Chasing Miss Conner •NEW VERSION•

XL

Forty

I dozed the remainder of the way back to Genny's house, my body sated and warm.

Juliette's fingers slid across my thigh, my cheek, tender and careful. I was awake enough to feel it as I drifted in and out of the clouds, pleasantly dragging me under. I smiled to myself and stretched as I came to, the car sliding to a stop. Juliette was watching me, her blue eyes scanning my face, bright and rippling with waves of emotion. It made me think of the first time I had seen her, staring at me with a look of regret after she had nicked me with her car door.

"What?" I mumbled, slightly self-conscious as I smoothed a hand down my hair.

She shook her head with a worried breath. "Nothing really, I just...I didn't hurt you, right?"

My brow furrowed. Did she really think she had?

"No, you didn't. Why do you think you did?" I watched her, the way her fingers shook as she ran them through her hair.

"I wasn't exactly gentle." Her jaw clenched, a bit of shame in her eyes as she reached over, turning my neck slightly. "You have...bruising. It's light and nearly unnoticeable but it's there. I'm...I am so sorry Shay."

I brought my fingers to my throat, ghosting them over the skin. It didn't even hurt, or feel bruised at all. "Juliette, please stop apologizing. I am eighteen, I knew what I was asking for and what I wanted to happen. You didn't do this to me. You didn't hurt me, or do anything I didn't agree to." My throat clogged up. "So, please stop looking at me like you regret it. That will hurt me."

She opened her mouth to respond when the door to Genny's house flew open, and whatever she was going to say faded into a soft curl of her lips. Instead, she threaded her fingers with mine, and I kissed her, ignoring the first few raps of Genny's knuckles on the glass. I pulled away with a sigh when they grew more persistent, glancing at her with a glare that tapered into worry at the stress on her face. I told Juliette I would call her later and hurried out of the car, giving her a wave as she drove off.

Genny gripped my elbow, steering me towards the car. "Dude, you have no idea how fucking fucked we are. Your mom knows you didn't stay with me." I could feel the blood drain from my face at her words, and I whipped my head towards her.

"What the fuck? How?"

She grimaced, ducking to get into her car. "She called to check on you and my mom answered, I was...um, busy." I fought hard for a few seconds to keep the anger off my face, knowing it wasn't her fault.

"Okay." I said, slowly. "It's fine. Right? I'm a consenting adult, it's not like she assaulted me or anything."

Genny's head snapped to the side, her car jerking left for a second. "Oh my god, you guys fucked?"

Ah, shit.

My cheeks blazed and she let out a loud laugh. "Oh what did I say? I knew she'd have her hands full with you. So, how was it?" She wiggled her eyebrows and licked her lips, making me laugh.

I shoved her, biting my lip as I remembered the moment. "It was honestly perfect."

"Did you "make love?" She quoted with a snort.