elbow.
Dez chuckled, opening his bag. “You got a tray and some papers?”
Sasha slinked out from behind Dez, hopping off the bed. After tossing on an oversized t-shirt, she grabbed a small silver tray and a pack of rolling papers. She stood in front of Dez, tray in hand. If not for the bag of weed, she would’ve tossed him out. Or just left. Dez took the tray from Sasha’s grasp, gliding his thumb along her the edge of her hand. She yanked her arm away, sitting at the far end of the bed.
Shame, guilt, and awkward humiliation churned in the air, hanging over Sasha like a dark cloud. The noises Dez pulled from her, the way she squirmed…she never felt so foolish. It’d be nice if he’d just split. His chilled expression, steady hands. It only added to the thorns of embarrassment that burrowed in her gut.
The aroma of kind-bud surrounded Sasha like a warm hug. Her legs uncoiled, and she leaned toward the scent. Dez slipped a joint between her fingers, and she took a big hit. The smoke carried a fraction of worries from her body as it left. It wasn’t enough of a release, so she went in for another hit. Mid-puff, Dez’s hand landed on her thigh. Thick smoke bunched in her throat, which chose now to seal shut, and she coughed.
“Are you dating my brother?” Dez asked.
The cough turned to a full-on hack, and Sasha pushed the joint into Dez’s hand. “No.”
Dez narrowed his eyes, staring at Sasha. “A lot of people were saying—”
“We’re just friends.” Sasha was trying for an honest tone, but her words came out through clenched teeth. “People, opinions, assholes, you know how that goes.”
“Tell me about that firebombing,” Dez said, passing Sasha the joint.
“What the fuck is this?” She took a few hits, each puff renewing her barbed edges. “You don’t have to go through this uncomfortable after-sex chit-chat bullshit with me.”
“You used to be all smiles, floating around this compound. What happened to you?”
Sasha leaned back, glaring. “I got thrashed by the people I trusted most in this world. And the last five years I’ve spent earning their respect back was blown by your little stunt at the clubhouse.”
Dez held a blank stare, which grated Sasha’s already flared nerves. She jumped up off the bed, heading toward the bathroom. “It’s late. You should hit the road.”
Once shut inside the tiny bathroom, a puff of relief sailed from her mouth. She froze, waiting until her outer door slammed before turning on the water. Twenty showers wouldn’t wash the filth from beneath her flesh or cleanse the part of her that enjoyed his hold over her body. She had to try, though.
The faucet squeaked as Sasha cranked up the hot water. She stripped off her shirt, dropping it to the floor. A cloud of steam parted as she stepped into the tub, surrounding her as she stood under the scalding downpour.
***
The sun barely shined through the curtain, yet its beam was strong enough to wake Sasha from a deep sleep. For a good ten minutes, she just laid there. The courage to leave her bed never arrived, but her need for nicotine had ignited a burn in her stomach nine minutes ago. She rolled out of bed, glancing at the clock en route to her pack of smokes.
“Three! Jesus.”
A lit cigarette dangled from Sasha’s lips as she stretched. She glanced out the window, stumbling forward at the sight of red hair. Candy strutted across the gravel, putting the beauty of an autumn-crested hillside to shame, and Sasha’s forehead bumped the cool glass.
Candy headed for the stairs, and Sasha opened the window. With one hand on the railing, Candy froze. Then her bright eyes gazed up, robbing the air from Sasha’s lungs.
“I’ll be right down,” Sasha yelled as quietly as possible. She tore through her room. Dirty clothes flew through the air as she searched for semi-clean cargo pants. After slipping on a tank top, she scooped up her jacket and ran out the door.
The staircase wobbled, low
Dez chuckled, opening his bag. “You got a tray and some papers?”
Sasha slinked out from behind Dez, hopping off the bed. After tossing on an oversized t-shirt, she grabbed a small silver tray and a pack of rolling papers. She stood in front of Dez, tray in hand. If not for the bag of weed, she would’ve tossed him out. Or just left. Dez took the tray from Sasha’s grasp, gliding his thumb along her the edge of her hand. She yanked her arm away, sitting at the far end of the bed.
Shame, guilt, and awkward humiliation churned in the air, hanging over Sasha like a dark cloud. The noises Dez pulled from her, the way she squirmed…she never felt so foolish. It’d be nice if he’d just split. His chilled expression, steady hands. It only added to the thorns of embarrassment that burrowed in her gut.
The aroma of kind-bud surrounded Sasha like a warm hug. Her legs uncoiled, and she leaned toward the scent. Dez slipped a joint between her fingers, and she took a big hit. The smoke carried a fraction of worries from her body as it left. It wasn’t enough of a release, so she went in for another hit. Mid-puff, Dez’s hand landed on her thigh. Thick smoke bunched in her throat, which chose now to seal shut, and she coughed.
“Are you dating my brother?” Dez asked.
The cough turned to a full-on hack, and Sasha pushed the joint into Dez’s hand. “No.”
Dez narrowed his eyes, staring at Sasha. “A lot of people were saying—”
“We’re just friends.” Sasha was trying for an honest tone, but her words came out through clenched teeth. “People, opinions, assholes, you know how that goes.”
“Tell me about that firebombing,” Dez said, passing Sasha the joint.
“What the fuck is this?” She took a few hits, each puff renewing her barbed edges. “You don’t have to go through this uncomfortable after-sex chit-chat bullshit with me.”
“You used to be all smiles, floating around this compound. What happened to you?”
Sasha leaned back, glaring. “I got thrashed by the people I trusted most in this world. And the last five years I’ve spent earning their respect back was blown by your little stunt at the clubhouse.”
Dez held a blank stare, which grated Sasha’s already flared nerves. She jumped up off the bed, heading toward the bathroom. “It’s late. You should hit the road.”
Once shut inside the tiny bathroom, a puff of relief sailed from her mouth. She froze, waiting until her outer door slammed before turning on the water. Twenty showers wouldn’t wash the filth from beneath her flesh or cleanse the part of her that enjoyed his hold over her body. She had to try, though.
The faucet squeaked as Sasha cranked up the hot water. She stripped off her shirt, dropping it to the floor. A cloud of steam parted as she stepped into the tub, surrounding her as she stood under the scalding downpour.
***
The sun barely shined through the curtain, yet its beam was strong enough to wake Sasha from a deep sleep. For a good ten minutes, she just laid there. The courage to leave her bed never arrived, but her need for nicotine had ignited a burn in her stomach nine minutes ago. She rolled out of bed, glancing at the clock en route to her pack of smokes.
“Three! Jesus.”
A lit cigarette dangled from Sasha’s lips as she stretched. She glanced out the window, stumbling forward at the sight of red hair. Candy strutted across the gravel, putting the beauty of an autumn-crested hillside to shame, and Sasha’s forehead bumped the cool glass.
Candy headed for the stairs, and Sasha opened the window. With one hand on the railing, Candy froze. Then her bright eyes gazed up, robbing the air from Sasha’s lungs.
“I’ll be right down,” Sasha yelled as quietly as possible. She tore through her room. Dirty clothes flew through the air as she searched for semi-clean cargo pants. After slipping on a tank top, she scooped up her jacket and ran out the door.
The staircase wobbled, low
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