OCTOBER 3RD 2004
JOEY
I HELD her hand the entire walk from my housing estate to hers. It was the least I could do for the girl considering the monumental sacrifice it must have taken her to let down her walls enough to take me inside of her body.
She played it down, but Tony’s extramarital activities had fucked her up good in the head when it came to trusting men.
Sometimes, I liked the fact that she seemed just as broken as I was.
It made me feel a little less fucked up.
It was her dad’s wandering eyes that had kept her from sleeping with Ricey after a nearly four-year relationship.
And as for us, we’d been together for almost a year now.
Fuck, where had the time gone?
“Slow down,” Molloy grumbled, pulling on my hand, as we crossed the bridge over the river that separated her estate from mine. “It’s your fault I’m walking like a wide-legged cowboy.”
I laughed, because in all honesty, what else could I do?
“It’s not funny.”
“Do you want a piggyback?”
“How about I wait here while you run back to my house for my car and come get me?” she suggested instead.
“Molloy.” I laughed. “We’re nearly there.”
“Ugh, fine,” she relented with a huff as she released my hand only to wrap her arm around my waist, and then slide her hand into my ass pocket. “So, what’s the plan for your birthday? It’s only a couple of months away, Joe. Which might sound like we have a lot of time, but with all the project work and practical exam prep we have at school between now and Christmas break, we really need to start making a plan.”
“No, we don’t,” I warned. “Because I’m not having a party or any of that bullshit, so put it out of your head right now.”
“Fine, you don’t want a party, but how about we go out with a bunch of our friends on Christmas eve instead?”
“I need to be home on Christmas Eve.”
“Why?” she teased. “Is Santa coming?”
I smirked. “Funny.”
“Just hear me out,” she said, and then dove into a flamboyant tangent of plotting and planning before finishing it up with, “And after the pub, we can stay at my house, and then we can spend the day lounging around. That night, we can sleep over at your house, and I’ll make sure you’re tucked up in bed nice and early for Santa, then, when you wake up the next morning on your birthday, we can celebrate with some very fun and un-Virgin-Mary birthday sex?”
“Sounds tempting.”
“Then be tempted,” she encouraged, twirling under my arm until she was flush against me. “Say yes.” Batting her long lashes, she smiled sweetly up at me. “Please.”
“Fine,” I gave in and replied. “Whatever makes you happy, Molloy.”
She grabbed my face and kissed me, giving me no choice in the matter, no option but to feel her presence, to kiss her back.
“See?” Breaking our kiss, she winked and patted my chest. “I knew you’d get the hang of this boyfriend gig.”
“Hm.”
“Hey, Joe?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad that I waited,” she whispered, curling her arm around my neck. “It meant more with you.”
What was I supposed to say to that?
We both knew I couldn’t say the same.
Blowing out a breath, I went with the truth and said, “It never meant anything before you.”
“Aw,” she teased. “You’re a sweet slut.”
I grinned. “Thanks.”
