Crashing Into You Read online

  “Come on, don’t go…”

  I waved my finger at him, like he was my pupil, and I was his schoolteacher. “It’s not up for discussion. You want waffles?” As soon as I said it, I bit down on my tongue. Evan was so ripped I wondered if he had ever had a stack of waffles in his life. Did I need to offer him an egg white omelette?

  He pulled the bed sheets over him, up to his shoulders, and said, “Waffles sound amazing.”

  I smiled, relieved. “With butter?”

  He nodded. “Lots of butter.”

  “Syrup? I've got the real stuff.”

  He licked his lips. “Mmm. Okay, okay. Now I’m hungry.”

  He looked so cute, so innocent, staring up at me with his puppy-dog eyes. I tried not to think of the series of events that got us here, that made this thing between us finally happen.

  “She would’ve wanted you to be happy,” I whispered to myself, as I entered the kitchen, but then I shook my head three times real fast, and focused on the task at hand. I grabbed my waffle iron from the bottom shelf in the pantry, and started making breakfast.

  I mixed the dry waffle mix with the eggs, milk, and oil, and waited a minute for the iron to heat up. When the orange light came on, I poured the batter in the center, and closed the top.

  I shut my eyes. Listened to the iron as it sizzled.

  When a pair of arms wrapped around my belly, I jumped, and let out a tiny scream. Evan kissed me on my cheek.

  “Scared you, didn't I?”

  I laughed, tried to pretend I wasn't so damn gullible. “No, uh-uh, not at all.” I leaned against him, as he kissed the back of my neck. I felt something hard touch my ass. “Evan?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are you naked?”

  He kissed me again. “Maybe.”

  “Oh my God, are you crazy? Aren’t you cold?”

  Evan chuckled. “Not when I’m next to you.” He brought his face down to the waffle iron. “Mmm. I love the smell of waffles.”

  “I know, right? You want to get the syrup out of the fridge?”

  “Absolutely.”

  He unlocked his arms from me and stepped toward the refrigerator. I checked on the waffle, to make sure it was reaching its maximum crispness—but I spent more time checking out Evan’s backside. His ass was tan and toned, yummy enough to bite on. He had two more tattoos, another series of tiny stars right below his neckline, and a bald eagle that took up most of his upper back.

  He pulled out the syrup and asked, “You want me to get plates?”

  “That'd be great.”

  He set one, not two, down next to the waffle iron; apparently we were going to share. I lifted up the lid and slid the perfect golden waffle to the plate.

  “Mmm,” he said, and started pouring the maple syrup into all the little pockets.

  “Here, I'll get some silverware.” I reached for the drawer, but Evan pulled my arm away.

  “No, no,” he said. “Let me.”

  He tore off a piece of the waffle, and brought it to my mouth. He hovered it in front of my lips, and let me do the rest of the work. I leaned my head back, just an inch or two, and let the first scrumptious bite drop into my mouth.

  “Oh my God,” I said, all sultry, but I didn’t mean it as a come-on. I was starving. Evan Taylor was naked beside me, but I only had eyes for the waffle.

  He split off another piece and dropped it in my mouth. I savored the crispness, the sweetness. It was almost as good as the sex. Almost.

  “Here. You're having some, too,” I said, and slipped a large wedge of the waffle into Evan’s mouth. He moaned even louder than I did. A small bit of the syrup trickled down the left side of his chin. I pulled him toward me, and licked it off with my tongue.

  “It tastes so good,” Evan said, “but this is better.” He pushed his lips against mine, and wrapped his arms around me. He slipped his tongue into my mouth, lifted me into the air, and all of a sudden, I forgot about breakfast.

  He brought me to the other side of the kitchen counter, where my ass wouldn’t land on anything that would burn me, and dropped me down, just a foot from the sink. He lifted my shirt over my head and started running his tongue along the top of my chest.

  I tilted my head back, looked out the window. We were on the second story of the apartment complex, so no one could look directly in. But right below was a sidewalk that led to the parking lot, where a family of four was walking side by side. If they just looked up…

  “Evan, not here. Someone might see us.”

  He came up for air, just for a second, to say, “Let them watch.”

  I smiled, as he slipped my underwear back off, and wrapped my legs over his head. He brought his tongue inside me.

  “Oh God... Evan…” I kicked my feet against his back, then grabbed a knob behind me, banged my head a couple times against the cabinet.

  “Evan… that feels… that feels so good...” I started breathing faster and faster. When he drew his tongue in even deeper, I let out a high-pitched shriek. “Oh God… oh Evan… oh—”

  Something loud dropped to the hardwood in the entrance hallway.

  My eyes popped open. I looked toward the main door.

  Lukas opened his mouth real wide, and slammed his hands over his eyes. He almost tripped over his giant suitcase.

  “Oh shit,” he said.

  Chapter 23

  Lukas kept his eyes shut tight. He reached down for his suitcase, but he couldn’t find the handle.

  Evan smashed his back against the refrigerator. As soon as he saw Lukas, he covered up his junk with both hands.

  I reached for something, anything, to cover up with. Napkins? A rag? A waffle cookbook? There was nothing within reach. I found a spatula, but that did no good. I leaned over the sink, grabbed a long strand of paper towels, and placed them over my body like a poor man's blanket.

  “Explain yourself!” I finally said.

  “I’m sorry,” Lukas said, still with his eyes closed. He finally found the handle. “I was able to get an earlier flight—”

  “Why didn’t you knock?”

  “I don't know! Maybe because I live here!” He sped toward his bedroom, but before he completely departed, I saw him open his right eye, fiddle with his glasses, and glance, not at me, but at Evan. “Oh wow,” he said.

  I pointed. “Go!”

  He ran into his bedroom and shut the door. I waited five seconds, at least, to confirm he wasn’t coming back out. Then I tossed the paper towels aside, picked up my clothes from the floor, and charged into my room.

  Evan followed me. “Well,” he said, after he closed the door, “that was awkward.”

  “Oh God,” I said, this time not in the good way. I slipped on my underwear and reattached my bra. “I was so hoping I could break this to him more easily.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I leaned against my dresser and tapped my fingers against my hips. “Lukas has been acting a little funny lately. He wants the best for me, but... he hasn’t really been on board with this, me and you spending so much time together.”

  Evan sat on the bed. By now I had put on a blue t-shirt and some jean shorts, but he just stayed naked. “Really? Why?”

  Because Melanie’s body is still fresh in the ground, that was why. But I couldn’t tell him that.

  “I just think he's afraid of losing me as a friend, that's all,” I said. “Evan, you and I can still do whatever we want in here. We just might have to cool it in the kitchen for now.”

  He chuckled. “And the living room sofa?”

  “Yes,” I said, with a smile. “That, too.”

  “What about your balcony?”

  I slugged him, playfully. “You're an animal, you know that?”

  Evan scooted closer to me, took my hand in his. His palm was so warm, so gentle. I didn't know how I had gone two years without feeling that sensitive touch.

  “Speaking of the kitchen,” he said, “we never did have the rest of that waffle.”

  I
glanced at the door. Pushed my lips together, not to kiss him, but to think. “Yeah, you’re right. We could just have it later, I guess. I'm not that hungry.”

  My stomach growled, right on cue. We both laughed.

  “I guess maybe I am,” I said, and pushed my available hand against my belly.

  “I’ll tell you what,” Evan said. “How about we take a shower, get dressed, and I take you out for a real breakfast?”

  “Oh God, really?” I smiled, relieved. If I didn't have a proper meal soon, I was going to either faint or try to hurt someone.

  I nudged my forehead against his, and kissed him. His lips tasted of sweet maple syrup. I drew my tongue into his mouth, only slightly, before I pulled away.

  I jumped off the bed, made sure my bedroom door was locked. I hated that Lukas had to see me like that, with any guy, let alone Evan, but I tried to forget about it. I opened my bathroom door and stepped inside. I had just gotten all dressed, but the clothes were coming off again.

  Evan pulled my shirt over my head, and unhooked my bra. He threw my shorts against the door. He got down on his knees and pulled my underwear down my legs, slowly, delicately. He jumped back up to his feet, as I turned on the shower. I waited for the water to get hot, and when it did, I stepped in—and Evan followed.

  I let the hot water pound against my face, let it wash away all the sweat, and humiliation. Was Lukas ever going to look at me the same way again? I ran my hands against the soap and started washing my upper body. I started at my neck, then moved to my shoulders.

  I didn’t get very far. Evan took the soap out of my hands and dropped it back in its holder. He got down under the water, too.

  “Evan?”

  “Yeah?”

  I tried not to look too glum. “Do you think it’s okay? What we’re doing?”

  “What do you mean?”

  I brought my hands to his abs, ran my fingers against them. “I just… it does, it feels right. It feels so right, and that scares me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because. I feel like I should have more guilt or something.”

  He brought his hands to my cheeks, rubbed his thumbs against my chin. “What happened with Melanie was an accident. There’s nothing either of us could have done. She’ll always be a part of me, I won't deny that.” He pulled me close, pushed his chest against mine. “But I love you now. And we have to move on. What’s done is done… and we have to move on.”

  I gazed at him for what seemed like forever. I finally kissed him, softly, and said, “I love you so much.”

  No more soft kisses—I pulled him against me, slammed my back against the tiles, wrapped my arms around his shoulders, and dipped my tongue into his mouth. The water pelted against us as we continued to kiss, as we continued to prove last night was no fluke, that this was only the beginning.

  Evan and I spent the rest of the day together. He took me out to the San Fernando Valley, where we had brunch at a cute hipster joint called Aroma Cafe. Later on we saw the new Matthew McConaughey drama at the Arclight Sherman Oaks, and then we took a stroll around the luminous Balboa Park. When he dropped me off at my apartment as the sun started going down, he kissed me good-bye, said he’d call me tomorrow, and drove away. Just like that, my perfect weekend was over.

  The apartment was unlocked, so I knew Lukas was inside. I walked straight to his bedroom door. I didn’t want to avoid him. I didn’t want any secrets between us. I hesitated, only for a moment, then knocked.

  “Yeah?” he said.

  “It’s me. Can we talk?”

  “Of course.”

  I opened the door, and did my best not to giggle. He was in the middle of the room, in a white t-shirt and blue gym shorts, performing lunges.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Just stretching before my jog.”

  “Before your what?” I closed the door behind me. “Umm, what’s your name, and what have you done with Lukas?”

  He reached his arms toward the ceiling, and continued his adorable attempt at lunges. “What do you mean?”

  “You haven’t exercised a day in your life. At least, since I’ve known you.”

  “So? It's never too late to start.” He patted his hand against his belly and said, “I’m getting a little flabby down there. I want to look my best.”

  I crossed my arms, and leaned up against his desk. “Wait a minute. This wouldn’t have anything to do with Robert, would it?”

  He tried to suppress a smile, but I saw it before it disappeared from his face.

  “Oh my God,” I said, as my hands started shaking in excitement. “Did something happen? I know you guys have gone on a couple dates, but...”

  He stopped stretching, and just stood there for a moment. When his gaze didn’t meet mine, I knew something was up. “He might have… well…”

  “What? Fucking tell me!”

  “He might have kissed me on Thursday. Before I left to see my mom.”

  I put my arms above my head, and clapped my hands together. “Holy shit! Lukas! Are you serious?”

  He opened his eyes real big, and grinned all stupid happy, like a five-year-old on Christmas morning. I charged toward him, more like a bull than a friend, and collided against his chest.

  “Oh my God, I’m so happy for you!” I shouted, and hugged him tight.

  “Thanks, Sydney.”

  “This is so exciting! You have Robert, and I have…” I stopped. Didn’t finish the thought. “So are you guys officially a couple yet, or what?”

  “I don’t know,” Lukas said. “I think so. He wants to go out tomorrow night.”

  “He wants to go out on a Monday?”

  “Mmm hmm.”

  “Oh, you’re definitely a couple.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bed. “Wow. This started off as the worst summer of my life, it really did. Now things are finally coming around. For both of us.”

  “I know. I feel so lucky. I mean, who would have expected Robert to just randomly show up at Rage that night?”

  I shook my head, with pleasant ignorance. “I know, right? What a coincidence!” I smiled. I loved seeing Lukas so happy. “So he kissed you on Thursday? Why did you wait three days to tell me?”

  Lukas grinned. “I wanted to tell you in person, that's all.”

  “Well here I am. Tell me everything.”

  “Yeah? Well, that goes for you, too, you know.”

  I lowered my head. “What do you mean?”

  He tapped his fingers together and gave me a knowing look, like he was waiting for the real talk.

  I scratched the bottom of my chin. My face felt so tight. I pushed my elbows against my knees. “Look, I’m sorry about what you saw in the kitchen. If I had known you were gonna be home so early, I never would have done that, anything like that. And it’s just so mortifying to me that you would’ve seen me—”

  “Sydney.”

  I stopped. “What?”

  “I’m happy for you. Evan's a good guy, and I know how much you care about him. I just hope he cares about you, the way I do.”

  I teared up a little, despite my best efforts not to. I hugged him, and said, “Thank you, Lukas. Your support on this means everything to me.”

  “Of course. What are friends for?” He rested his head on my shoulder. We both stayed quiet for a moment. “So,” Lukas finally said, “was Evan going down on you before you had the waffle, or after?”

  I slugged him in the shoulder, and we both laughed real hard, real fast, as we lay back against his bed.

  Lukas and I didn’t say much after that. But I knew we were both thinking the same thing.

  Who was going to have the louder bedroom this summer?

  Chapter 24

  “Happy birthday to you… happy birthday to you…”

  The boys were singing, and I was begging them to stop. I pushed my hand over Evan’s mouth, but he pushed it away and kept belting out the stupid song. Lukas and Robert weren’t helping matters either; they sang a
t the top of their lungs, their arms wrapped around each other's backs. The waiter dropped the chocolate frosted ice cream cake on the center of the table.

  “Happy birthday dear Sydney… happy birthday to you!”

  Evan pulled a lame plastic birthday hat over my head, and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

  I gestured to the yellow cardboard hat, as Lukas took a picture of me. “I hate you guys so much,” I said, and promptly blew out the lone lit candle. “I didn’t even think they had cake here. That’s why I picked this place!”

  “They don't,” Evan said. “Only green tea ice cream. I had to stop at a little mom-and-pop store before I picked you up. First name Baskin, last name Robbins.” He swiped a glob of the chocolate frosting from the cake and brought it to my mouth. “Open wide.”

  I smiled, and did as my boyfriend said. Evan brushed his finger against my bottom lip, and I sucked the scrumptious frosting right off.

  “Wow,” Robert said, sitting across from us. “I think I just caught a glimpse of your wedding video. You gonna let him lick some frosting off your finger, too, Sydney?”

  I shook my head. “Hell, no. You think I'm sharing any of this? No way!”

  When Robert and Lukas stabbed their forks into the cake, both terrified that I was being serious, I laughed and grabbed the closest knife.

  “Only kidding, you two,” I said, and shook my head again. It turned out I wasn't the only one with a sweet tooth at the table. “All right, who wants the first slice—oww!” I dropped the knife.

  “What?” Evan asked. He looked down at my hands. “Oh no, did you cut yourself?”

  I grabbed a napkin and pressed it against my index finger. “I just nicked it, I’m fine.”

  Evan grabbed another knife and started cutting into the cake, as I sucked on my tiny wound and continued to dab at it with the napkin. When I flexed my finger up and down, a small trickle of blood oozed out. It seemed fitting, really: the gruesome reality that the fun and games of this glorious summer were coming to an abrupt end, and the horrors of classes and midterms and deadlines were about to begin.

  I hated my birthday, not just because I hated birthdays in general, which I did; I hated it because it was always on the weekend before school started, at the end of August. Ever since I was a kid, all the fun from my birthday was drained away because I had that scary first day of school looming in the near future. Sometimes my birthday would actually fall on the first day of school, like in the third grade, when my gifts on the dining room table included a backpack, a thermos, and a bouquet of sharpened pencils.