Darling

Darling by Brad Hodson Page B

Book: Darling by Brad Hodson Read Free Book Online
Authors: Brad Hodson
Tags: Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers, Horror
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milk crate. “Damn. You’re fast.”
    “I practice a lot. So, what did you bring?”
    She sat the bag on a box and pulled out a block of cheese and some crackers. She took a step to the side and smiled, doing her best Vanna White.
    Dennis whistled. “That’s a mighty fine spread there, miss.”
    “Why, thank you. The food’s not bad either.” She leaned in and kissed him.
    He unrolled the sleeping bag onto the floor. She sliced the cheese with his pocketknife and joined him on the bag with a tube of crackers. He rattled off his list of reasons to be happy about moving and she laughed.
    “And that’s just me,” he said and stuffed a cracker in his mouth. “Mike’s gonna be a whole new man.”
    “Are you sure about this? What if Mike backs out again?”
    “He won’t.”
    “But what if he does? Can you afford the place on your own?”
    He shrugged. “For a month or two. If he flakes—and he won’t—I’ll just post a flyer on campus. It won’t be a problem.”
    “You have a lot of faith in that kid.”
    Dennis laughed. “Kid? He’s only two years younger than you.”
    “Physically, yeah. Emotionally?”
    “Yeah. I know.” He leaned against the wall. “I have to push him like this, ya know? Everybody else in his life coddles him. That’s why he’s still—”
    “Fucked up?”
    He frowned.
    “Sorry.”
    “What about me?” he asked. “Think I’m fucked up, too?”
    “Oh, yeah. Definitely.” She laughed and punched his thigh. “But now I’m in too deep.”
    “Laugh it up, Chuckles. Laugh it up.”
    She crawled across the sleeping bag and inched herself up until she straddled him. “Naw. Truth be told, I think you’re just right.”
    “The porridge Goldilocks chose, huh?”
    “Something like that.” She kissed him, full and deep. One of her hands pressed against the wall above his head for support. The other traced small lines down the back of his neck.
    His own hands drew her closer, pressing her small body against him. He slid a hand up the back of her shirt and rubbed the warm skin of her lower back. It didn’t take long for her hips to grind against his pelvis.
    They stayed on the sleeping bag for the next hour, exploring the contours of each other’s bodies until they collapsed with exhaustion.
    Eileen draped an arm over Dennis and rested her face against his chest. “You’re in pretty good shape, pal.”
    “You ain’t so bad yourself.” He was quiet for a moment, thinking of what to say.
    It was too long and she noticed. “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing’s wrong. I just…does this mean we’re…”
    “Exclusive? I don’t know. Do you want to be?”
    “Well, yeah.”
    “Good,” she said and kissed him. “Me too.”
    “Good.”
    “That’s settled. What took you so long?”
    He ran his fingers through her hair. “I don’t know. You just seemed like it wasn’t something that you wanted.”
    “Really? How?”
    “I…shit. I don’t know, really. That’s just what I thought.”
    “You sure you weren’t just displacing your own fears and concerns onto me?”
    He laughed. “Damn, girl. One psychology class and you think you’re Freud.”
    “Seriously. After everything you’ve been through…I mean, have you been with anyone since Allison?”
    “Honestly?”
    “No, lie to me. Yes, honestly.”
    “Well, there were a couple of, um…”
    “Fuck buddies?”
    “Friends with benefits.”
    “Fuck buddies.”
    “Okay. Fuck buddies. Anyway, I’ve slept with a couple of girls—always using protection, of course.”
    “Of course.”
    “But I haven’t been involved with anyone. Not seriously. Hadn’t really wanted to, truth be told.”
    “Then you saw me playing Donkey Kong while my clothes dried and your whole world changed.”
    “What can I say? I love me some Donkey Kong .”
    She laughed and propped herself on one elbow. He looked up at her and smiled. She was beautiful. The smell of her was even better; it lingered over him like the sweat that

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