Razorblade Kisses(37)
“Ashley is doing awesome. She’s on some sort of gymnastics team or something. She said you’d know it was a big deal.”
Hot pins pricked at the back of her eyes and tears threatened. Emery was on the gymnastics team for years before she quit; she’d loved it. “When are her meets? I’d love to go,” she said before she actually thought about her words. “But I can’t…”
“But Em, she’s so awesome. I thought you’d be happy.”
“I’d be happy if I could see her compete. If I could hug her neck and tell her how much I love her.”
“Well, I’ll get her to make you a video and send it to me, okay?” Rachel suggested. “Then I’ll send it to you and then delete it.”
Emery’s heart soared. “Why haven’t you thought about that before?! That’s awesome. I’ll do one too…”
“No!” Rachel yelled into the phone. “Did you not just hear that my crush of years kissed me?”
Emery grinned. “So…what happened?”
“Oh my gawd…his lips are like velvet and it felt like…it was perfect, Em. It was everything I’d hoped it be. I felt it in my crotch.”
“Well, that’s explicit.” Emery laughed, though she knew Rachel wouldn’t be any other way.
“I mean, I wanted to unzip his pants immediately, but I couldn’t.”
“And why not?”
“Because I was leaving my dad’s office and he was entering the elevator, so I decided to take a ride back up with him. He pushed me against the wall and everything. It was like a fucking movie, except the doors opened and my dad’s receptionist saw me. Then Derrick walked out of the elevator with a raging hard-on. It was awesome.”
Emery laughed. “Have you talked to him since?”
“No…”
“Why not?”
“Because I want him to call me, Em. He has my number and he hasn’t called. Do you think he’ll call?”
“I know he’ll call.”
“How? How do you know?”
“Because you’re you.”
“Ugh…whatever, that’s because you love me.”
“I’m very realistic. You turned those lips on him, so he’s probably just been at home jerking off, too busy to call.”
Rachel’s giggled filled the phone. “I gotta go. Love you. Miss you.”
“You too.”
She stared into her own eyes as she talked to Ashley. She’d put her hair into one of her Braves baseball caps. Her blue eyes popped under the navy cap and the changes she’d made since she left Atlanta weren’t as obvious.
“Hey, Ashley. It seems like you’re doing fabulous. I heard about you making the team. Don’t let Coach Jeffries boss you around too much. I miss you so much. I’m so sorry I had to leave you like that…” her voice trailed off. “This isn’t what this video is supposed to be about.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to say other than I love you and I’ll be back. I promise.”
She hit the stop button on her phone. This was her third attempt at the video and it was dumber than the first one.
“What do you want to tell her?” Noah’s voice made her heart jump into her throat.
“Shit.” She turned around and took in Noah. He was wearing her favorite gray sweatpants and a tight black t-shirt. “You scared me.”
“What do you want to tell her, Em? You miss her. Why don’t you tell her where you are and how you’re doing?” He walked toward her and stopped a few steps away.
“I don’t want her to know where I am.” Her eyebrows rose at her own admission.
Noah reached out and took her phone from her. “Why?”
“Because.” She shrugged, hoping he would back off.
“Fine,” he responded, but she knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t let that go so easily. He sat down on the end of the bed and played with her phone. “Why don’t you let me video you and ask you questions?”
She shook her head no, looking down. Emery didn’t want Noah to know these things, to hear what she would say. It would lead to him asking more questions she couldn’t answer. She felt him take her hand and lift it to his lips. He pressed his lips to the back of her hand, which caused her to raise her eyes to his. They locked and a smile played on his lips.
“Okay, fine, but I don’t understand how you can make me do things that I don’t want to do,” she huffed.
He lifted the phone so that he was videoing her. “Okay, go.”
She smiled. “Ashley. I don’t know why I just thought about this. I should’ve been sending you these videos since I left. I heard about you making team. I’m so proud of you. I just know you’re going to be amazing. I’m doing okay. I’m in college and working at a restaurant. Can you believe it? I even have friends. I miss you.” Her gaze fell to her feet.