Catching Tatum

Chapter 10

Cole?

Maybe

It's Tatum

Hey

Ur a jerk. Let's get this over with.

I WANTED to smack those dimples off his perfect face. I wanted to yell at him without fear of losing either of my jobs or anyone knowing why I hated him so much. I wanted to embarrass him the way he embarrassed me in the school hallway, but any scenario I could think up also made me look bad. I decided to confront him alone, face to face; that way I could deny everything if he ever said anything to anyone. If word got out I could blame it on another girl after me and put it all on him and I would come out looking good and STD-free.

When?

Today?

Let's talk first

That's my gurl.

Soooooo not ur girl!

Come over

Will we b alone?

Absolutely guys are going out. I'll stay

Perfect txt me when they're gone.

You wanna hook up??

No I HATE u jerk!

For now

FOREVER. Txt when they're gone.

Seven o'clock that night, I got the text. Game on... this time it was my game. He let me in and was all Rico Suave, exactly like I remember him being any time he wanted in my pants, blissfully ignorant that I was about to ruin him or at least finally get to pay him back for ruining me. I asked for a drink first and he gladly mixed me one while I hopped up to sit on the kitchen counter.

He walked over to me, handed me the glass, and fit himself comfortably in between my legs and grabbed on to my hips the way he used to, like it hadn't been years since we were last together. He still electrified me. I wanted to hate him, but instead I wanted to have him all over again.

"So you missed me, huh?" he asked, moving his hands up into my dreads. He took a few in his hand and rolled them, then reached up and grabbed them, pulling my head back the slightest bit. Him and hair. I had almost forgotten, and then I remembered his hands were always in my hair.

"You know it." I smiled, sipping from the glass to dodge his kiss, trying to decide if I wanted to dump it on the top of his head and watch it pour down his body or toss at him and watch it splash all over his face and kitchen so he had more to clean.

"Fuzzy navel. Your favorite."

"You remember that, huh?"

"I remember lots," he said, moving his hands from my hips to my thighs.

"You remember you have herpes and forgot to mention that to me?"

"What?" He looked genuinely shocked; all romance and color drained from his face instantly. He let go of me and backed away like I had the plague. "What are you talking about?"

My face got hot and flushed and my heart was beating like it did at the dentist office when they injected the needle. My mom and that doctor were the only people I'd ever said the words out loud to. If felt like poison coming out of me. "You know what I'm talking about. You gave me herpes, you prick!"