A chunk of honeydew rolls off my plate and lands on the red-and-white-checked plastic tablecloth.
“And what did Gabe do?”
“Threatened to come to school and kick all their asses. Thankfully, it hasn’t come to that yet.”
I can totally picture him doing exactly that. Part of me wants to smile, but I keep my expression neutral. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Melanie blinks at me. “You’re Scarlett Priest. I just met you like ten minutes ago, and you already want to helpme?” She says it skeptically.
“Of course. If I can help, I’d be more than happy to.”
Melanie nabs the rogue melon and pops it into her mouth. After she’s done chewing, she points a serious expression in my direction. “How old were you when you lost your virginity?”
Oh God. This is not where I expected this conversation to go.I’m panicking inside and hoping like hell it doesn’t show on my face.
“That’s probably a good subject for your mom to handle,” I say quietly, and hate when Melanie’s young face falls.
“She told me to wait until I was in love and wanted to marry the guy. I don’t want to get married. So I guess that means I should stay a virgin forever, and I can tell you I’m not thrilled about that idea at all.”
I reach for the spoon in the baked beans and pause. “I was twenty and in college, and I was tired of being a virgin when everyone else was out hooking up all the time.” I cut my eyes to Melanie. “I wish I’d waited for someone special, but I’m really, really glad that I didn’t have to see the guy every day in class for the rest of my college career, because he graduated shortly after.”
I’m trying to make a point without saying it directly, because I’m totally out of my depth with this subject. Melanie’s a pretty smart girl, though, obviously, and she picks up what I’m not saying in so many words.
“Oh my God. You’re right. What if I did have sex with one of them, and he dumped me right after, and I had to see him every day until graduation?Ew. That wouldsuck.”
My head slowly bobs as realization floods her face. “Yeah, that would really suck. And you know what, Melanie? I’ve only known you for about fifteen minutes now, but I think it’s safe to say that you’re a bright girl, and you’ll know when it’s right. Don’t listen to anyone else. Not your friends, definitely not the boys.Youwill know, and who cares if you’re as old of a virgin as I was. Guess what? It didn’t hurt me any to wait longer. It was my choice, and I was good with it.”
A smile spreads across her face. “I make the decision. No one else. Just me.”
“Exactly.”
“Thanks, Scarlett. You’re way cooler than those assholes on your social media say in the comments.”
I choke out a laugh. “Thanks. And I have pretty thick skin, so I don’t even worry about what they call me.”
Her grin grows wider. “I like you. Gabe did good. I was totally prepared for you to be a stuck-up bitch, but you’re totally not. I’ll even let you do my share of the dishes,” she says with a giggle. She has charisma in spades.
“I heard that, little girl! You know better than to put your chores off on guests. Guess who’s doingallthe dishes now?” Joanie says as she sneaks up behind us.
“Nooo. That’s not fair.”
“Welcome to being fourteen,” her grandmother says in a singsong tone. “Life isn’t fair.”
Thirty-Two
Legend
Scarlett and Melaniehave their heads together, as thick as thieves near the food.
I’m glad that Q’s family is welcoming her with open arms. Part of me worried that Joanie and the girls would be standoffish because of who Scarlett is, but Scarlett broke the ice right at the front door by offering to do dishes.
Oddly, she fits perfectly into all my worlds. Who the hell would have guessed that would happen? Not me, but she’s the best damn gift I’ve ever been given. Seeing her laughing and smiling with the people I love makes me fall even harder for her.
Once we get through this shit with Moses and the fight, Scarlett and I are going to have a serious discussion about our future. I already know I’m not going back to the service station. I don’t want to live that far away from her. Shit, I don’t want to live anywhere but right in the same damn place as her.
I’ve got itbad.She’s it. The one. If I had the money to buy her the ring she deserves, I’d go get it tomorrow and put it on her finger. I want her and the whole world to know that she belongs to me, and I’m never letting her go.
But, first, I have to survive this fight.