Dirty Little Secret

fourteen | side piece

Lucas

I stare at my appearance in the mirror. I'm not entirely sure why I'm so nervous about Riley coming over.

Maybe it's the fact that this is the first time we're hanging out, truly alone. I don't have to leave shortly after fucking her this time.

It's almost kind of like a date, in a way.

Almost.

Except she's in leggings and a t-shirt when she shows up. And I'm in my v-neck and washed out jeans.

"Hey." She crutches into the house. "Knee still good?"

Riley nods. "It's been feeling better."

I take her backpack from her, and let her lead us into the kitchen/living area.

"I'll get you some ice." I head over to the freezer and pull out the large ice pack she usually uses. Wrapping it in a dish towel, I walk over to the couch. "Will music distract you?"

Riley looks up from her closed textbooks. "No."

"Cool." I turn on the TV and filter through the apps until I land on Spotify. "Got any requests?"

"I'm not picky." She says quietly.

I pick my main playlist and press Shuffle, then I turn the volume down a few notches and lean against the back of the couch with my own textbooks in my lap.

My thigh presses against Riley's and I turn my head. Our eyes meet and she smiles. I smile too, because her smile is so contagious.

"Is this gonna distract you?" I nod to our close proximity.

Her button nose scrunches up. "Nah. I've got some self control."

But the problem is, I'm not sure I do.

I study her face, looking for any imperfections.

So many freckles are sprinkled across her skin. She's got a dimple in her chin that I oddly want to press my lips to. When her brows tug into a furrow, I notice a tiny scar on the edge of her eye.

"What?"

I reach up and stroke the teeny bump with my finger tip. "How'd you get that?"

"What, the scar? How can you see it?"

"Um, because I have eyes?"

She chuckles. "Yeah, but it's tiny."

"I guess I was looking for it." I shrug. "How'd you get it?"

"Tetherball accident when I was a kid."

I laugh. "I used to love tetherball."

"Yeah, so did I." She purses her lips together for a moment. "My dad used to play with us, and one time the rope broke. It was too weathered, because we'd gotten it from a yard sale." She twists her lips together in thought, seeming to recall a memory. "He just reattached the ball using one of those carabiners." Now she chuckles. "That eventually broke too, and it never closed all the way. My dad used to be a cop, so he could play a little rough sometimes. The ball hit me in the face, and the edge of the carabiner caught me." She points to the scar. "Drew blood immediately. I has to get a few stitches. I was super cool the next day at school."

I laugh. "I bet you were." My finger traces the scar one more time before I cup her cheek.

"You're being distracting."

My lips brush against hers. "You have self control, remember?"

"That was bullshit and we both know it." Riley tilts her head up, kissing my lips.