waved back.

Megan’s eyes got large as she looked behind me, and then I felt arms come around me. I stiffened and was about to claw the arms like a wildcat until I heard Zeke speak. Just that fast, I felt calm. If anything alarmed me, it was the fact that I was okay with him touching me after a short amount of time. You’d think that after almost ten years of abuse, it would take me forever to become comfortable with someone, especially a guy.

“Do you play cards?” he whispered in my ear.

My entire body lit up with goose bumps and I shivered. His throaty chuckle sent his breath across my cheek.

“Sure.”

He nodded at Megan and she had a big grin on her face as she backed away and walked back over to Chet. Zeke reached down, grabbed my hand, and then tugged me over to a small card table.

“Rummy?” he asked as he straddled a chair next to the table.

I noticed the beer in this hand.

“Okay.” I sat across from him.

He won the first hand, and then I won the second.

“So, snowflake, let me ask you something,” he said as he flipped a card over and took a book. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

I stared open-mouthed at him for a bit until I could figure out how to answer his question.

“No, I’m not seeing anyone. I’ve never had a boyfriend.” I mentally kicked myself for confessing the last part.

What was it about him that made me confess everything so easily? It was like when I got around him, I just opened my mouth and words fell out.

“Never?” His brows puckered.

I knew right away where he was going with this. No boyfriend meant no sex. No sex was supposed to mean I was a virgin, but my case was much different and I really didn’t want to go there.

“Never.”

“Oooh.” His eyes got big like he was just realizing something. “I get it. You’re into chicks.”

Did I have the word “lesbian” written across my forehead or something today?

“No,” I said adamantly.

“No, that’s cool.” His smile was too big. “I don’t discriminate. Trust me. I like chicks, too. You know what? We should like them together, like at the same time.” He leaned in and ran his thumb across his bottom lip before he softly tugged on his lip ring.

My eyes shot to his mouth and he smirked at the attention. I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t like chicks, and if I did I certainly wouldn’t share with you.” I flipped my card over and picked up the book.

“Okay, so you’re not a lesbian. Then what are you?”

Aggravated by his question, I sighed loudly and answered honestly.

“You want to know what I am? I’m shattered, that’s what I am. There are tiny pieces of Patience scattered all over.”

“I’d like a piece of Patience.” He reached across the table and ran a finger across my hand.

This time I did tense up, but for entirely different reasons. My heartbeat sped up like I was on the verge of a panic attack, but instead, a rush of euphoria filled me.

“I don’t know if I can give you a piece.” I heard myself flirt back.

This earned me another sexy grin. Damn him for being so freaking sexy.