CHAPTERTWELVE
AUGUST
Emery comes barreling into my room, his hair a mess, his eyes wild. I glance down and see the small bulge under his shirt near his hip and inwardly grin. He got his insulin pump up and running last week. I can tell he likes having it, and Thomas looked excited too when Emery showed him how it worked. And if I look at his right arm, I can see the raised glucose monitor taped to his skin.
Emery doesn’t seem to notice my wandering eyes because he’s too busy bouncing on his feet. “Your mom is fully moved out.”
“Yeah, I know,” I reply, rubbing at my lower back. “I helped her load the last of the boxes. Where were you? I thought you were going to help me.”
Emery moves toward me, a lollipop hanging out of his mouth, and wraps his arms around my waist. He squeezes gently and peeks up at me.
“I’m sorry. I was texting Lex and he told me some weird shit about security cameras and then I went down a YouTube rabbit hole. It’s a real problem I have, but I now know everything I can about home security.”
He pulls out his pop, pressing his mouth to mine and he tastes like a green apple. Why is that so addicting? I never really liked candy or sweets much, but I love the taste on him.
“I’m sorry. I forgot to take my medication this afternoon. I’m super spacey right now.”
“It’s okay. I managed.”
“Yeah, but I should have helped. I told Lex. I said, ‘Lex, don’t distract me’ and then he said, ‘Eminem you need to get a good system installed so you can spy on August when he’s jacking off at home all alone.’ And I thought that was a great idea. So, I started looking at videos….”
I run a thumb down his jaw as he rambles. I find that I’ve gotten used to it, the way his mind works. I love the intricate maze of it, getting lost in his thoughts with him. I enter never knowing where I’ll end up. I fucking love the suspense of it all.
“What do you think?” he asks. “Can we get some cameras?”
“We can,” I say, internally thinking that it would be good, just in case his mom shows up again. I want that shit documented for the courts. Thomas filed the paperwork for the restraining order, but now we’ll need proof when she breaks it. Hopefully it never comes to that, though. Seeing Em so afraid breaks my heart to pieces.
“But Lex is not going to be the one installing them. I don’t trust him.”
“God, you’re right. He’ll probably install them so that he can spy on us. Oh shit, I wonder if he already has some sneaky ones in here. He’s exactly that deranged; he’s like a less violent John Wayne Gacy.”
I chuckle as Emery pulls away from me and starts texting frantically, his eyes shooting around the room. “He says there are no hidden cameras in here.”
“Huh. Why don’t I believe him?”
Emery nods. “You’re right. Let’s fuck.”
I arch an eyebrow at him and can’t help the smile that pulls my lips up.
“Seriously? That’s where your mind goes?”
“Yeah. I’m always serious when it comes to sex with you. It’s been days since I’ve been inside of you. And we have a whole entire house to fuck in now. God,” he adds, “I want you bent over the couch, the toilet, the water-heater, all the things. I want to blow you while you sit on the washing machine. I want to lay you out on the kitchen table and eat your ass and then we can eat dinner.”
His face pales and he shoots from the room.
I follow and find him sheepishly turning the stove off.
“Sorry,” he says softly, bringing a pan to the sink and rinsing it off with cool water. Steam rises from the hot metal, and I raise an eyebrow.
“I had planned to make you something, but I just ruined a pan instead.”
I watch as he presses his fists into his eyes and sighs. “God, I’m such a mess. I know it gets old. I mean, you can only have so much patience, you know?”
“No, Em. I think you’re perfect,” I reply, unable to stay away from him. “Just no more cooking when you’re up in the clouds.”
“I know. Ugh, if I burn our house down there will be no chance of you falling for me. I’ll be doomed.”
He eyes me and I swallow roughly because I don’t know what to say. He hasn’t actually said those three fucking words since the incident at the apartment, but there are times I wonder if he’s just biting them back. There are times when he looks at me and I canseeit.