Down and Out(74)

Jesus, this dude either doesn’t care that he’s got an audience or he’s got a serious case of tunnel vision. And by “tunnel” I mean Kelsey’s vagina, because he’s about two seconds away from unbuttoning her pants right in front of us.
Macy gives them a tight smile. “Sorry. Guess that means you’ll have to screw in your room tonight.”
The guy grins and lifts a squealing Kelsey up in his arms. She wraps her legs around his waist and he says, “If we make it that far,” as he leads them out of the living room and down the hall. A second later, a door shuts loudly and more muted giggling drifts out.
Macy clears her throat and digs her spoon back into the half-melted ice cream. “Sorry ’bout that. They’re not housebroken yet.”
“Geez, you weren’t kidding about her.”
She scoffs. “No shit. Word of advice—never find a roommate off Craigslist.” Her cheeks puff out as she exhales slowly. Swirling her spoon in the lumpy mixture, she lowers her voice and says, “I kind of envy them in a way.”
I snort and grab my ice cream off her coffee table. “What, you want to have sex in public too?”
“No,” she says pointedly, pressing her lips together to keep from smiling. “But it’d be nice to be that passionate about somebody. To get so lost in someone that you have to have them, right then and there, even if there’s no bed.” She frowns and sets her ice cream down. “I’ve never even come close to having that kind of passion with anyone.”
The snarky, jaded part of me wants to roll my eyes and tell Macy that passion’s overrated, but it’s not. It makes you feel alive in a way that nothing else can.
My teeth scrape my lip as I stare down at the pink mess inside my Ben & Jerry’s cup, reliving the heated, spur-of-the-moment car sex Declan and I had. We hadn’t cared where we were. We hadn’t even stopped to make sure no one could see us.
It’s crazy how in two weeks, something that hot can fizzle. Just goes to show that I was right. Nothing lasts forever.
But it sure is fun in the meantime.
Macy shakes her head, like she’s clearing it. “So Declan’s being a twat, huh? Has he said anything to you about the fight?”
I shrug and set the container next to Macy’s, then wipe my hands on my yoga pants. “Don’t do it.”
“That’s it? He hasn’t said why?”
“He’s afraid I’m gonna get hurt.”
Macy arches a brow and looks away. Her expression says, “Well, duh, you will,” as clearly as if she’d said it aloud.
I scowl and look back to the train wreck of a reality show that’s on her TV screen. “That doesn’t help, Mace.”
“Sorry, just. . . Are you sure you want to do the fight? There’s gotta be an easier way to pay for tuition.”
I shoot a glare her way. “You really want to talk to me about taking on a shitty job to make some quick cash?”
Macy’s lucky. She has parents who actually give a shit about her and can afford to pay for her school and books. She only works to cover her half of rent and utilities, which is next to nothing. Things like her car, phone, and insurance are all taken care of by mommy and daddy.
And unless her parents want to adopt me or I decide to sell a kidney, I don’t see a whole lot of other choices for coming up with the kind of money I need.
“Bitch.”
I glance at Macy, seeing her mouth tilted up into a smirk. Only she would think that’s another term of endearment.
Grabbing the throw pillow next to me, I smack her with it, making her laugh. Then I sigh and say, “Why does everybody think I can’t do this? It’s not like I’m fighting to the death or going up against The Hulk. I’m fighting a girl who’s not much bigger than your skinny ass,” I mutter, crossing my arms. “I think I can manage.”
I’m actually starting to feel confident in the ring, and I owe it all to Marcus. His training and encouragement have done wonders. And it helps that he doesn’t give out meaningless compliments. If he says something positive, he means it.
Macy frowns. “Wait, who said you couldn’t do this? Did Declan say that?”
I look away from her, wishing I could sink into the couch and have it swallow me whole. “He didn’t have to.”
“Oh, babe. . .” She pulls me in for a quick hug, and I can’t help but stiffen a little in her arms. Macy’s a hugger, I’ve learned, and I’m apparently just going to have to get used to it.
When I’m finally back in my comfortable bubble of personal space, Macy says, “I’m sure you’ll kick her skinny little ass, but it’s still kinda scary. Declan’s just worried about you. You know how boys are. They’re a bunch of pussies who can’t articulate the big, scary things they’re feeling.” She shrugs. “Maybe you should cut him some slack.”
Declan’s not like most guys. He has no problem articulating anything he’s feeling with that beautiful mouth of his. It’s both a blessing and a curse, because sweet baby Jesus are the things that come out of it hot, and damn it if it isn’t part of why I’m even in this mess to begin with.
Sighing, I glower at Macy. “You’re supposed to be on my side, remember?”
“I am. I’m just saying don’t be too hard on him. He obviously cares about you. . .” She nudges my shoulder and grins. “I mean, how could he not? You’ve got such a winning personality, and all.”
My mouth twitches into a smile. “Bitch.”