A/N: This chapter has it all: Conflict! Drama! Romance! Pancakes! Bacon! Eggs! …Wait a minute, how'd my shopping list get here?

Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy this chapter. From around the middle of this chapter towards the end, I took over the writing responsibilities.


Chapter 3: Morning Drizzle

Nikki hadn't slept like this in a long time—the kind of sleep where she forgot her name and locale, the kind where her arm hung over the side of the bed, the kind where her lips parted for drool to dribble onto the pillow, the kind where her eyes couldn't be pried open. She didn't see anything but pitch black. However, a faint pitter patter looped around in her ears. Something warm poked her back. Bacon and pancakes wafted into her nose. (She drooled a little more.)

Her growling stomach gave her the incentive to wake up.

Careful not to snag her eyebrow piercing, she rubbed her eyes, yawned, and sat upright. With her eyes still closed, she stretched her arms outward and upward.

Why did she feel… underdressed?

She blinked hard several times and looked down at herself. Why the fuck am I naked?

Her startled, widened brown eyes darted around her dimly lit environment. Hockey posters occupied the walls. A beanbag sat next to the bed. A giant window revealed overcast skies. Drizzle hit the glass. Her and her boyfriend's clothes littered the carpet.

A quick glance at her hands showed smudged purple makeup on her skin. She rarely fell asleep in her shadow and liner.

She cast her eyes to her right, where Jonesy slept face-down and ass-up, his long limbs sprawled out.

Oh. He's why I'm naked.

Shock left her system. Next, embarrassment sunk in.

Shit, I was supposed to be sleeping in Jen's room.

Not that she didn't like spending the night tangled in her boyfriend's arms, but she did not want to face questions about how she spent her night.

She groaned, albeit softly. She didn't know why, though. He could not be disturbed whenever he slept. A hurricane could hit, and his ass would remain asleep.

She glanced at his carpet again, recalling that her phone rested in the pocket of her cargo pants. She vacated the comfort of his bed and sat on his floor, checking the time and her messages.

Wednesday. 8:18am.

A couple texts from Caitlin. An image from Jude in the group chat. More than likely, he'd sent a meme. However, neither of those concerned her at the moment.

Three (3) missed calls from Jen. Three (3) voicemails from Jen. Several texts from Jen.

Shit. Why didn't I check my phone?

Her mind answered with a flashback: She rode the shit out of her boyfriend, bed squeaks and his grunts and her own ecstasy enticing her into keeping her pace and worrying about her buzzing phone later.

Well. That explains it.

Nikki read the texts first, finding Jen freaking out about getting a ride home from Wyatt. The rest didn't betray much other than the urgent need to talk to Nikki. A pang of guilt hit her.

Judging by the aroma that floated in the air, Jen had been downstairs helping make breakfast.

She placed her phone on the ground and facepalmed herself. I hope to God this isn't gonna be as bad as I think it is.

Even in her boyfriend's deep sleep, he could sense that his girlfriend vacated the bed. He stirred. His long arms loosely reached around. When he came up with nothing but a handful of sheets, he groaned. Slowly, his eyes opened as he rolled onto his back, glaring at his ceiling. Maybe Nikki didn't spend the night with him after all. Maybe he now awoke after having the best wet dream ever. With another groan, an intense pang of annoyance hit him. It must not have been real.

At last, he managed to sit up. He blinked a few times. His sleepy, blurry eyes caught sight of a familiar, purple blob. He blinked a few more times for his eyes to focus, and he gasped. A wide smile spread across his face.

"Nikki? What're you doin' on the floor?" his excited yet groggy voice asked.

His dazed voice beckoned her attention. He sounded—dare she thought—cute in his needy, sleepy state.

"Had to check my messages, babe," she replied. "Your stepsis isn't exactly happy with me right now."

He flopped back down on the bed. "Come baaack. I'm cold." (He lied. He was a human furnace.)

Maybe she could crawl in bed with him for a few more minutes before she had to face the world (or, at least, face Jen).

She stood up, but, before she moved into the empty space he left for her, she stiffened. Something on his body made her eyes widen.

Oh, so that's what poked me in the back earlier.

"Uhhhh, maybe we should get clean and get dressed. Besides,"—her stomach rumbled—"I'm starving."

He pouted, his lips wobbling. He made grabby hands at her. "Jen and food can wait a little... especially Jen."

She rolled her eyes and groaned, giving in on her own accord. Stupid, cute, needy fucker.

She returned to his bed, allowing him to wrap his arms around her from behind. However, she remained acutely aware of his… situation. After all, it poked her in the back again.

He nuzzled his face into her hair and hummed happily, having gotten his way. He giggled. "Sorry about the morning wood, babe."

"It's fine," she conceded. "I'm just not used to that being a thing, y'know?"

He shrugged. "Makes sense. You don't have a dick."

"An astute observation from a renowned intellectual."

"You know, I'm surprised women didn't evolve to wake up wet and ready in the morning for their man's hard-on." He snickered. "Morning flood."

She couldn't fight a series of dumb chuckles with snorts in between. "Fuck you," she said amid her laughter, "I wasn't trying to laugh."

He couldn't hide his ecstasy at his dumb joke making her laugh like this. He brushed her hair out of the way and peppered kisses across the back of her shoulders, still laughing along with her.

A short, blissful sigh sat in her mouth. After a brief silence, she asked, "...What if I told you there's a little morning drizzle?"

He paused. "I'm listening."

She grabbed his hand from her waist and slid it between her thighs. "Kinda can't stop thinking about last night."

"Ooh, lookie there. There is some morning drizzle," he cooed, slipping his hand between her slick folds with a rubbing motion. His dick twitched against her backside, and his voice lowered. "Last night was fucking incredible, babe."

She crooned softly. He knew where and how to touch her. She'd love to spend every morning like this: wrapped up in his arms, trembling from laughter, riled up from their flirting, and spoiled by his touch. She aimlessly ground her rear against him while he touched her. "I could get used to this."

Before he could say or do anything more, his stepmother's voice called through the house. "Oh, kiiiiiids, breakfast is ready!" she announced in a sing-song tone.

He deflated. "I don't think I've ever been so disappointed about breakfast."

"Shit," Nikki muttered. A groan followed. "Just a few more minutes. I mean... we gotta get in the shower anyways."

His mind and heart tore into two. "But— But what if breakfast gets cold?" he asked, pouty yet still rubbing his girlfriend's pussy.

"Microwaves, Jonesy. Microwaves," she reminded while grinding on him.

He moaned as she did so. "Right! Microwaves... Right."

His girlfriend? A genius. He kissed along her shoulders again to let her know this. He also slipped a finger inside her.

She sighed and reached behind her, caressing his face with her palm while maintaining her rhythm against him. Between the relentless external and internal stimulation, she'd be trembling within a minute. They could go to breakfast like normal, she could talk to Jen, and— and—

"Shit," she moaned in a tiny voice. "I'm close. I'm close. So close. I'm— I'm— Ohhh." Her eyelids fluttered. Her breath came in quick, hushed pants. She softly whined with each one. She spasmed against his hand and his morning surprise.

Good morning indeed.

He grinned as she came for him yet again. Of course, he tooted his own horn.

Wow, I really have a knack for doing this to her, don't I?

Unfortunately, it didn't do enough for himself, but he refused to get blue balls. With haste, he moved his hand from between her thighs and roughly fondled one of her breasts, his other hand taking his dick and stroking it frantically.

"S-Say— Saysomethingsexytomebabe," he requested against her ear, getting close.

She placed her small palm atop his, the one that shamelessly groped her chest, anchoring it there.

(Something about his low, hazy voice in her ear after she already came undone. Yup, she could spend every morning like this… just without the interruption of her boyfriend's stepmother.)

Withholding a deadpan remark on how this hearkened back to their indecent conversations on the phone, she smirked. "Something sexy to me, babe."

"Ugh!" he yelped, proceeding to beg as he continued his motions. "Babe, please, I'm serious!"

She chuckled. "Be more specific next time—like tonight, when you fuck me from behind."

And that did the trick. In seconds, he spilled onto her backside with a noise of relief. "Ah, much better!" He sighed. "And if that's what you want tonight, Nicole, you got it." Personally, he couldn't wait. It would be another long day of waiting at work.

She reached onto his nightstand and grabbed a handful of tissues, passing them to him. "Okay, now I definitely need to shower before I even show up to breakfast. I feel like a cum rag."

He wiped her back before anything could dry. "A beautiful cum rag."

"Jonesy."

"What?! I called you beautiful. I thought we were both joking about the cum rag part."

She simmered down. "Fair."

He pressed more kisses against the back of her shoulders and held her tight.

"I really do need to get up and shower at some point. I'm serious," she said, despite how delightful and warm his kisses felt along her shoulders.

"Hmm, well, I'm not exactly the cleanest dude ever right now either, but I don't want to be too late to breakfast."

"I mean, what's our solution? Going downstairs looking like a hot mess and like we've obviously been holed up in here fucking? Or going downstairs a few minutes late, one after the other, but at least showing up clean?"

He shrugged. "Can we shower together, then show up one by one?"

Though he couldn't see it, her brows furrowed. "Everybody's home… You really think we can get away with that?" Hastily, she added, "And actually shower this time. I actually need to get clean."

"Fine..." He sighed. "I guess we can shower separate. Just hurry up! I'm starving, babe; we missed dinner! And your pussy juice was only a little snack."

She facepalmed herself and groaned as she dragged herself out of his bed. "You are, regrettably, the love of my life."

"After all we've been up to, I highly doubt you regret it," he said, tilting his head up with pride.

She stood beside his bed, shifting her stance and crossing her arms. She looked away with a pout. "...I don't," she murmured. Then, she approached the back of his bedroom door, saying, "Fuck you. I'm taking your robe," before snatching it off the hook.

He laughed after she put it on. It wore so long on her that it hit the floor. "You look like a wizard!" (She also looked really, really adorable in it.)

"Shut up," she said while blushing and scrunching her brows. "I just need something to keep me from going around naked. Now, if you excuse me, I gotta get clean clothes."

She opened his door and walked away with a huff. However, in her rush, she stumbled and almost fell. The fabric had pooled around her ankles and feet. As soon as his laugh turned into a cackle, she flipped him off and shut his door. She walked across the hall and into Jen's empty bedroom, where Nikki's own suitcase resided. While rummaging through her remaining clothes for a proper outfit, she wondered if she should later split her clothes between his room and Jen's room. After all, it seemed likely that she'd spend the rest of her trip in both places.

Once she grabbed some socks, fresh underwear, a black t-shirt, and the matching sweatpants she wanted, she made a beeline for the bathroom next to her boyfriend's room. She took the quickest yet most thorough shower of her life, making sure to wash away every trace of the past twelve hours from her skin. Amid her shower, she noticed what couldn't be washed away: the four hickeys her boyfriend had left across her chest. While not her first brush with hickeys from him, previous ones had been on her neck. She'd never had them here before. At least these would be easier to hide, though, considering her bra and the cut of her t-shirt.

(I feel like marked territory, she deadpanned to no one in particular.)

Once she showered, brushed her teeth, and tamed her damp hair, she barged into Jonesy's bedroom and tossed his robe onto him while he relaxed on his bed. "Thanks for the 'wizard robe,' assclown. Your turn."

He put on his robe, stepping toward Nikki at the door, leaning down to kiss her cheek and pat her on the ass as he passed.

"See ya at breakfast," he said with a wink.


Nikki made her way downstairs, strolling into the kitchen first. She grabbed a plate of pancakes and bacon, then she grabbed a glass of orange juice. She walked into the adjoining dining room to find Jen, Robbie, Mrs. Masterson-Garcia, and Mr. Garcia all at the table. Emma Jr. sat in a high chair next to her mother. She babbled and played with cheerios on the attached tray, shoving them into her mouth. (Nikki's heart always melted at the sight of the little tike.)

"Good morning, sweetheart," Jen's mom greeted with a friendly smile. Jonesy's dad greeted her in a similar fashion, just as nice as his wife.

Nikki appreciated their hospitality. They had always welcomed her like a member of the family, especially Jen's mom, given how close-knit Nikki and Jen had been since kindergarten.

"Morning." Nikki flashed both of them a sheepish smile. "Sorry I'm a little late," she said as she took a seat next to Jen and placed her plate in front of her. "Not exactly a morning person."

"Oh, don't you worry about that," Mrs. Masterson-Garcia said, waving her hand like a magic wand over the situation, casting any worries away. "Jen already let me know you were sleeping in."

Nikki's brows shot up. "Oh, she did?"

Mrs. Masterson-Garcia nodded with a hushed mmhmm then resumed eating her food.

Nikki cast a warm, grateful glance to the left of her. "Thanks," she murmured to Jen.

(Maybe Jen didn't hold anything against Nikki after all.)

Conversely, Jen gave Nikki a lopsided smirk before looking away and poking at her food. It didn't please her that Nikki ignored all her calls and texts last night, nor did it please her to overhear her best friend fucking her stepbrother. Still, Nikki indeed remained her best friend, so she'd try to cover for her... even though she had a hunch that the rest of the family also overheard some things from Jonesy's room last night.

Meanwhile, in the upstairs bathroom, Jonesy turned on the shower and hung up his robe. As he waited for the water to warm up, he turned around and looked over his shoulder in the mirror. Red, puffy, scratch marks covered his back, courtesy of his girlfriend.

"Wow," he remarked to himself. "That is so sexy! I'm her man, alright!" He pumped his fist in the air as he moved to hop into the shower.

Usually, he liked to dilly-dally in the shower, but today he moved quick. He starved, not having eaten food in what felt like days. He'd never gone this long without shoveling a meal into his mouth. So, in record time, he stepped out of the shower, putting on his robe and slippers, bounding down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Gooooooood morning, Krusty Krew!" Jonesy chimed as he entered the room with a spring in his step. He grabbed a plate and began piling things onto it from the breakfast buffet that Mrs. Masterson-Garcia and Jen had prepared for everybody this morning.

"Morning, sweetie," his stepmother said.

"Morning, son," his father said.

The two parents proceeded to exchange glances, but Jonesy paid no mind.

"Uhh," Jen spoke up, scowling. "Are you really just going to make a mountain of bacon, eggs, and pancakes for yourself without a thank you?"

"Huh? Oh." Jonesy rolled his eyes as he walked over to claim his spot beside Nikki. "Thanks for this delicious-looking food! I can't wait to dig in," he said with a genuine smile, looking only at his stepmom and purposefully not at Jen just to fuck with her. He then started stuffing his face.

Amid this, Diego had finally come downstairs, sporting tousled hair and his pajamas as he fixed his plate of food and sat at the table, exchanging curt good mornings with everyone.

"By the way," Mrs. Masterson-Garcia started as she glanced at Jonesy and Nikki, her tone carrying apprehension, "we missed you two at dinner last night."

While drinking her orange juice, Nikki froze and coughed. She set her glass down, trying to regain her composure.

Thank fuck Nikki received the hero she never knew she needed: Courtney.

After slamming and locking the front door, Jen's older sister strutted through the house.

"Morning, family," she drawled with her vocal fry. "I've arrived, so you can stop texting me now, Jen." Courtney glared at the sister in question as she stomped through the dining room to get to the kitchen, disappearing into the kitchen afterwards.

"Glad you could join us, Courtney," Mrs. Masterson-Garcia chimed with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, you're lucky I love you guys, 'cause the rain is totally killing my vibe," she called from the kitchen. Once she made a modest plate consisting of eggs and bacon, she sat between Robbie and Diego. Across from her sat Jen, Jonesy, and Nikki at the table. Recognition dawned on Courtney's face. "Oh, wow, Nikki, I forgot you'd be back. Can't believe I'm saying this, but it's good to see you."

This had to be the most excited Nikki had been to see her. "The feeling's mutual, Courtney."

"It really was drizzling this morning, wasn't it?" Jonesy cheekily asked with a full mouth.

Nikki kicked him under the table—sort of aggressive, sort of playful.

Without sparing a glance at her, his slipper-clad foot kicked her right back.

She fought a grin. However, she did not expect a kick from Jen. Nikki turned to her and lowered her brows.

"So, Nikki," Courtney started, "what's life been like in Antarctica?"

"Iqaluit."

"Same difference."

"Fair point." As eyes fell on Nikki, she glanced around the table at everyone as she replied and shrugged. "You know: Icy, frigid, stuck in a permanent state of daytime for half the year before it's permanently night for the other half. But this new job really makes my dad really happy, so I guess I gotta suck it up. At least I don't have much longer 'til graduation, though."

"Have you decided what school you're going to?" Mr. Garcia asked her.

Nikki parted her lips, but Jonesy answered for her. His smile could illuminate the whole house. He cast a loving glance at her (and placed a covert hand on her thigh). "My baby's going to Banting." He radiated with pride before shoving a mouthful of pancake into his mouth. "She's so cool and smart," he added, muffled by the food.

A loud gasp came from Jen; she almost choked on her eggs from hearing the news for the first time. "Nikki!" Jen exclaimed, temporarily retreating from her funk. Her smile's brightness competed with Jonesy's. "You never said you got into Banting! Oh my God! That's amazing!"

Between her best friend and her boyfriend gushing over her, a warm feeling spread across her chest. She sported a grateful grin and deadpanned, "With these two around, who needs a hypeman?"

Emma applauded Nikki with a golf clap. "Jen and Jonesy both mentioned before that's where you really wanted to go. Congratulations," she said, though she didn't quite forget how Nikki and Jonesy missed dinner.

Diego, however, yawned obnoxiously, just to be a little shit. Robbie tried to shove a piece of toast into his open mouth, causing Diego to cough. Courtney pursed her lips tightly but couldn't stop an unladylike snicker.

Mr. Garcia cleared his throat at the same moment as his eldest son. He and Jonesy both glared at them. Jonesy didn't normally care about his siblings being rude at the table, but he did care when the subject involved Nikki.

Nikki cut her eyes at Diego. "Anyways,"—she shifted her attention to Jen's mom and sported a grateful grin—"thank you, Mrs. Masterson. I'm really glad that I got in. Jonesy's right: It's always been my dream school."

She flashed her grateful grin in her boyfriend's direction, and he gladly reciprocated.

"Aww, aren't you all just adorable?" Mrs. Masterson-Garcia swooned. "I haven't seen either of you"—she glanced at Jen and Jonesy—"this happy in ages."

"Yeah, I'm sure Jonesy's real happy alright," Diego scoffed with an eye roll and crossed arms, slumping in his seat.

"Excuse me?" Jonesy asked, narrowing his eyes at his younger brother, who sat directly across from him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Courtney raised an interested brow at the situation while Jen facepalmed.

"Nothing," Diego scoffed.

"Awww," Jonesy teased, "Sorry you're not old enough yet to have D-D-D-D-D-Dora over."

"Um, Dora is Go, Diego, Go's cousin, sickos," Robbie interjected nonchalantly, then continued to enjoy his food and prepared for an argument to ensue.

Nikki lowered her head and hyper-focused on her food, while Jen cleared her throat and looked away.

"Shut up!" Diego snapped, then looked to their father. "I mean, they're obviously doing it." His eyes snapped to Nikki and back.

"You know what? We are. And lemme guess: You're mad 'cause you're not," Jonesy retorted in Diego's direction, crossing his arms and narrowing your eyes.

Nikki gasped and hit him in the arm. "So much for keeping it under wraps," she muttered within his earshot. She averted any eye contact with his parents for the time being. She didn't even want to see their reactions.

Diego huffed and glanced at his parents. "I mean, how come he gets to have a girl sleep in his room, and I can't?"

"First of all, you gotta have a girlfriend before she can spend the night," Jonesy bit. "Numero dos: I'm a man now. I don't see you getting into college!"

If there was ever a time to kill myself, it'd be now, Nikki lamented. She sunk into the dining-room chair.

Diego cut his eyes at his older brother, then glanced at his parents at opposing ends of the table, mainly focusing on his father. "It's not fair that Jonesy just gets to have her around, and no one bats an eye."

Nikki sat upright and knitted her brows. With a snarl, she snapped, "Her has a name, you little shit."

"Sorry," Diego started, seemingly apologetic before dropping a bomb. "I meant that bitch."

"¡Diego, callate la boca!" his father reprimanded.

However, it did nothing to quell the madness.

"That's it!" Burning red seared Jonesy's vision. He rose to his feet with a never-before-seen quickness, causing his chair to scoot back. He slammed his palms against the table, making it shake. "I'm gonna kill him!"

"You little fucker!" Nikki exclaimed, rising from her seat as well.

"Oh, I've had it!" Jen yelled as she rose to her feet.

Diego rose to his feet, taunting, "Bring it on! I'm not scared of you and a couple girls."

"You fucking should be," Nikki threatened as she ran around the table behind her boyfriend, chasing Diego around the table.

"Oh, wow. Didn't see that coming," Courtney mused, reaching for her phone and pressing record on the scene.

Emma Jr. giggled, still playing with her Cheerios.

Robbie looked around with widened yet amused eyes. "Breakfast and a show. Nice."

Meanwhile, Diego's eyes widened when he realized his mad stepsister, furious older brother, and livid older brother's girlfriend gained on him. He made a mad dash into the kitchen.

"Get the fuck back here! Thought you weren't scared!" Jonesy yelled as he chased his brother. Nikki and Jen trailed after him.

Mrs. Masterson-Garcia sounded mortified. "Please just stop it!"

However, they didn't hear her pleas. The knives tempted Nikki, but she didn't want to catch a charge amid beating Diego's ass.

While Nikki and Jen could easily be formidable opponents for Diego, Jonesy had the most experience in fighting him by any means possible. By the time Nikki and Jen had gotten to the living room, Jonesy had already lunged toward and tackled Diego to the carpet with a thud, putting his brother in a headlock. The girls followed suit. Almost 400 pounds clobbered Diego, making him groan with pain and displeasure.

"So, pendejo, have anything you wanna say to Nikki?" Jonesy asked.

"Sorry," Diego wheezed.

"For what?" Jonesy asked.

"For calling your girlfriend a bitch."

"Don't say it to me, bro. Say it to her."

Diego couldn't even look at Nikki's face from where he sat (or rather remained crushed), but he eventually mustered up the words. "Sorry I called you a bitch, Nikki," he muttered.

Her expression turned smug. "Apology not accepted, but thanks anyways."

Diego groaned. "Oh, fuck this."

"I'm not gonna let you go until your sorry ass really means it," Jonesy said with a furrowed brow, threatening to squeeze his brother's neck tighter.

The stomping of Mr. Garcia's bedroom slipper next to his face shut Diego up in the nick of time. They all looked up at him.

"Dad!" Jonesy shouted, yanking a fistful of Diego's hair, "I'm not gonna let him talk about her like that!"

"Yeah, send him back upstairs to starve!" Jen beat a fist onto Jonesy's shoulder.

"Hey!" Jonesy turned to snap at her.

"Oops, wrong one," Jen said slyly under her breath, glancing aside.

"Enough," Mr. Garcia snapped. "You three, let Diego go."

"But, dad!" Jonesy whined with pleading eyes.

"Now."

Jonesy snarled, thwacking Diego across the back of the head before he obeyed and lifted himself up. Diego yelped, then scrambled to his feet.

"Diego, go to your room."

Diego hung his head and slumped his shoulders. "Yes, dad," he murmured. He scurried into the dining room to grab his plate from the table and ran upstairs.

Jen sighed, getting back to her feet as well. She wanted to give her stepfather some lip about letting Diego off too easy, but she bit her tongue and glared at him, waiting for whatever he had to say.

"Now. Let's all go finish our breakfast, shall we?" Mr. Garcia demanded rather than suggested.

"It'll get cold..." tried Mrs. Masterson-Garcia's voice from the dining room.

Nikki rolled her eyes and dragged her sock-clad feet back to the dining-room table, reclaiming her seat with great reluctance. She didn't land any good hits. Meanwhile, Diego got to call her a bitch, dared to say it again, and lived to see another day.

That little, slimy motherfucker must have a horseshoe up his ass.

As everyone sat down like a brawl didn't ensue, everyone scraped their plates in silence. Metal forks clanked against porcelain. Even Emma Jr. kept hush.

Nikki broke the unspoken tension, letting go of her fork. It made a clank sound as it hit her plate. She huffed, turning to Mr. Garcia. "Stop me if I'm out of line, but are you really gonna let your son get away with calling me a bitch?"

Mr. Garcia cleared his throat, this time out of discomfort. "No." He cleared it again. "Of… Of course not, Nicole. I'm sorry if I gave you that impression."

"You definitely did."

"Well, just know that I'm going to handle it, and he'll definitely be on punishment." His eyes flickered to the table, then met Nikki's again. "I really want to apologize on his behalf."

After a silent moment of consideration, she nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"By the way," Mrs. Masterson-Garcia interjected in a smaller, less assertive voice, "we want to talk to you and Jonesy after breakfast is over."

Nikki froze again. She blinked once. "Oh. Okay."

"Oooooooooooooh," Robbie taunted.

Jonesy had spent the past few minutes looking smitten at Nikki while she stood up for herself and spoke her mind. He even went as far as reaching over and placing his hand on her thigh, letting her know he supported her and found her grilling his father to be hot. These thoughts caused him to register just what his stepmother said a second delayed.

"Why?" he immediately asked, snapping out of it.

His father sighed at him with a bored expression. "I think you know, hijo."

Jonesy rolled his eyes and removed his hand from Nikki. He returned to finishing up his food, grumbling in annoyance.

"Oof," Courtney commented, comprehending. "That's a fun talk to have. And you missed dinner for it last night? Wowww."

Nikki rolled her eyes, not unlike her boyfriend. "Don't you have some married man's house to be crawling out of?"

"Not until 5," Courtney replied.

Mrs. Masterson-Garcia sighed and hung her head.

Shortly before breakfast ended, Mr. Garcia asked, "Jen, mind taking care of Em J for a few while I go talk to Jonesy and Nikki?"

"Will do," she replied, happy to vacate the suffocating environment of the living room in favor of Emma Jr.'s calmer nursery. "C'mon, Em J." She lifted the toddler from her high chair. "Let's go get you changed."

Emma Jr. cooed with delight as she left the dining room with her older sister. Amid this, Robbie vanished to his room and Courtney left the house (to unspecified whereabouts).

A skittish expression replaced all the anger on Jonesy's face. "Oh, you know what? I gotta go take a leak," he fibbed while attempting to escape from the table.

Before he could walk off, his dad warned, "Mijo. Living room." In a less stern voice, he added, "You too, Nicole."

Jonesy heaved a heavy sigh and dragged his ass to the living room with Nikki in tow.

Sensing the impending conversation would be the most awkward one of her life, Nikki sat on the couch next to her boyfriend.

Okay, if there was ever another time to kill myself, it'd be now, Nikki grumbled.

His father stood before them, then Jen's mom joined him.

Mrs. Masterson-Garcia sighed. "Your father and I suspected a few things when you two were gone from dinner last night. We were gonna ask you two regardless of what happened with Diego, but"—she glanced at her husband—"I guess we know now."

"Son, you know sex is a big deal, right?" his dad asked.

Nikki groaned on the inside. And there goes the sex bomb.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, when a man loves a woman, they get together, and then a stork drops a baby off in nine months," Jonesy dismissed, waving his hand as annoyance filled his voice.

"I'm serious," his dad admonished.

He pouted. "I know. I know. It's a big deal. But, I mean, let's be real: I was gonna be doing it in college anyways."

"Jonesy," both his father and Nikki glared at him.

He shrugged and glanced at both of them. "What?!"

Nikki rolled her eyes, while his dad said, "Might wanna rephrase that."

"Well, what I mean is: Nik's been my girl for a really long time. And her school isn't gonna be far from me, so…"

"This isn't just about 'doing it,'" his dad said, placing the latter two words into air quotes. "It's a big deal. There's a lot of emotions involved. It's a huge responsibility."

"What? You don't think I can be responsible?" Jonesy furrowed his brow. "What happened to 'You're a man now, Jonesy'? Isn't that what you were telling me before Jen's mom stepped in?"

"That's different."

"No, it isn't."

"Please tell me you two are using protection," Jen's mom blurted.

The awkward levels in the room rose once more. "Yeah," Nikki affirmed. "We use condoms every time… And, for what it's worth, we've only done it twice."

Well, twice with each other. But they don't need to know about that or the other things that don't involve him putting his di—

Mrs. Masterson-Garcia sighed with relief. "Okay, that's great that you two are being safe."

However, Mr. Garcia countered, "Safe doesn't stop condoms from breaking."

"Oh, is that what happened with Emma Jr.?" Jonesy asked, raising a brow. Under his breath, he said, "Makes sense now."

"Jonesy," his father scolded.

"What? We've all been thinking she must have been an accident!"

"The baby was… a wonderful surprise," Jen's mom chimed in a gentle tone. "But me and your dad have the means to take care of a baby. We both have jobs."

Before Jonesy could open his mouth, his dad added, "Full-time jobs."

He closed his lips and crossed his arms.

She continued, "And we also have retirement plans, a home, and other things that help with raising a family. Ultimately, we just want to make sure you two are safe and know what you're getting into. Nikki, you're like another daughter to me, so I just want to make sure you feel supported. We can't stop you two from doing what you do, but we just want to check in."

Hearing her soothing voice and words calmed Jonesy down, and it did the same for Nikki.

However, a thought crossed her mind—an uncomfortable one, at that. Her parents requested that his parents check in with them and ensure she'd been on her best behavior.

Ughhhhhhhh.

She needed to do damage control. Too bad she didn't have her boyfriend's on-the-fly charisma. However… she did have her genuine honesty.

"I know I probably don't have the right to ask any favors," Nikki started, hesitating on her next words as she glanced between his parents, "but… I'd rather not have my parents find out about me sleeping with my boyfriend." Her eyes pled. "Is there any way you can just not tell them?"

His parents glanced at each other again, conversing without a word.

"Well," Mr. Garcia started, "as long as you two promise to keep being responsible and safe, I'll make sure you don't get in any trouble with your parents."

"Oh, thank God," she murmured aloud.

"Besides," he continued, "I can't be too mad at the young lady who got my son to keep a steady job and get his grades up. Whatever you're doing is basically a miracle, Nicole." He punctuated his sentence with a fatherly chuckle and a warm grin.

Nikki chuckled herself, ignoring her boyfriend's defensive hey. "Thank you, Mr. Garcia. I appreciate that a lot. And thank you too, Mrs. Masterson."

"Of course, Nikki. If you need anything, don't hesitate to let us know, okay? You're a part of this family as much as everybody else is."

That statement touched her heart. Despite the utter insufferableness of Jonesy's brothers (especially today) and Courtney's self-absorption (combined with their incompatible personalities), she had a family here. She and Jen had been sisters in everything but blood. She and Jonesy had been incredibly close, even prior to falling in love. She adored baby Emma. She even got along with some of Jen and Jonesy's cousins. She had been to family weddings. She'd always been between her two friends' houses until they merged and until one of those friends became something more.

She gave Jen's mom a soft smile. "I will. I definitely will."

"Good," Mrs. Masterson-Garcia said before Jonesy's father added, "Just… be mindful of your volume when you go about your… activities, okay?"

Nikki flushed and averted her eyes. "Uhhhhh, sorry. Yeah, we'll—um—definitely make note of that," she said while bouncing her awkward gawk from her boyfriend to his parents to the carpet beneath them.

As awkward as it felt getting talked to about sex by his stepmom, Jonesy wished she could have been the only one talking to them instead of his father being present, too. Emma's way of talking about the subject didn't make Jonesy mad. He just hoped that, after this ended, his father wouldn't try to bring it up with him again, trying to have some sort of stupid "man-to-man" talk with him about responsibility. Before Emma, Jonesy spent years being as responsible as possible when left to take care of his brothers while their father went on business trips. He didn't need any more talks about responsibility from him.

But, while his parents promised not to blab to the Wongs about their activities, and they expressed fondness over Nikki being a part of their family, Jonesy's annoyance died down. His heart swole, actually. Nikki really remained the one. She fit into his life so perfectly. One day—in a very distant future—he saw himself getting down on one knee for her.

Amused by his girlfriend's blushing cheeks at his father's request, Jonesy threw an arm over her shoulders. "Sure thing, dad. We'll try not to make it sound like we're having too much fun. We don't want poor Diego feeling left out again," he snarked. "He still needs a talking to, by the way."

Mrs. Masterson-Garcia looked to her husband. "Yes, dear, he sure does."

"I get the hint," Mr. Garcia said with a frown. "He's not going to get away with disrespecting Nicole like that."

Jonesy perked up. "Oooh, what kinda trouble is he in?"

"That's between me and him, but, if you want to be grounded for a few weeks too, I can arrange that."

Jonesy grew skittish. "N-N-No, sir."

His father smirked again. "Good. Then you two are free to go. Definitely don't want to make you late for work, Jonesy."

With that, Mr. Garcia headed towards the staircase and made his departure. Mrs. Masterson-Garcia did the same, venturing into the dining room once more.

Nikki slumped back and dragged her palms over her face. "I kinda wanted to die at first—not gonna lie—but it ended up going better than I expected. And my hopes were extremely fucking low."

"Yeah, that was awkward as fuck, but… not as bad as I thought it'd be," her boyfriend concurred.

"I'm just so glad they're not gonna tell my fucking parents." She grinned. "You're already on thin ice with them as is."

"Well, luckily, I'm great at skating," he said while waggling his brows.

She snorted, then leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. He gladly received it before responding with a brief kiss on the lips.

"Well, I'm already dressed and ready to go, so I suggest you go get ready for work," she said (with a tiny smile that never faded). "Can't spend all day like this."

He rolled his eyes, albeit playfully. "Alright, alright, I'm going. We still on for later though, right? 'Cause I can't stop thinking about what you told me earlier."

"Yes, we're on for later. I meant what I said."

His bedroom eyes and sly grin simmered her face. His tone dropped low. "Oh, yeah." He clicked his teeth and sent her finger guns, then he went upstairs.

After reflexively licking her lips and pondering all the emotions he sparked within her, Nikki walked upstairs shortly after him. While Jonesy had disappeared into his room, blasting his music loud in the process, Nikki peeped into Emma's nursery, finding Jen's mother there instead of who she really sought out.

"My bad. I thought Jen was still in here," Nikki said.

"Oh, she headed back to her room," Mrs. Masterson-Garcia responded while patting Emma Jr.'s back. "By the way, I think she's off today. I'm sure you two have some much needed girl talk to get done," she stated with a knowing wink.

"Yeah,"—Nikki perked up—"yeah, we definitely do." Thus, she made her way towards Jen's room. Upon opening Jen's door, Nikki realized she'd seen Jen's room more within the past two hours than in the past twenty-four. As far as her parents knew, she'd been cohabitating with Jen the entire time, taking no trips and making no extended stays in her boyfriend's room. Who slept in Jonesy's room? Not her. She had never slept with anyone outside the confines of marriage, nor would she start now. (She'd reassure them of all those lies when she returned up North.)

"Jen, you got a minute? I really want to talk to you."

Jen glanced up from her seat on the bed to look at Nikki. "Sure," she said in a strained voice.

"Cool."

As soon as Nikki shut the door, distress and frustration overtook Jen's facial features. She stood up and scolded, "Well, I hope you had your fun last night, 'cause I didn't."

Nikki groaned and slumped onto Jen's bed, palming herself on the forehead. "Listen, I'm sorry I missed all your texts… and calls… and voicemails. I… got a little carried away."

"The whole house could hear that you got carried away!" Jen exclaimed, her arms flailing as she stood before Nikki.

Nikki's eyes flung wide open. "What?!"

Jen's arms rested by her sides again. "Okay, maybe not the whole house, but you could hear… therapy-worthy things if you walked by." She shuddered.

Another prolonged groan spilled from her mouth as she hung her head, her purple mane following. "Fuck."

Jen sighed, seeing that her best friend had suffered enough. "Okay, I get that you two are happy to be back together after all this time—I am, too—but I'm just freaking out, and hearing my best friend getting her brains fucked out by my stepbrother just made it worse."

Nikki placed a palm atop her forehead. "Okay, yeah, I see how that would send someone off the deep end." After placing her hands in her lap, Nikki looked up at Jen and asked, "So what exactly happened? I was half-sleep when I read everything this morning, and you didn't exactly go into detail."

Jen paced back and forth across her hardwood floor and pink rug. "So, since I didn't ride home last night with you two, I ended up getting a ride home from Wyatt."

Nikki's brows shot up. "Oh?"

"Yeah. And, when we pulled up in the driveway, right before I got out the car, he told me he has a crush on me."

Nikki squinted while her eyes followed her pacing friend. "Okay."

"What do you mean, 'Okay'?!"

"I fail to see how that's a bad thing. I thought you like him, too."

"I just— I… I just don't think I should be dating a friend!"

"I think you might be overthinking this. So, what did you tell him?"

"...I pretended I didn't hear him and thanked him for the ride back. Then I grabbed all my crap and ran into the house."

"Oooooh, that's bad."

"You think I don't know that?!"

Nikki's expression warned, "Whoa, there."

"Sorry. I'm just… I wasn't prepared for that, you know? Yeah, I like the idea of being with him, but I didn't think he'd actually reciprocate!"

"So… what's the endgame here?"

Jen collapsed face-first onto her bed, crash landing against a pillow. "I don't know!"

Nikki stood up and walked towards her friend's limp body as the rest of it hung off the bed. She rubbed her back as Jen groaned. "I know it's confusing, crushing on a friend. Trust."

"It's not a crush!" she insisted as she yelled into her pillow.

Though Jen couldn't see it, Nikki puckered her lips and quirked a brow.

Jen rustled and stirred her way upright, facing Nikki with tousled hair, honest eyes, and a pouty mouth. In a softer voice, she confessed, "Okay, fine… I have a crush on Wyatt. I like him. But I'm scared. And we're going to college. And there's no way I can do another long-distance relationship. And he's been my best friend since we were four. And I don't want to ruin that. And I don't want the group to get all weird with another relationship. And—"

"Okay, I get it," Nikki said, her soft tone betraying understanding rather than annoyance. "That's valid."

"I just don't know what to do. And I always know what to do." Jen opened a nightstand drawer, pulling her locked journal out of it and pushing it closed once more. After opening her journal, she flipped to a page with meticulous, neat, calligraphy-adjacent handwriting. She held up the journal so that Nikki could see it. "I tried to write down the pros and cons, but they literally kept coming up to the same amount. Do you know what that means?!"

Nikki scratched her head. "This could swing either way?"

"Uh huh," she said while vigorously nodding her head.

"And you're afraid it'll swing the wrong way."

"Uh huh." She still shook her head with the same speed and intensity.

"Well," Nikki tapped her index finger against her chin, "would it help if I told you you don't have to have it all figured out right now?"

Jen stilled. "I don't?"

Nikki shook her head. "Just give yourself some time and space to decide. Take the pressure off. The good thing about you not telling him that you like him back is that you didn't tell him you like him back. Which means you technically didn't answer him. Last time I checked, we have about five months before we head to college. Take your time to make a decision. Trust me: It's Wyatt. You think he's got girls lined up for him?"

"Ugh, but there's stupid Marlowe in that stupid sex shop, and I'm pretty sure stupid him is not over stupid her."

"Well, would it help if I told you I talked to Wyatt yesterday and he told me all of this? And hinted that he likes you way more than he likes Marlowe?"

"I'm sorry: What?!"

Nikki nodded. "All I'm saying is… you have more leeway than you think. You don't have to figure out your next move now. You have time to consider whether you really do have a thing for him and wanna take it further, or whether it's just a crush that'll blow over in another week or two."

"Okay, that's great and all, but how do we recover from me running away from him when he said he liked me?"

Nikki puffed her cheeks with air, then let out a hard exhale. "Lie and say you had to go to the bathroom."

"What?! No!"

"What other excuses do you have?"

Jen racked her brain, then she groaned. "Fine, I'll tell him that. But only if he asks why."

"And, knowing him, he's gonna ask."

"...You— You didn't tell him that I liked him back, did you?"

Nikki went silent.

"Tell me you didn't!"

"I only did 'cause I thought you'd tell him back!"

"Nikki!"

"For fuck's sake, I didn't know you'd run out on him!"

Jen facepalmed herself and groaned for the umpteenth time.

"Listen, I still stand by what I said earlier. Just because you like him doesn't mean anything has to happen. It's up to you, and you still have time to figure shit out. And just because I more or less confirmed doesn't mean he believes me now that you ran out on him."

Jen removed her palm from her face, giving Nikki a blank look that morphed into one of appreciation. She pulled Nikki into a hug from where they sat. "Thanks, Nik."

Nikki's eyes widened, then fell shut as she pat Jen on the back. She smiled. "It's what I'm here for."

Once they parted from their hug, Jen said, "So, I'm off work today."

"Your mom told me." Nikki grinned. "And—what a coincidence—so am I."

Jen's lips mirrored Nikki's own. "Somehow, I don't think that's the same thing."

"Oh, well." Nikki shrugged. "So, wanna just hang around the mall with Caitlin? I think, after this morning, I don't wanna be around another guy for a long, long while."

"You said it, sister."


Nikki and Jen managed to hitch a ride to the mall with Jonesy, who—after stealing a brief, chaste kiss from Nikki and waggling his eyebrows about "later"—departed for work immediately. Thus, Nikki and Jen made their way through the atrium and into the food court, finding the Lemon devoid of everyone except Caitlin.

"Hi, guys!" she said, waving at them in lieu of cleaning the counters like she'd been doing. Nikki and Jen greeted her back as they took their seats. "Do either of you know what's up with Wyatt? He was in a really bad mood earlier, but he was drinking coffee, so I don't know what could be the problem," Caitlin explained.

Nikki and Jen exchanged curious, silent glances.

"What?" Caitlin asked.

"Well..." Nikki said, looking in Jen's direction.

Jen facepalmed. "Wyatt told me he likes me yesterday, and basically... I suck!" She yelled the latter part. Her voice reverberated throughout the food court before she slammed her head down on the table.

Caitlin gasped. "He likes you back?! Omigosh, Jen, that's fantastic! Eee!" She bounced on her feet and clapped her hands.

Hesitantly, Jen looked up at her. "Did you not hear the part where I said I suck?" she grumbled.

"Why would you suck for having a crush? And for having your crush like you back?!" Caitlin asked with a bewildered expression.

"Ugh!" Jen then looked to Nikki with a pained, pleading expression. "Tell her, Nikki..."

Nikki's lips instinctually rose into a wry smirk, then they fell as she explained, glancing between her two friends. "Long story short: Our star athlete over here ran out on Wyatt instead of actually telling him that she likes him back. She has a shit ton of reasons listed in her journal about why starting something with him would or wouldn't work, and now she has no idea what to do." With her eyes fixed on Jen, she asked, "That sum it up?"

"Mhm..." Jen nodded woefully, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

"Oh no... No wonder he was in a bad mood even with coffee," Caitlin said. "Jen, you've got to fix this!"

"I know! I just... don't know how... What if I've actually messed things up forever? And I didn't even get to date him first to do it!" She returned her face to the table and let out a long, muffled whine.

Nikki stroked Jen's head. "Like I said before, things will be okay, alright? I know this isn't exactly the fun part of having feelings for a friend, but I think things will be better when you two talk it out. It's not easy, but you gotta make it happen on your own terms. Not his,"—she cut her eyes at Caitlin—"and not Blondie's."

Caitlin pouted. "Hey!"

Nikki's raised brow and pursed lips asked, "Did I lie, though?"

Caitlin sighed. "You're right." In defeat, she cleaned the counters.

"Soooooo," Nikki started, "feeling any better, Jen?"

"If I say yeah... can we stop talking about it for now?" Jen asked sheepishly. She wanted to say no, but she knew Nikki made points about talking to Wyatt. Now she just had to worry about when to talk to him.

"Yeah," Nikki said, letting it slide for now. After all, she knew how complicated this predicament could be.

Amid this, Caitlin perked up, halting her counter cleaning once more. "You know what would help clear your mind? A walk through the mall!"

Nikki crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Caitlin.

"What? If we walk around for a bit, she gets to take her mind off the Wyatt situation…" Caitlin's lips pulled into a sheepish grin. "And I get to also surprise Josh before our big date tonight."

Nikki's eyes returned to their normal width. "Ahh, and there's the explanation I was looking for."

With that, Caitlin removed her lemon hat and apron, shutting down the Big Squeeze for the time being. Jen and Nikki followed her on the way to her boyfriend's job… which escaped Nikki's head at the moment.

"So, where exactly does Joe work?" Nikki asked.

"It's Josh. And he works at Huntington's in the men's department," Caitlin answered.

Nikki shrugged off the name correction. None of Caitlin's relationships lasted anyways. Not that she sowed doubt and negativity into Caitlin's current fling. She just knew how history repeated itself. Even when she remained over a thousand miles away, none of Caitlin's relationships and fascinations lasted for long. She wondered what would dissolve this one.

However, nothing prepared her for what they saw upon arrival into the men's section of Huntington's.

"J-Josh?! ...Tricia?" Caitlin gasps in utter shock at the sight before them.

Josh and none other than Tricia sucked face right in the middle of the store.

Caitlin's voice caught their attention. Tricia pulled back from the kiss to look at Caitlin, not even prying her hands away from Josh. "Oh, hi, Caitlin," she drawled, looking as smug as ever. "Did you know Josh here is a really good kisser?"

"Caitlin! I—" Josh began, but Tricia placed a finger over his mouth and hushed him.

"Ohhh, you two were dating, weren't you?" Tricia swayed and played coy. "Oopsie."

Tears flooded Caitlin's vision as she stared at whom she thought to be her boyfriend. "J-Josh. H-How could you? I— I really thought you were—"

"—The One?" Tricia finished, curling her finger underneath Josh's chin. "He was the One, silly." In a cutting, mocking tone, she elaborated, "The One Who's Been Seeing Me, too."

"Oh, you conniving bitch," Nikki began as she cracked her knuckles.

Jen glared at Tricia, then made eye contact with Nikki. "Think we're about to get into our second fight of the day?"

"Oh, hell the fuck yeah." Each one of Caitlin's sobs made Nikki go even more feral.

Conveniently using Josh as her human shield, Tricia poked her head from beside his arm. "What's the matter, Lemon Head? Mad because I managed to hook up with one of your friends and steal your little boyfriend?"

Caitlin sniffled. "Wait. Which... friend?"

Tricia smirked. "The one on the hockey team." Amusement danced in her tone, sweetening her venom. "He was lousy, though."

As Jen and Caitlin exchanged similar gasps, an invisible force pried Nikki's eyelids wide the fuck open. She almost believed herself to be having an aneurysm. Then she simmered. Her eyelids narrowed. "I'm sorry. Who the fuck did you fuck?" she hissed at Tricia.

Tricia giggled, pure evil living in her tone. "Oh my, I am just so forgetful today," she said to Nikki, amused that she had struck a nerve. She intended to see how far she could go with it. Still, she didn't step out from behind Josh, definitely knowing better. "I believe that one's your boyfriend now, isn't he? Oof, I feel sorry for you, honestly."

"Oh, that's it!" Nikki pushed Josh aside and caught Tricia off-guard. With Tricia open, Nikki popped her in the jaw, making her groan and clutch her palm against it. Nikki disregarded the startled shoppers nearby. She eyeballed Tricia through narrowed eyes, a small part of her reveled in Tricia shutting up by force. Nikki pointed her voice like a dagger. "Huh. Still don't feel sorry for a cunt like you."

Without awaiting a reply, Nikki turned to a shocked Jen and a similarly shocked (yet still saddened) Caitlin.

Nikki huffed, then gave Caitlin a remorseful look. "I hope that helped lessen your pain," she said. Glancing between her two friends, she said, "Now, if you excuse me, I'm about to be single."

(Through breakup or manslaughter, she hadn't yet decided. Both remained a possibility.)

Nikki stomped out of Huntington's on a warpath.

She never experienced emotions one after the other. Rather, they stacked atop one another in layers. They towered as one big entity. Demanded to be seen. Demanded to be felt. Demanded her to walk under them until they collapsed atop her, crushing her with their weight and magnitude.

Rage sat at the base. (Buried beneath it had been jealousy.) Disgust came next. Hurt took its turn. Disappointment arrived last and twice as large as the others—big enough for him and for herself.

The idyllic, warm, romantic, carnal utopia they'd built for the past two-and-a-half days lulled her into a false sense of security. Despite Monday's hiccup involving his body count, she of all people should have known that peace carried a price. (Actually, because of Monday's hiccup, she should have known it.)

Not one tear fell from her eyes. Instead, smoke poured from her nostrils. Red seared her vision. Her lips contorted into a snarl as she saw Now or Laser's logo.

She ignored Jonesy's stupid, goofy smile that fell at the sight of her raging towards him.

Before he could even speak and after she forgot how to greet someone, she slammed her hands on the desk that divided them. "When the fuck did you fuck Tricia?"

Jonesy yelped and nearly fell backward in his rolling chair. Darth dropped some inspection papers before fleeing into the back office, leaving Jonesy to fend for himself. (Not that Darth would have been helpful.)

When he mustered enough energy and rose to his feet, he furrowed his eyebrows at her. "Nikki, what the fuck?!"

"Tell me."

He crossed his arms. "How the fuck do you know?"

She grimaced. "So you really did sleep with her? When?" She slammed her hands against his desk again.

"Two years ago, okay?!" He exhaled hard. His defensiveness departed with his breath. "Well, almost two years ago. It was when, well... You were both running for Spring Queen."

Her breath faltered. She crossed her arms and squinted at him. "You're so fucking—"

"Let me explain!" He gulped. "I regretted it pretty much instantly, Nik. But I was stupid, and... I just wanted to feel something! So I let her get off on insulting me and you and even Caitlin while we— Yeah." He slumped down into the chair again. His voice went quiet as he hung his head. "I tuned her out and just wished it could be you." Letting out a shaky, nervous breath, he looked up to meet her scalding gaze. "I don't know what else to say. I just— I'm sorry."

She seethed as she sat there and listened to his bullshit explanation. "Yeah, you are sorry." She scoffed. "Sneaking around and sucking face with that bitch wasn't enough? You had to go ahead and fuck her, too?"

"Nikki—"

However, she held up her index finger (and threatened to switch it to her middle finger). "You know how embarrassing that is? To learn that shit from her? I think that's what pisses me off the most: I didn't hear it from you. No. 'Cause you're a coward. You lie, and you… you fucking hide your hands. Meanwhile, I got a bomb dropped on me."

"When was I supposed to tell you, Nikki?" He stood up again and flailed his arms around. "I didn't lie this time; I just didn't tell you or anyone." He shrugged. "I wanted to forget it happened! It shouldn't have happened!"

"Did you ever think she'd use it against me in a fight? And, by the way, dumbass, lying by hiding is still lying!"

"Wait, a fight? What the hell happened?"

"Like I'd tell you. Sound familiar?"

He scowled. "Fair..."

Rage filled her to the verge of a tension headache. "I just can't get over the fact that you knew. You knew that she always fucked over Caitlin, and she was trying to fuck me over, too. And—what?—you took that as the invitation to go and fuck her? And then saying you pretended she was me? You're so fucking full of it."

"I—"

"I don't even wanna hear it. Fuck you." She fought and kicked and pushed back against the hot tears that threatened to spill from her ducts.. "Well, since I apparently remind you of her, take her to prom since you already stuck your dick in her. I'm not coming back."

With that, she turned her back to him and stormed out of the store, a rogue tear running down her cheek.

Without thinking, he yelled to Darth about going on his break early. Before he heard an answer, he ran out of the store to find her.

"Nikki, wait!" he shouted, zooming in front of her and holding his arms out to stop her. "I didn't pretend she was you; you definitely don't remind me of her either."

She backed away.

He inched closer ever so cautiously. "I just wished it could have been you instead. That's all." He spotted the tear on her cheek. His heart broke. "Babe… I'm so sorry. I was an idiot, okay?! But I'm so much better now, though. At least I'm trying to be! For you!" He reached to wipe her cheek with his thumb.

"Don't touch me," she hissed as she backed away. She hated being seen like this. She wiped it away herself. Her voice wavered. "You better apologize to Caitlin." She looked away from him and turned away. "But don't talk to me."

He tried to follow her. "I'll apologize to Caitlin, but I'm not done talking to you! Just tell me what I gotta do; I'll do it!"

Despite his explanations and apologies, she couldn't fight the sting of betrayal. "I... I don't know right now." She huffed. "I just need space, so do that. Fuck off."

He watched her leave like a sad puppy.

Well, he thought, I fucked that up.


While sniffling and fighting more tears like the one she wiped away, Nikki broke out her phone and texted the girls in their group chat, asking where they were.

the lemon, Caitlin replied.

Jude and Wyatt around? Nikki asked.

Nope, Jen said.

Perfect. Fuck guys. Omw, Nikki said.


Nikki ventured to the Lemon and plopped into her seat at the gang's table.

Caitlin slumped over the Lemon's counter, resting her elbows against it. Mascara-stained tear trails stained her cheeks. "Nikki? What happened?"

Jen scanned Nikki up and down with similar concern.

Nikki huffed. "Don't wanna talk about it."

In a soft voice, Caitlin asked, "Did you two... break up?"

"What part of don't wanna talk—" Nikki grunted and rolled her eyes. "We didn't break up. But he really pissed me off."

"I can't believe that idiot would have ever slept with Tricia!" Jen exclaimed, clenching her fists.

"I can," Caitlin sighed with a wistful quality in her voice. "I mean, it's Tricia. She has... a way that makes anybody do whatever she wants." The poor girl spoke from experience. "I can't even be too mad at Josh." She sniffled and wiped her face with a napkin. "Doesn't mean I'm not on your side, though, Nikki..."

"Fuck that," Nikki snapped. Her brows furrowed. "Just because she's persuasive doesn't mean she's not wrong. And that doesn't mean these stupid-ass boys don't have any willpower against her. They just choose to give in." She grumbled, "Like Jonesy did." In a louder voice, "By the way, I told that fucker he owes you an apology, Caitlin."

"Good. I'll help beat him up if he doesn't," Jen chimed. "Speaking of which, Nikki, that was awesome when you punched that... that bitch!"

That got a small smile out of Caitlin. "Yeah, Nikki, thanks for that."

"No problem." Nikki smiled for the first time in what felt like hours. "It was long overdue. By the way, what the hell happened after I left?"

In a small voice, Caitlin said, "I officially broke it off with Josh."

"Aw, Caitlin, I'm sorry," Nikki said.

"It's fine. I should be sorry I ever pushed you into running for spring queen in the first place. Then Tricia would've never done what she did."

"Jonesy would've always found an opportunity to find his way in that stupid bitch's pants," Nikki countered.

Jen cast a doubtful look upon Nikki. "Hold on now. I'm all for ragging on Jonesy and his crappy habits, but do you actually think that?"

"Yes." Nikki glared at Jen for a solid moment before sighing and casting her eyes upon the table. "I don't know... He's never passed up an opportunity to hit on any living creature in a skimpy outfit."

"Well..." Caitlin thought for a moment. "He really hasn't done that lately, at least... Not even while you're not around."

Nikki crossed her arms. Her eyes could have burned holes into the table. "Who's side are you two on anyways?" she snapped, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Yours!" Jen insisted.

"Definitely yours," Caitlin confirmed with a nod.

"But this Tricia thing was, like, two years ago," Jen added.

"Yeah, Jonesy's different now," Caitlin said, then she shrugged. "He should still suffer a little, though."

"Oh, absolutely," Jen said.

Nikki groaned and rested her head against the table. "Don't make me be the one to owe him an apology." She sat in her hubris. After a brief lull in conversation, Nikki lifted her head and continued, "She— She blindsided me with something I should've heard from him instead of her. Him sleeping with Tricia is just... different. He told me that he's slept with two people before me. I don't give a fuck about the other person, or at least I didn't until this shit. Random girls? Whatever. But Tricia? She's not some random girl. We all know she's slimy, even him. It just doesn't sit right with me."

Jen and Caitlin both averted their eyes downward. "Yeah..." they said in unison.

"He does feel really guilty, though, right?" Jen looked back up. "I would hope he just... wanted to forget it happened?" She shuddered as an intimate image of Jonesy with Tricia flashed through her mind. Ten times worse than any images of him with Nikki.

"Did you tell him about Stone?" Caitlin decided to ask, curious. "Totally not the same, but maybe if you guys actually talked about that he would have brought Tricia up?"

"I didn't tell him, mainly because he never asked, and I don't consider Stone Public Enemy #1. I mean, he was an enemy in my love life, but…" Her thoughts wandered, leading to her voicing them aloud. "Fine. Fuck it. Whatever. I'll tell him about it. I have no problem being up front about my shit."

"So," Caitlin started, "when are you gonna talk to him?"

Nikki pursed her lips, then pulled them into a frown. "In a few hours, I guess. I don't want to see him right now. Besides... I kind of said something just to make him just as upset as I was."

"Uh oh," Jen started. "What did you say?"

Nikki gave them a sheepish smile. "That I wasn't coming back for prom."

Caitlin's eyes flung open. "Nikki!"

Jen gasped. "Okay, but... you are gonna come back, though, right?"

"Yes, I'm gonna come back. He just royally pissed me off, so I just said it to make him feel bad." Under her breath, Nikki mumbled, "I was really considering it, though."

"Well I'll have you know I'll die if not all of you make it to this prom," Jen informed. "Juuust saying."

Nikki smirked. "Well, I definitely don't want to kill my best friend."


When Jonesy forlornly returned to Now or Laser, Darth waited behind the counter like he'd casually been stationed there since clock-in.

"You're back early for choosing to go on break five minutes ago," he commented, haughtily adjusting his glasses on his nose.

Jonesy glared at him. "I know you heard everything until she storm-trooped away."

Darth rolled his eyes. "That was a terribly bad pun or reference or whatever that was. But, yes, heard it, I did."

"Okay, well I only came back to tell you I'm taking an hour break today instead of 30 minutes. Is that okay, Darth?" Jonesy asked bitingly, squinting at him.

Darth squinted back at him. "Fine. But only because your princess is scary as hell."

"Thanks! I know!"

Thus, Jonesy turned right out of the shop, promptly texting the guys' group chat as he did so.

duuuuuuuuudes

Jonesy: ur working 2day rite Whyit?

duuuuuuuuudes

Wyatt: As long as you aren't spelling my name "Whyit" again, ever, yes.

duuuuuuuuudes

Jude: hey dudes let's totally hang out but on what scale am i bout 2 be hella confused or not?

duuuuuuuuudes

Jonesy: dont worry about it dude!

duuuuuuuuudes

Wyatt: 420/69

duuuuuuuuudes

Jude: lol ok! thanks wyatt. so dudes where we meetin at least?

duuuuuuuuudes

Wyatt: I'm guessing the Lemon is occupied by girls, so you guys can take a seat at McFlipster's and I'll see if I can get some privacy.


10 minutes passed.

"Welcome to Burger McFlipster's. How may I take your order?" came Wayne's sickeningly fake customer service voice as Jonesy entered with Jude in tow, both of them taking seats on the counter-side stools.

"Shut up. We all know that's not how McFlipster's works. Where's Wyatt?" Jonesy snapped as he searched for his best friend in his time of need.

Wayne sensed Jonesy's weakness, however, and decided to pick at him. "I dunno. Why don't you reenact your desperation? Perhaps then it'll be easier to contact him."

Then Jude spoke up. "Uhhh, can me and my dudes just talk to each other for a second?"

"Fine. Whatever. I'm going on break," Wayne announced with an eye roll.

With that, he departed, leaving an impatient Jonesy to slam his palm against the bell on the counter next to the cash register.

"Ayo, Wyatt, come out here!" he shouted while repeatedly ringing the bell.

As Jonesy continued to slam the bell, Jude asked, "Ya think he's back there meat dancing again?"

"Probably back their beating it with as long as he's taking," Jonesy grumbled.

Wyatt arrived from the back room, scowling. "For the last time, I only meat-danced with Tim once. And I was not doing that, Jonesy."

"Get your thong out of your ass, Wyatt," Jonesy snapped back. "We got bigger fish to fry."

"McFlipsters does fried fish?" Jude asked.

Wyatt and Jonesy hit Jude with the "not now" look.

"Sheesh, just askin'."

Wyatt turned in Jonesy's direction. "What's got you all creased?"

"I could ask the same about you."

"I could ask the same about both of ya," Jude interjected.

Thus, they all sat in their usual booth to talk about it, with Jonesy and Jude sitting next to each other while Wyatt sat across from them.

Jonesy sighed. "Guess I'll go first." He barely met his friends' inquisitive stares. "Nik found out something bad."

"How bad?" Jude asked.

"Really fucking bad, dude. Some shit I never thought she'd find out ever." Another sigh. "Remember that whole spring-queen thing that happened?"

Wyatt and Jude both nodded.

"And remember how I kinda dated Tricia?"

They nodded, slower this time. Wyatt knit his brows in the process.

"Well… we kinda fucked."

"What?!" Wyatt and Jude chorused.

"How could you sleep with Tricia, man?" Wyatt asked.

"Yeah, Tricia's, like, Caitlin's biggest nemesis, bro. And she went up against your old lady for spring queen," Jude reminded.

"Yeah, I got that," Jonesy snapped. He groaned and palmed his face. "Listen, I just wish it never happened to begin with, but I never thought that Nikki would find out. I'm screwed. No, wait—I'm fucked. She's not coming back for prom, guys. It's bad."

"What?!" the boys chorused once more.

"Dude, you gotta fix this pronto," Jude said. "We can't be down by one at prom."

"Kinda hard to fix shit when she told me to fuck off. Her words exactly."

"Well, you gotta find a way. Aren't things gonna be extremely awkward if you two aren't talking and have to live under the same roof for the next few days?" Wyatt asked.

Jonesy's eyes widened. He went silent for the longest moment of his life (one second). "I didn't even think about that."

The next few days flashed before his eyes, each day marred by hostility, quiet, abstinence, frustration, and avoidance. None of her dorky, adorable snorts greeted his ears since she couldn't stand hearing a single word from him. The lavender from her shampoo didn't grace his nose like it did when she'd rest her damp, soapy scalp against his chest in the shower. His tongue missed her own in the throes of intimacy. Her fingertips didn't sink into his back like her own personal scratching post.

Jonesy returned to reality with a facepalm and a groan. "Dudes, I can't end spring break single. Nikki's my girl." In a tender voice, he admitted, "And she's my best friend."

Jude's lip quivered. "I thought I was your best friend, bro."

Jonesy gave him an awkward pat on the back. "Never said you weren't, buddy, but the difference between you and her is I don't fantasize about making out with you."

"Okay, that's fair."

"At least you have someone more than a friend to make out with," Wyatt complained.

Jonesy and Jude sent him curious stares.

He frowned. "When I drove Jen home last night, I told her how I feel about her, and she ran out of the car like I didn't say anything." He threw his hands in the air. "This is worse than when that one girl got out my car while it was still moving." His arms lowered. His elbows sat against the tabletop while his palms cradled his cheeks. "This is why making the first move will always suck."

"Chin up, Wyatt. It's not like you don't have another chick lined up for you right now."

He glanced up from the fingerprint-smudged tabletop that he seriously needed to clean to look at Jonesy. One of his eyebrows raised.

"Hello? Does Marlowe ring any bells?"

His brows both shot up. "Oh, crap. Marlowe."

Jonesy smirked. "Think about it: You might've dodged a bullet with Jen. Just think about how sweet things might be this time around with your ex. Let me remind you that she works at a sex shop."

Brushing that last remark aside, Wyatt perked up. "Marlowe did say she wanted to work things out."

"See? Why waste your time dealing with a chick who's nothing but confusing when you've got a chick who knows exactly who she wants?"

"I…" Wyatt tried to fight Jonesy's logic. "I… can't believe I'm saying this, but you're right."

He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, wearing a haughty smile. "Always am." Once he opened his eyes, a devious look crossed his face. He stroked his cleft chin. "Y'know, you can always spin this Marlowe-Jen situation in your favor. Take Marlowe out on a few dates, brag about her enough, and you might be able to make Jen jealous. Nothing drives a chick more wild than seeing that she missed out. Boom! Now you've got two chicks into you."

Wyatt deadpanned, "And are you testing that theory with Nikki and Tricia?"

Jonesy narrowed his eyes and frowned, causing Jude to giggle.

When Jonesy cut his eyes at him next, he quickly turned his head and began whistling aimlessly, hoping to deflect the attention away from himself.

"Anyways," Jonesy began, facing Wyatt, "all I'm saying is that it's fun having two chicks not be at your throat, but still wanna play tonsil hockey, if you know what I mean. But, fine, just go after Marlowe already. And don't wuss out."

"Trust me: I'm heading straight to her after work."

"Attaboy."


The girls made another trek around the mall, this time to actually clear their heads. After the dilemma surrounding Josh, the new revelations about Jonesy, and the innate awkwardness surrounding Wyatt and Jen.

Caitlin pouted her bottom lip, which wobbled and wavered like her voice. "I can't believe I'm not going to the fair tonight," she lamented. "I feel like the biggest loser in the mall."

"Aw, Cait," Jen started, patting her on the back as they walked, "you're not a loser. Tricia just flat-out sucks."

Nikki added, "And look on the bright side: Instead of going to the fair with some shitty boy who was two-timing you, you get to go with your friends who actually love you."

"Exactly," Jen said.

A surge of affection swelled in Caitlin's heart. She halted her two friends in their tracks, then snatched them into a group hug. Nikki and Jen's eyes almost bugged out of their sockets from the sheer force.

"Aww, thank you guys so much," Caitlin gushed, nuzzling against the two of them.

In a strained voice, with gritted teeth, Nikki said, "Anytime, Blondie. Now can you let us go?"

"Oopsie." Caitlin uttered a nervous giggle as she let Jen and Nikki go.

"So, you feel any better?" Jen asked.

"Kinda. I think the only way I'm getting through it is because of you guys. Like, I don't know where I'd be without you two," she admitted. Her eyes gleamed with tears of joy. "Having you back just makes such a big difference, Nikki."

"Aw, don't get all sappy on me." Nikki's lips upturned. "But I'm glad that I can actually be here for you."

After Caitlin returned Nikki's warm smile, she turned to Jen. "So, what are we gonna do about you and Wyatt?"

"What do you mean 'what are we gonna do'? I thought we weren't doing anything! I don't think I wanna do anything. I'm perfectly fine just not talking to him until after we graduate," Jen said.

"From high school?" Caitlin asked.

"From college," Jen replied, walking away from her friends.

Caitlin and Nikki caught up with her, with Nikki speaking first.

"Hey, when I said you had time to decide, I didn't mean avoiding him until we're 21."

Jen's brows furrowed. "Maybe that's what I decided."

"C'mon, Jen, you and Wyatt have known each other forever. It shouldn't be that hard to talk to him," Caitlin said, "especially when you like him, too."

"Can you guys not get on my case? I already feel bad enough about what I did." She grumbled and frowned. "It already takes a lot for him to speak up about his feelings as is. I of all people should know that. And I still left him rejected." She palmed her face.

"Well, if he knows you, then he knows how you get all weird about friends dating friends. And he'd know that you need time to process hearing that," Nikki countered.

Jen sighed and relaxed her body, which had carried so much tension that she didn't realize until now. "...You have a point."

Nikki wore a haughty smile and a chipper tone. "I know."

Jen threw her hands to the sky. "I was perfectly fine not having a crush on anyone and not thinking about a boyfriend and just focusing on busting my butt to get into Van U, and then—boom!—I just had to find stupid Wyatt stupid cute and stupid nice and stupid smart and stupid kissable." She threw her head back and yelled. "I'm so stupid!"

Unfortunately, her war cry attracted the attention of some concerned shoppers.

Nikki gritted on them with narrowed eyes and lowered brows. "Oh, what? You've never seen a girl have a mental breakdown in public before?! Move along."

Most of the shoppers had obeyed except for one who gritted on Nikki in return.

"Scram!" she yelled at the straggler, who eeped and hauled their ass away from the girls.

Jen sulked. "Oh, God, now the whole mall thinks I'm crazy."

"Nah, you're good. Only a small corridor of the mall thinks that," Nikki reassured.

Jen shot a dirty glare at Nikki, who merely shrugged.

"I just think it'd be way easier if I never came around the Lemon again. Boom. Problems solved," Jen said.

"You sound absolutely delusional."

"Good! I'm tired of reality."

The girls abandoned the topic afterwards, continuing their stroll around the mall. Caitlin stopped and gaped at many store displays, cheering herself up with the prospect of window shopping. (Jen and Nikki giggled amongst themselves, agreeing that Caitlin might end up being alright sooner than anticipated.)

Nikki's mind drifted, wondering how she'd handle things with her bonehead boyfriend. Her initial rage, hurt, embarrassment, and disappointment subsided. Disgust lingered around in her mind. Unlike Jen, who currently rode delusion into the sunset, Nikki had to face her reality. After all, she and Jonesy would be inhabiting the same house until Sunday. It would be hard to give him the silent, avoidant treatment for that long in a space that intimate. Despite spending so little time in Jen's room since her return, she didn't think she could suddenly turn around and camp out in there for the rest of her stay.

Fuck, he drove us here. Meaning I guess I gotta talk to his ass before we get home. Double fuck.

"What's wrong, Nikki?" Caitlin asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You just went ughhhhhhh all loud and mopey."

"Oh." She didn't even realize she'd groaned aloud. "Just thinking about how things are gonna go with me and Jones."

"I hope you two are able to fix things up," Caitlin said.

"Thanks. We will. It's gonna be awkward, but we've solved worse, I guess."

"That's true. You two have survived, like, a year of long distance. That's so major. Most couples can't even do—" Caitlin stopped in her tracks, her jaw dropping agape and emerald eyes flinging wide. "OMG!"

"What?" Jen and Nikki chorused.

Her finger trembled as she pointed across from where they stood.

Nikki and Jen's eyes followed, leading to Nikki muttering, "Oh, shit."

Wyatt speed-walked towards Star-Studded Collars and made his way inside.

Nikki then cast her attention onto Jen, who might have been having an aneurysm at the sight. Or a heart attack. Or a stroke. Or a seizure. Or something.

Jen clutched her chest and babbled.

Caitlin stood in front of her and clutched her shoulders, shaking her back and forth. "Jen! Jen! Please talk! You're scaring me!"

"I— I—" she sputtered.

"I think she's finally stroking out," Nikki uttered. "If you smell burnt toast, blink twice."

Jen only blinked once.

"Okay, well, at least we can rule out a medical emergency."

"I—" Her voice choked up with overwhelm and unshed tears, causing Caitlin to remove her palms from her shoulders and step away. "He's— He's really getting back with Marlowe?!"


Hey babe can we talk?

The text caused Nikki's brows to raise as she walked through the mall by herself. (Caitlin figured it'd be best to take Jen with her back to the Lemon so that she could nurse her mini-heartbreak and so that Nikki could think about what to do with Jonesy. However, Nikkii didn't think she'd be hearing back from Jonesy this soon. She thought she had explicitly ordered Jonesy to leave her the fuck alone. Then again, she needed a resolution before she spent her last few days in awkwardness and avoidance in his home.

i can talk, for sure. the real question is do I WANT to? she replied.

C'mooooooooooooon babe I'm serious.

Please?

Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaase?!

fine. let's go talk.

Sweet! Meet me by the fountin

when?

Uhhhhhhh now is good if u can

omw.


As soon as Nikki arrived at the atrium, she spotted Jonesy hunched over, sitting on the bench where she found him before they broke up for the first time. That had been over a year ago at this point.

Whoa.

They had evolved so far past that. The memory took her aback, as did reconciling it with their present. It tugged at her heartstrings. She hoped he didn't think they'd actually break up.

Well, I did tell him we weren't going to prom. Guess he's looking for the final nail in the coffin.

She sighed, then approached him, standing over him in his misery.

He cast his eyes up at her. They glistened and filled with a split second of bliss and recognition. Then they turned pensive again.

"When I was with Caitlin and Jen earlier, we caught Caitlin's boyfriend cheating on her with Tricia."

"Oh, shit!" His eyelids opened wide. "She good?"

Nikki rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Me and Jen had to calm her down all day." She crossed her arms and glared at Jonesy. "But, while that bitch was mocking Caitlin, she was gloating in her face about fucking you."

In a quieter tone, with his eyelids in the same widened position, he murmured, "Oh, shit."

"'Oh, shit' is right." She grunted, reliving the anger and disappointment and disgust and jealousy that had coursed through her veins hours ago. "You know how blindsiding that was?"

He nodded slowly. His crestfallen gaze aimed at the floor, preferring its dullness over the intensity of her burning glare. "So… we're really over, aren't we?"

I knew it.

Her features softened under the weight of that question. "No, Jonesy. We're not over. We're far from that."

He found the strength to meet her eyes again, his own shining with hope and surprise. "Really?"

"Really. I mean, I was really mad, but I don't have any plans to leave you."

"But you broke off our prom plans."

"I only said that because I was pissed and wanted you to feel stupid."

His brow furrowed. "Well, mission accomplished."

She smirked. "Good. I do want to go to prom with you, dummy."

"Good, 'cause I don't wanna take Tricia. All I really want is you. You should know that."

"Knowing that and feeling that are two different things." She sighed. "Listen, It's one thing for you to be all sweet and reassure me that I'm your girl, but all that flew out the window the second I found out about you and her."

"Like I said: It was just one time. And I was just being stupid. I didn't think in a million years we'd get back together, Nik. And she wasn't even good. Nothing compared to what you and me got."

She took a seat beside him on the bench. "Was she your first?"

"Nah. My second." The fountain water trickled and splashed in the background, filling the silence. "My first was some girl at a party a few years ago. She was a senior, I think." Under his breath, he muttered, "Wasn't really all that good either."

"My first time wasn't good either. It was one incident away from being completely terrible." She groaned. "And, yes, it was with Stone."

"Dickhead."

"Yep, that sums him up." She chuckled, albeit cold. "Why does the person who 'takes your virginity' always turn out to be the worst person you ever fucking met?"

He laughed, too. "No clue."

Her voice turned hush as her words turned confessional. "Listen, if we're airing everything out, I wish that… I wish that my first time could've been you instead."

With the confession came a kiss. Her eyes remained open initially, but his warm lips and embrace lulled them shut. She eased into his kiss. He buried his fingertips in her long bob and against her upper back.

When they parted, she cleared her throat, astounded from the amorous ambush.

"So…" This time Jonesy remained the one with the intense look in his eyes, only he held a gaze, not a glare.

She didn't avert hers away. "So…"

"We good now?"

She slowly nodded. "Mmhmm."

The corner of his lips twitched, then it upturned slightly. "And I get to take your pretty ass to prom?"

She smiled, continuing to nod. "Mmhmm."

He smiled, too, though it didn't remain pure for long. "And I get to show your gorgeous ass how much you mean to me later?"

Her smile, remaining close-lipped, turned devious. "I'm counting on it."

"Great." He leaned over and pressed another kiss against her lips. This time, she saw it coming and reciprocated. "I'm crazy about you, babe. You're it for me."

Her heart skipped. Her cheeks flushed. "You're it for me too, Jones."

His lips met her cheek, then he brought his lips to her neck, stealing a few kisses along her supple skin.

"Casanova," she flirted through giggles.

"Your Casanova." He gave her one last kiss on the neck prior to retreating. He caressed her cheek. "Speaking of which, your Casanova wants to take you on a date."

"You have enough money to take me on three dates in a row?"

"Actually, I saved up enough to take you on five in a row."

She grinned. "You've really done a lot of growing up in my absence, babe."

"Did I mention how much I love it when you call me babe, babe?"

"You have, but I'd love to hear it some more—after our date."

He grabbed her hand and stood up. "Then what are you waiting for? Let's bounce!"


When Nikki and Jonesy returned to his bedroom, he leaned down and kissed her along her neck. He murmured, "Sorry for making you cry earlier, Nik. I don't like seeing you sad, especially not 'cause of me."

She retreated from his neck kisses, gazing into his eyes. Her fingers caressed the nape of his neck. "Apology accepted, mainly 'cause you made up for it with that date." She stood onto her tippy toes and gave him several loving kisses, tasting his warm, minty breath. (He had hypnotic, majestic lips. It helped that he'd popped a mint in the car, too.)

He snaked his hand over the back of her pants, squeezing her booty. "God I missed doing this."

"We only were arguing for half a day," she deadpanned.

"But every second I go without touching your ass feels like a lifetime, baby."

There went that sound he adored: her snort.

A dopey smile curled his lips. He gazed down at her in all her five-foot glory. He always loved their height difference. It made it so easy for him to hoist her up in the air and around his waist. He lifted her around his waist, forcing her legs to wrap around his waist and her arms to drape over his shoulders. Finally, they saw each other at eye level. "You've gotta be the sexiest girl I've ever laid eyes on, Nicole."

His low, amorous tone awoke goosebumps along her skin. Taking a page from his playbook, she wanted to extort some compliments from him. If nearly a year of separation left her touch-starved, then today's events combined with that left her craving attention.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really really. You're a hottie."

His peppermint breath wafted into her nose. Her eyes fluttered, caught between his deep brown eyes and his supple lips. "What else do you like about me?"

"You're smart,"—smooch—"sexy,"—smooch—"funny,"—smooch—"and always down for a good time."

She smiled with every kiss. "Anything else?"

"My other thoughts are kinda nasty right now."

She nuzzled her nose against his. "I wanna know."

He tilted his head ever so slightly, giving her another slow, burning kiss. "You've got the best pussy on the planet."

A chuckle escaped her. She kept her lips brushed against his. "Oh? Double-check it for me. I want you to be sure."

He purred and rested her on the edge of his bed, wasting no time in disrobing her. Before she could complain about the first one being naked (save for her black panties), he stripped himself down to his boxers. Their bodies collided on the bed. They writhed against each other, exchanging fervent kisses, scandalous touches, and erotic come-ons.

"You got me so wet," she said as he slid her panties down her thighs.

"I always do," he said, wagging his eyebrows at what awaited him beneath her panties. He purred after tossing her underwear over the edge of his bed.

"Don't get cocky," she warned, pursing her lips.

"You like my cock."

She snorted. "Got me there."

He pried her legs apart. "Fuck yeah, babe," he murmured as he toyed with her clit.

She instantly melted. "Oh, fuck."

His thumb swirled around in slow circles. He slid a couple fingers inside while doing so. "You're the only girl that matters, Nik. I'm gonna prove that shit to you. Swear."

"You already are," she cooed, her half-lidded eyes coquettish as she gazed at him.

He gazed at her in the same manner. Once he felt confident enough in the rhythm he used to finger her, his mouth sucked on one of her nipples.

She sighed and moaned, writhing against his touch and tongue. "Jones…"

He responded by grunting against her breast. After a minute, he moved to the other one.

Between labored breaths, she suggested, "I… I know something that'd make this better."

While his fingers never stopped, his mouth slid off her nipple with a pop. His brow raised. "What?"

"Kiss me."

His devilish grin stood to make her even wetter. "Oh, I was gonna do that anyways."

She donned a grin, too, when he met her lips. Her tongue slipped inside his mouth without hesitation. Nothing could beat this weightless sensation. Despite all the bullshit they endured earlier, she'd still have something worthwhile to smuggle back into Iqaluit. When the crushing weight of isolation and the frigidity of that hellish tundra threatened to send her spiraling into seasonal depression (and regular depression) again, she'd hold tight to these memories. They'd tide her over until May.

The mere thought of returning to that place she refused to call home in a few days made her want to fuck him longer and harder.

When they parted, she implored, "Fuck me all night."

"You got it, hottie!" He then groaned, but not from arousal. His fingers paused. "...Wait, fuck, I got work tomorrow."

She furrowed her brow at him. "Now you wanna be responsible?!"

His lips drooped into a frown. "I don't wanna break my haven't-got-fired streak yet, babe."

She sighed, feeling silly for suggesting such a thing. Her eyes dropped to his messy bedding.

"But fuck it. I told you I'd make it up to you, so—if that's what you want—that's what I'm gonna fucking do."

Her smile made it all worthwhile.

"You're so fucking pretty."

Her cheeks burned even more. "Thanks."

His eyes ogled the rest of her body, mentally squeezing and groping her every plump curve. "You'd be even prettier with my dick in you."

"So why haven't you put it in?" She bit her bottom lip, staring at the mass in his boxers.

Once he pulled them down and tossed them to the floor, it sprung free.

Yep, she'd have some wonderful memories to take up North (and some excellent inspiration for her next round of solo activities).

He lined himself up at her opening, almost teasing her with the head until— "Fuck!"

She raised her pierced eyebrow.

He scrambled towards his dresser. "No condom."

"Oh, fuck. Right." Maybe his newfound sense of responsibility served as a blessing after all. She almost let him hit raw with no trepidation… and without being on birth control. (Fuck, he had her sprung bad.)

She sat upright and peered over his shoulder as he opened his drawer, almost asking if he had enough condoms left before seeing that he possessed plenty.

(Operation: 'Til Sunrise went into effect.)

He rolled on the condom and slathered it in lube. He then poured some over his fingers. Some of it dripped down like honey, staining his bedding clear. Once he returned the bottle to his dresser, he ran his digits back and forth over her folds. "The wetter, the better," he teased in a seductive voice.

"Any excuse to touch me, huh?" she teased back.

"Of course. You're so hot and all mine." His voice dropped into growl territory during that last portion.

It sent goosebumps along her skin. How carnal of him.

Before he attempted to enter her again, she said, "Wait!"

His eyes looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and frustration.

She rolled onto her stomach, pushing herself onto her hands and knees. After all, she did say she wanted him to hit it from behind.

"Oh, fuck yeah," he murmured before pushing into her. A long moan left him.

She gasped and mewled. "Jonesy…"

"Nicole," he purred. His fingertips sunk into the flesh of her rear before he smacked it. He didn't move his hips yet. He wanted to let the weight of their situation sink in. "Been waiting my whole life for this pussy."

Another mewl escaped her. "Been waiting a long time for you to fuck me."

He smacked her on the other asscheek, mesmerized by how it jiggled. "How bad do you want it?"

"How bad do you?"

He struck her rear again. "I asked you first."

"And I asked you back."

Smack.

Though she couldn't see his face, she could hear his smirk. His charming, cocky, sexy smirk. He rubbed the cheek he just smacked, then sunk his fingertips into it. "I don't think you're in any position to order me around."

"And yet here I am: ordering you around."

Smack. "Naughty girl."

"Horny girl, too."

"Lucky for you, I'm a horny boy." He chuckled. "So… how do you want it?"

Oh, she finally could entertain a fantasy that had occupied her mind for months. "Rough."

He immediately pounded into her. Between shallow breaths and grunts, he asked, "Like this?"

"Ye— Yeah," she affirmed, her voice faltering. "Like that."

"So fucking tight." He smacked her ass a few times in a row, making her yelp in ecstasy with every strike.

She had told him to prove his devotion, and he did just that as he pounded into her over and over and over again, making her pant and whine and coo. He knocked her world off its axis. She gripped his comforter for dear life. The pleasure turned her thoughts into fuzz. She'd never experienced so much of it at once. She dared to lose herself in it all.

His headboard tapped against the wall. His hard strokes made his mattress moan as much as them. His room filled with the applause of skin clapping against skin, encouraging them to continue.

"I'll fuck you whenever you want," he growled through panted breaths.

For once in her life, pleasure triggered an eye roll. She'd love nothing more than to get her insides scrambled by him on a regular basis.

She loved the way his hands—so much bigger than her own—gripped, groped, and prodded at her. He brought his fingers to her clit, swirling it around and around and around. He kept spanking her on her ass and the back of her thighs. He even tugged at her hair when she demanded it.

She never felt as desired as she did in the past three days. He made her feel sexy and loved and adored, especially now more than ever.

"Close, baby?" he asked amid rumbles in his throat.

"Very. Don't— Don't fucking stop."

He let out a panted laugh. "Got it: Don't stop fucking."

Before she knew it, she filled the room with utterances of his name. She clamped around him, coaxing his release.

After irregular, swift thrusts, he came with a bellow. "Nicole! Fuck!"

She fell onto her chest, leaving her ass hiked in the air and causing him to slip out. In that position, she remained.

Deep inhale. Deep exhale. "Fuuuuuuuuuuuck," she moaned, facing aftershocks in the afterglow.

Without even checking a mirror, she knew her light-olive ass had turned pink from all the palming. In her dickmatized daze, she contemplated getting his hand print tatted to immortalize the pleasure. It didn't help that he smacked her ass another time.

"Damn, baby." He panted. "That… That shit was amazing."

No response from her.

"Still with me, babe?" he asked through a smug grin as he disposed of his condom.

She rolled onto her side. "Mmm, barely."

In the blink of an eye, he scooped her up into his arms. She nuzzled her head against his warm chest, coated in a thin layer of sweat.

"What happened to Miss Fuck-Me-All-Night?" he mocked. "Don't tell me you're tired."

Barely lucid as she lifted up her chin to meet his cocky expression, she gave him the middle finger. "Let me rest, dammit. I need a moment."

He chuckled and smooched her head, rubbing her side all the while. "Take all the time you need, sexy." One of his hands palmed her boob, squeezing it. "We've got time."

She moaned softly and pressed a kiss against his pec. "I love you a whole fuckton, Jones."

He rolled them so that she rested atop him, causing her to stir with a surprised laugh and widened eyes. He bit his lip before saying, "I love you a whole fuckton, too, Nik." He ran his hands up and down her back. "You're the only girl I want. Hope I proved it."

She kissed his neck, then his jawline, then his cheek, then his lips. She lingered there. Upon parting, she murmured, "You did. And I want you to do it again."

"Now there's Miss Fuck-Me-All-Night!" He purred. "You can always get this dick, baby."

She briefly rolled her eyes, then started kissing all over his pecs. "Good," she deadpanned while caressing a finger up and down his chest. "Seems like I always want it."


Once they finished their next round and took a quick bathroom break—she did not have a UTI on her spring-break bucket list—they returned to his bed without missing a beat. Nikki nuzzled her head against his chest, listening to his steady, strong heartbeat. He smiled, welcoming the sensation with open arms. In fact, he squeezed his arms around her tighter.

"I'm not going anywhere, y'know."

"Just making sure." He pressed a lingering kiss against her purple scalp.

Something as simple as a kiss to the scalp reduced her to a puddle. (Yup, she faced the worst case of being both in love and dickmatized.)

"By the way, your pussy's still the best on the planet. Glad I got to double-check." He purred. "But that makes sense, 'cause you're the best girl on the planet."

"Only you can say something completely filthy and still make it sound like a love letter."

"I know. I'm good."

After rolling her eyes, she closed them for a few minutes. She didn't sleep, though. She merely absorbed the weight of this moment. She rubbed her palm against one of his pecs and hummed with content. In return, he rubbed her lower back.

"Wait a minute," he muttered, pausing his massage.

"What?" she asked, lifting her head from his chest.

Mourning the loss of her warmth, he reached towards his nightstand and grabbed his phone. He slid his finger left over his home screen, revealing the phone's front-facing camera. He settled back into his spot on the bed, pulling her close with one arm and extending the one holding the camera above them.

"Smile pretty, babe!"

"Ugh." She scowled. One hand moved to cover her exposed chest while the other moved to cover her face (only since she couldn't reach his hand and knock his phone out of it).

"C'mon. I promised the guys I'd fix things with us."

"I don't see how taking a selfie of me—with my tits out, mind you—helps that."

He pouted. "I was gonna crop it out and zoom in on our faces."

"You should've communicated that from the start."

"Fine. Can I please take a pic of us to send to the group chat?"

She glared at him.

"Please?"

More glaring.

"Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplea—"

"Fine." She rolled her eyes.

"Sweet!" He set his a three-second timer on his phone's camera, then extended his arm in the air, giving her a big, wet kiss on the cheek as the phone took the photo.

"Jonesy!" she exclaimed, partly from annoyance, partly from affection. He sparked a unique blend of emotions within her like nobody else.

He ignored her, tapping around on his phone screen until he finished cropping the photo and zooming in on their faces. Before he sent it in the group chat, he showed her the screen.

Her nose crinkled, her eyes closed, and her lips sported the ghost of a grin. He wore a goofy look on his face as he kissed her. Even a lens, even a still image conveyed his passion for her. The photo struck her as classic and them.

She sighed, warming up to it. "I like it."

"You do?" he asked, sporting another goofy look.

"I do. Now send it before I change my mind."

His expression shouted, "Don't have to tell me twice!"

Once he planted another smooch on her cheek, he eagerly sent the photo with the caption, "Fixed it," to the gang's group chat.