I ran to my room and returned with a bottle of water, putting it up to his mouth. “Drink this.”
He gulped it down in one sitting then crushed the plastic and threw it. I kneeled down to pull off his shoes.
He was slurring his words and muttering something I couldn’t understand.
I stood up and pulled his blankets down. “Lie down.”
He took his jacket off, throwing it clumsily onto the ground and crawled over to his pillow. He lay on his stomach and closed his eyes.
I sat at the side of the bed and was still shaken by what I’d walked in on. I felt so badly for Elec and was so ashamed of Randy. I knew I needed to talk to my mother tomorrow. How could she have not overheard and intervened tonight?
Elec’s breathing had evened out. He had fallen asleep. I ran my hand once through his silky black hair, relishing the ability to touch him freely without his knowing it. My index finger brushed lightly over the cut on his lip that he sustained from the fight with Bentley. It was right around his lip ring, and I shuddered when I realized that his lip must have torn.
The reason for the constant anger he exhibited was now clearer to me than ever, yet I still felt like I knew nothing about Elec’s life.
He looked so innocent in his sleep. Without the smirking or the glare of his eyes, it was easier to see past his harsh exterior in order to catch a glimpse of the boy hiding beneath—the same boy I now realized had been damaged by the man married to my mother.
A teardrop fell down my cheek as I adjusted his blanket before exiting the room.
Back in my own bed, I thought about how ironic it was that this guy who’d done nothing but try to chase me away and intimidate me was the one person in the world I felt like I wanted to protect.
***
By the time I got up the next morning, Randy and my mother had already taken off for an overnight trip out to the Western part of the state.
Mom had left me a note on the kitchen counter:
Randy surprised me in the wee hours of the morning with an early birthday trip to the Berkshires. He’d already packed the car by the time I woke up! I didn’t want to wake you. It will only be one night. We’ll be back late Monday. There are plenty of leftovers for you and Elec in the fridge. Call my cell if you need anything. Love you.
How convenient. I was sure my stepfather had arranged this to avoid having to deal with what happened last night. I immediately grabbed my phone and texted her:
Enjoy your trip, but when you get back we seriously need to talk about what’s going on with Randy and Elec.
Elec didn’t come downstairs until two that afternoon. He looked like death warmed over as he dragged his feet over to the coffeepot, his hair disheveled and his eyes bloodshot.
“Good morning, sunshine,” I said.
His voice was groggy as he whispered, “Hey.” He poured some coffee into a mug and nuked it.
“So, apparently, our parents took off on an overnight trip. They’ll be back Monday night.”
“That’s too bad,” he said.
“That they went away?”
He took a sip of coffee and said, “No, that they’re coming back.”
“I’m sorry abou—”
“I can’t do this.” He shut his eyes and held out his palm. “I can’t talk to you. Every time you speak, it sounds like a chainsaw.”
“Sorry. I get it. You’re hungover.”
“Well, there’s that, too.”
I rolled my eyes, and he winked, causing my heart to flutter.
I sat with my legs crossed on the sofa adjacent to the kitchen. “What are your plans today?”
“Well, first I have to find my fucking head.”
I laughed. “And then?”
“I dunno,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Would you want to get some takeout later?” I asked, trying hard to seem casual.
He looked apprehensive and rubbed the scruff on his chin. “Um…”
“What?”
He checked his phone. “No, actually, ugh…I have a date.”
“With who?”
“With, um…”
“You don’t know?” I laughed.
He scratched his forehead. “Give me a minute…”
I shook my head. “That’s sad.”
“Oh! With Kylie…yeah…Kylie.”
If Kylie only knew how interchangeable she was. I was just secretly relieved he didn’t say Victoria, because I knew she still had it in her mind to contact him despite the scene he caused on our “double date.” She’d texted him at least once yesterday, and her desperation really annoyed me.
Early that evening, I’d curled up on the couch with my book when Elec walked downstairs. I instinctively sat up and straightened my clothing. His cologne wafting through the room was enough of an aphrodisiac before I even turned to look at him. He was dressed in black pants and a fitted maroon shirt rolled up at the sleeves. His hair was styled into a controlled mess, and aside from the cut that remained on his bottom lip, he looked better than I’d ever seen him. Actually, even the damn cut was sexy. The energy in the room seemed to change anytime he walked into it. All of my senses were hyperaware of him.